The Learning Pains of a Baby Goalie
So that's how it ended, a Avalance shootout win over the Canucks for a final score of 5-4.
I didn't get to watch the first period, but from what I saw in the 2nd and 3rd period, offensively, the Canucks were fantastic again. They were able to sustain pressure in the Avs zone to create scoring chances and also were able to capitalize on those chances 4 times.
Steve Bernier had a fantastic night for the Canucks after he scored his first goal in the PP and especially after he scored the Canucks 4th goal. It's amazing because you can tell the difference in the way he handled the puck from the onwards. I mean, DID YOU SEE HIS CHANCE IN THE OT THAT HIT THE POST?! That was a sick move he pulled against the Avs then. Sucked that it hit the post. I was just "Wow, that's Big Bear?!"
Darcy Hordichuk and Daniel Sedin scored the other goals for the Canucks. Couldn't see how the Hordi goal developed, but it was from a nice pass by Jason Jaffray. The Sedin goal was pure non-stop trying. He got a couple of chances the first time and the puck was cleared and held in by the Canucks, and he was able to whack it several times again and eventually put it in the net.
Defensively, I thought it looked a bit shaky after they gave up the first goal, but overall still... average.
SOB and Willie got beat in that first goal, and to put salt into the wounds, the puck was tipped by Willie's stick and into the net. Apparently SOB tipped in the 3rd goal, but I couldn't really see it soo I can't really say for sure. They were also having problems handling the puck, sometimes, to make the breakout pass and clear the zone.. you sometimes see them go around in circles around our own zone pass it back and forth, bobble the puck, circle again, wash and rinse, then repeat.
What was even worse, though, was the goals let in by Cory Schneider and I think those are the type of goals that a rookie goaltender have to get used to just to get the timing and positioning correct. Teh Schneids definitely didn't have much of a chance on the first goal since Willie put it in himself, but the 2nd and the 4th goals were definitely saveable.
Although he should have saved the 4th goal, I wouldn't put the blame on him entirely. The Canucks had a couple of chances to get the puck out on that play. Pavol Demitra had a chance to get the puck out in that play. They didn't and the Avs made us pay for our mistakes. Sad truth.
XD You'd probably be hardpressed to talk about whether the goals in the shootout were saveable considering Roberto Luongo has been previously beat by those exact same moves before, so it's harder to say whether Scheids should have had those or not. I thought he went down too quickly on the Hejduk goal, that beat him top shelf... Meh.
Cory has already said it himself that he obviously does not want to put the team through his growing pains, but it's a fact of life if you're a young goaltender. He will make those mistakes, the Canucks were able to score enough tonight and we were able to get at least a point. What they need to do is what they did in the Wild game. Hold off the Wild, don't make defensive mistakes. If he doesn't face a lot of shots, Schneids can make that save.
But anyway. Even after all those bad goals, is it bad that I still have more confidence in Cory that Sanford? LOL
Yeah, disappointing game. I just hope to see a better result against the Preds.
