The Hockey Guy's posts tagged Vancouver Canucks

See all posts tagged with Vancouver Canucks »

• Vancouver Canucks grow old vs. San Jose Sharks

  13 days ago

  The Vancouver Canucks finished the job. They bowed out of the NHL playoffs in four games, allowing the San Jose Sharks to complete their sweep.
  
  Questionable officiating gave them a nudge out the door, but the Canucks deserved to lose that series.
  
  “We put ourselves in the situation where one bad call costs you a game,” Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa told the Vancouver Sun. “It was four games of not executing. This wasn't an isolated incident; we were in a 3-0 hole. We didn't play good enough to win the series. It sucks. There's no way to sugarcoat it.”
  
  They have lost 10 of their last 11 playoff games. They are growing old and less relevant.
  
  So what happens now?
  
  General manager Mike Gillis could fire coach Alain Vigneault, but the pool of head coaching candidates is underwhelming.
  
  Gillis could try to trade goaltender Roberto Luongo again, but he will have a tough time finding somebody to take the rest of Luongo’s onerous deal.
  
  The Vancouver Province raised the possibility to moving the Sedin Twins at some point next season to turn the page on this era. That concept seems unpalatable . . . but so does the notion of giving Henrik and Daniel additional years at big dollars.
  
  The Province’s Ed Willes summed up the scenario:
  
  The Canucks were exposed against the Sharks. They were exposed as being too small and too soft to compete at the highest level of an NHL which now rewards other attributes.
  
  This team is no longer close. The window is closed. You saw it over these four games; four games in which the Canucks grew old before our very eyes.
  
  As for the rest of the 2013 campaign, the most exciting part is coming up for the Canucks and that’s all you need to know about what they’ve become.

  0 Comments
• Time to drop plunger on Vancouver Canucks?

  15 days ago

  Barring a miraculous comeback, the Vancouver Canucks will exit the NHL playoffs during the first round.
  
  That could trigger serious changes in the Pacific Northwest.
  
  The Canucks sent off warning flares while losing their first three games to the San Jose Sharks, including a 5-2 debacle Sunday.
  
  Could a move or two vault this squad back to Stanley Cup contention?  Or has the time come to start a more serious makeover?
  
  Coach Alain Vigneault has to be on the hot seat, although general manager Mike Gillis is taking much heat for failing to add secondary scoring and eliminate his Roberto Luongo Predicament.
  
  Ryan Kesler is a heart and soul guy, but he appears to be playing hurt. And the rest of that roster appears to be bereft of Braveheart material.
  
  Frank Corrado is a promising young defenseman. But the Canucks don’t have much promising young forwerd talent in their pipeline, which is disconcerting given the advancing age of the Sedin Twins.
  
  The franchise doesn’t have a lot of obvious trade assets, beyond goaltender Cory Schneider, top offenseman Alexander Edler and agitating winger Alexandre Burrows.
  
  So Vancouver Province Tony Gallagher even suggested what was once unthinkable: Trading Henrik and Daniel Sedin at some point next season to get a head start on life without them. 

  0 Comments
• Cory Schneider out, Vancouver Canucks in peril

  19 days ago

  The Vancouver Canucks appear to be lagging. Since the playoffs are underway, this is not good.
  
  They didn’t show much fight during their 3-1 loss to San Jose in Game 1 of their series. It didn’t help that No. 1 goaltender Cory Schneider was sidelined by what the team calls a “body” injury.
  
  Schneider will miss Game 2, too. But what about his big-name teammates? Will they show up?
  
  “A lot of us have to put in that extra five per cent, to get those better scoring chances,” winger Daniel Sedin told reporters. “We didn’t have enough great chances. It takes a little more, yes. Not much, but yes. At this time of year? More.”
  
  Coach Alain Vigneault knows the old saying: You best players have to be your best players this time of the season. That was not the case in Game 1.
  
  “We have to find a way to be better,” Vigneault told reporters. “Not just with the twins, with everybody. There were some good moments . . . but I think – I don’t think, I know – our top guys can play better than they did tonight.”

  0 Comments
• Gulp! Vancouver Canucks start Roberto Luongo

  21 days ago

  After watching goaltender Cory Schneider handle a full practice workload, Vancouver media types assumed he would regain his starting role for the playoffs.

  Schneider looked fully recovered from his undisclosed injury. Former starter Roberto Luongo got shelled at the end of the regular season.That was one of the ugliest games of his career.

  All this added up to a Game 1 start for Schneider.

  And then Luongo told reporters that he, in fact, was starting. It turns out that Schneider isn't so healthy after all -- even though he participated in the morning skate.

  "Schneider just isn't ready or healthy yet," coach Alain Vigneault told reporters.

  Rookie Joe Cannata will back up Luongo against the Sharks. As for Roberto, this is his chance to write a much happier ending to what has been a most difficult season.

   

  0 Comments
• Top Western Conference playoff storylines

  24 days ago

  The NHL’s Western Conference produced plenty of great playoff story lines.
  
  The St. Louis Blues earned the home-ice advantage for the first playoff round and another crack at toppling the Los Angeles Kings. “They’re not going to forget last year,” Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter told reporters Saturday night.
  
  “They’re an improved team, obviously from the last time that we played them, the past regular season,” Sutter said.
  
  The Chicago Blackhawks rolled into the postseason with the top overall seed and the Presidents’ Trophy. They had the luxury of resting key veterans Saturday night at Scottrade Center.
  
  The Blackhawks will face the big-spending Wild, who needed to win their last game of the season to secure the eighth and final playoff slot. Minnesota reached the playoffs for the first time in five years.
  
  “We got in the hard way,” winger Zach Parise told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “That was a big step. We can't be satisfied now.”
  
  The Detroit Red Wings kept their playoff streak alive. Their quest for a 22nd consecutive berth came down to the final game of the season, a 3-0 victory at Dallas. They move on to play the Anaheim Ducks.
  
  “We’re going to Disneyland,” Jimmy Howard quipped to the Detroit Free Press. “It feels great to be able to be back in the playoffs. The urgency was there. We knew what was at stake. We’ve been playing playoff hockey for a while. For us to come into the last week and get the job done was really special.
  
  “The streak means a lot to all of us. It just says how high the bar was set before us.”
  
  The other Western Conference series will send the third-seeded Vancouver Canucks against the sixth-seeded San Jose Sharks. The Canucks aren’t sure if top goaltender Cory Schneider will be healthy enough to play.
  
  Veteran Roberto Luongo did a terrible job filling in for Schneider at the end of the regular season. “If Schneids is healthy he's going to play,” Canucks coach Alain Vigneault told reporters Saturday night. “If he's not, we have total confidence in Roberto.”

  For more on the Western conference and other news and notes, check out my posting at STLToday.com.

  0 Comments
• Vancouver Canucks beef up offense with Derek Roy

  April 02, 2013

  Secondary scoring has been a huge problem for the Vancouver Canucks this season. Ryan Kesler's season-long injury woes have only made it worse.

  But the team added significant help this season by grabbing playmaking center Derek Roy during the Dallas Stars fire sale. Vancouver spent only middling defensive prospect Kevin Connauton and a second-round pick to get him.

  Roy could immediately become the No. 2 center behind the top line of Henrik and Daniel Sedin with Alexandre Burrows. Kesler hopes to return from his foot fracture, so the Canucks may actually be able to assemble three decent lines for a change.

  Dallas added Roy for this season after he slipped to just 44 points the previous season in Buffalo. He played OK, scoring 22 points in 30 games for the Stars.

  But that team's overall struggle prompted GM Joe Nieuwendyk to sell off assets. First Brenden Morrow left, for Pittsburgh. Then Roy left for Vancouver and Jaromir Jagr split for Boston.

  Roy is in the walk year of his contract, so this affords him the opportunity to make his case for one more decent NHL contract.

  0 Comments
• The time has come for Roberto Luongo to move

  March 30, 2013

  It took a while, but Cory Schneider has finally taken charge in goal for the Vancouver Canucks. Veteran Roberto Luongo has become the most lavishly paid back-up in NHL history.
  
  So the Canucks need to finally move him for whatever the team can fetch. If the wealthy Maple Leafs franchise is willing to take the remainder of that 12-year contract off the Vancouver books, GM Mike Gillis should jump at that deal.
  
  If Vancouver only gets a second-round pick or a middling prospect in return, so be it. The time has come to end this melodrama and free up significant budget space for future Canucks purchases.
  
  While chatting with the Vancouver Province about his predicament, Luongo compared himself to Jarome Iginla. When the Flames decided it was time to move Iginla, team management gave him the heads up and involved him in the trade negotiations.
  
  “I don’t think I will be blindsided,” Luongo said. “It has been a long time coming. It’s something you expect one way or the other. Kind of like Iggy. They told him he would probably get traded a month in advance.
  
  “In situations like that I don’t think you can get blindsided.”

  0 Comments
• Ryan Kesler's broken foot hobbles Vancouver Canucks

  February 28, 2013

  The Vancouver Canucks were already struggling to find supplemental scoring. So the loss of star-crossed No. 2 center Ryan Kesler for up to six weeks with a broken foot will make their lives even more difficult.
  
  Kesler actually suffered the injury during his first game back from shoulder and wrist surgery. He got hurt  blocking a shot back on Feb. 15, but played six games with bone fracture.
  
  (Would you ever see a baseball player soldier through such a painful injury? Of course you wouldn’t.)
  
  “It always seems like he’s playing through something,” teammate Chris Higgins told the Vancouver Province. “I feel like he was just starting to feel up to game speed and I’m sure on a personal level it’s pretty devastating because he’s going to have to start again with his conditioning and everything else.
  
  “And for our team, it’s a big impact through our whole lineup because he contributes to every facet of the game. It kind of takes us back to the beginning of the season where we’re going to have to make up for his loss by committee.”
  
  Here is the fallout:
  
  

  • Alexandre Burrows could move off the top line with Henrik and Daniel Sedin and center the No. 2 line with Higgins and Jannik Hansen.
  • Andrew Ebbett is expected to return from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL to fill the roster spot.
  • On the power play, Jordan Schroeder and Alexander Edler could man the points on the first unit Wednesday with the Sedins and Burrows up front. Dan Hamhuis and Jason Garrison would play the points on the second unit with David Booth, Mason Raymond and Zack Kassian up front.
  • The Canucks would have to redouble efforts to move either of their goaltenders, Roberto Luongo or Cory Schneider, for offensive help.

   

  0 Comments
• Roberto Luongo makes no sense for Edmonton

  January 26, 2013

  It doesn’t take a vivid imagination to connect Roberto Luongo to the Edmonton Oilers.
  
  The injury-depleted Vancouver Canucks desperately need a Top 6 forward. They are eager to move Luongo and his massive contract. Their other goaltender, Cory Schneider, just threw a 5-0 shutout in Anaheim.
  
  The Oilers have lots of second- and third-line forward options, including Sam Gagner. As luck would have it, Sam’s father Dave works for the Canucks.
  
  With 900-year-old Nikolai Khabibulin still sideline by hip problems, Edmonton is leaning heavily on young Devan Dubnyk – who recently allowed six goals in one period against the San Jose Sharks.
  
  Khabibulin’s $3.75 million contract comes off the books after this season, so the Oilers could theoretically absorb Luongo’s salary of $6.7 million.
  
  But here are the reasons why the deal would not make sense:
  
  

  • Dubnyk showed resolve by bouncing back from his disastrous game against the Sharks by beating the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in overtime, stopping 30 of 31 shots. “After a game like that, it’s easy to get tunnel vision when you’re trying to have a bounce-back game,” Dubnyk told the Edmonton Journal. “I just wanted to go out and have a good game and get back to doing the right things. We all did.”
  • Dubynk got better as last season progressed, allowing just 2.04 goals against average during his last 13 games while posting a .933 save percentage. His appearances have increased in each of his NHL seasons while his GAA has gone down. “He proved to us at the end of last year that he could shoulder the load,” Gagner told the Journal. “Obviously, it’s a different animal having the mentality of a starter, but he seems to be handling it well. He wants to be the guy every night.”
  • Luongo’s contract runs until 2022, giving it an average salary cap hit of $5.33 million. Why would an emerging team commit so many dollars to a 33-year-old goaltender racing toward his twilight years?
  • Canucks general manager Mike Gillis seems willing to trade Luongo within the Western Conference, but would Vancouver really want boost Edmonton into playoff contention? This side of the NHL is competitive enough as it is.

  
  Vancouver needs to move Luongo, for sure, but this deal doesn’t make a lot of sense.

  0 Comments
• Vancouver Canucks scramble lines, seek offense

  January 23, 2013

  Canucks coach Alain Vigneault is desperately trying to generate some offense beyond the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik.
  
  No. 2 center Ryan Kesler remains sidelined recovering from surgical repairs. Second-line winger David Booth is out with a groin muscle strain.
  
  So Vigneault moved the Sedin’s usual linemate, agitating winger Alexandre Burrows, to the second-line center role – even though Burrows has precious little experience at center. Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen will flank him.
  
  “It's not a big deal,” Burrows told the Vancouver Sun. “I know the game, I understand the game. There's an adjustment, but it's still playing hockey. You still have to work hard, play well defenisvely and skate. That is probably the biggest difference, that you are skating a little bit more.”
  
  Rugged young winger Zack Kassian is getting to skate with the Sedins at even strength. The third line will feature former first-round pick Jordan Schroeder centering Mason Raymond and Dale Weise. Schroeder will be making his long-awaited regular season NHL debut.
  
  “We'll see how I sleep tonight,” Schroeder told the Sun. “It's beyond exciting. I have been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time. For these guys (his new teammates) it's an everyday job, but this is a first for me. I'm just looking to come in and prove I can play here.
  
  “I'll be nervous, but I don't want to let it affect how I play. I just want to stay calm. . .and these guys in this locker-room have been around and I'm sure they will be talking to me. I'm looking forward to some support from them.”

  0 Comments
• Vancouver Canucks create goaltending controversy

  January 20, 2013

  Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis could have moved goaltender Roberto Luongo before the season started but opted not to, citing the middling trade offers that came his way.
  
  So this distraction dragged into the 48-game season. Coach Alain Vigneault started Cory Schneider in Game 1 and the results were disastrous.
  
  The Canucks fell to the visiting Anaheim Ducks 7-3, thanks largely to terrible goaltending.
  
  “It was just unacceptable to play that way and put my team in that situation,” Schneider told the Vancouver Sun. “You never expect it to go this way. You know what? I was just maybe half a second off and, at this level, that's all it takes. Sometimes you need to make that one big save that will get you in a rhythm and send you on your way. Tonight, I couldn't make that big save. I didn't perform or produce and that's on me.”
  
  After allowing five goals on 14 shots, Schneider gave way to Luongo – who earned heard a nice ovation as he entered the game in relief.
  
  “It was a fun moment,” Luongo told the Sun. “I wasn't really expecting to go in but after the fifth goal, Alain just told me to get in there.
  
  Luongo allowed two goals on 12 shots while other teams watched with great interest. How long will Gillis maintain this untenable situation?
  
  Schneider ascended to the lead role last season. But Luongo has been one of the top goaltenders of his era and he wants no part of a back-up role in Vancouver.
  
  The media stirs this pot constantly, creating a less-than-ideal scenario for a younger goaltender to settle in.
  
  “You know what, it doesn’t matter what market I’m in,” Schneider told the Sun. “If I played this way, it would be unacceptable anywhere in the world. You have to be accountable and responsible and you have to perform and produce, and tonight I didn’t perform or produce — and that’s on me.”
  
  Toronto and Florida, two potential suitors for Luongo, opened their seasons with victories. Philadelphia, on the other hand, is 0-2.
  
  Let the rumor mill whirl.

  0 Comments
• Some NHL prospects waste developmental time

  December 25, 2012

  The ongoing lockout has allowed some prospects to gather valuable pro experience before making their jump to the NHL.
  
  The best example of this: Defenseman Justin Schultz, a collegiate free agent currently dominating the AHL for the Oklahoma City Barons. He has scored 14 goals and added 24 assists in his first 27 games at that level. He will jump right onto the Oilers power play if and when the NHL resumes operation.
  
  But other top prospects have not made the most of their extra developmental time. Here are a few examples:
  
  Mika Zibanejad, F, Senators: After the sixth overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft scored just one goal in 16 AHL games, Ottawa elected not to release him to play in the World Junior Championships. He has been plagued by a variety of maladies, including the removal of four wisdom teeth, a case of strep throat and a struggle with stomach flu. The Senators want him to get healthy and finally adapt to the smaller North American ice surfaces.
  
  “It’s a new team from last year and a young team. It has been a process, but I feel it’s getting better and better,” Zibanejad told the Ottawa Sun. “It’s good, fast-paced hockey and you just have to go with your instincts. There are only positives so far.”
  
  Cody Hodgson, C, Sabres: The parent team hoped Hodgson would use additional time in the AHL to develop into at least a solid No. 2 center at the NHL level. But he suffered a broken hand Nov. 3 playing for Rochester.
  
  “Obviously, you know how good Cody is and what he can mean to a team in more ways than one with his leadership and his offensive ability,” Rochester coach Ron Rolston told the Buffalo News. “It’s been a day-to-day thing [with the hand]. I think now it’s more of the strength of it and the functionality of what he can do out there.”
  
  Zemgus Girgensons, C, Sabres: The first-round pick scored just one goal and added only four assists in 21 games at Rochester.  The big pivotman also lost time to an upper back injury. He projects as a checking line center in the NHL, but Buffalo wants him to develop the offensive side of his game in the minors.
  
  Jordan Schroeder, C, Canucks: Given Ryan Kesler’s injury, Schroeder was supposed to use his time at the AHL’s Chicago franchise to become a take-charge offensive player. But the 2009 first-round pick did not impress management while scoring seven goals and adding eight assists in 24 games.

  0 Comments
• NHL lavish huge contracts on players as lockout nears

  September 15, 2012

  As the clock ticked toward another NHL lockout, some owners scrambled to give some more huge contracts before the league shutdown.
  
  Try to follow the logic here:
  
  The owners, claiming financial distress, are demanding wholesale concessions from the NHL Players Association in the next collective bargaining agreement. They are willing to shutter the league for as along as it takes to get those concessions.
  
  At the same time these owners, apparently flush with cash, are signing players to huge eight- and nine-digit contracts this summer.
  
  The owners want to cap the length of player contracts, with five years being a popular number on that side of the table.
  
  Fearing that the players could give in to this demand in the next CBA, many owners are desperately trying to sign their key players to longer-term contracts before that happens.
  
  So even as NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was trying to stand tall (not an easy task for him) and talk tough, his owners were opening their vaunt and tossing massive dollars at their soon-to-be-locked out players.
  
  Big winger Milan Lucic got a three-year, $18 million extension from the Boston Bruins. Earlier, that team gave Tyler Seguin a six-year extension averaging $5.75 million per year and a four-year, $18 million extension to forward Brad Marchand.
  
  That adds up to a $70.5 million commitment to three players. Imagine what the Bruins would have spent if the NHL didn’t face such crippling economic challenges.
  
  Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli acknowledged the incongruity during a chat with reporters. “I know the optics don’t look great,” he said. “But I’ve got to do my business as usual.”
  
  The Bruins weren’t the only team racing to spend money for locking the doors.
  
  Defenseman John Carlson got a six-year, $23.8 million deal from the Washington Capitals. He is locked up until 2018.
  
  The Dallas Stars gave injury-prone goaltender Kari Lehtonen a five-year contract extension worth $29.5 million. He, too, is secured until 2018.
  
  Free agent power forward Shane Doan finally agreed to a four-year, $21.2 million deal to stay in Phoenix.
  
  Agitator Alex Burrows got a four-year, $18 million extension from the Vancouver Canucks.
  
  And on and on it goes. Before setting out to starve players into a bad settlement, many owners decided to award key players lifetime security.

  Way to weaken their resolve!

  0 Comments
• The trouble with goaltenders

  September 11, 2012

  Goaltenders are an unpredictable lot by nature. For every reliable Martin Brodeur, there are three Jose Theodores all over the map from year to year.
  
  This season experts project repeat greatness from Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings and Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators. Each was stellar last season and each is expected to carry on.
  
  But check out the disparate fantasy rankings of some other key NHL netminders:
  
  Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis Blues: NHL.com ranks him fifth in the league, but Dobber Hockey has him at No. 19 in its latest rankings and Yahoo! Sports has him at No. 29. The latter two ratings reflect his anticipated time share of Brian Elliott.
  
  Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia Flyers: Yahoo! Sports believes his strong regular season finish will carry over. Hence the No. 3 ranking it gave him. NHL.com (No. 13) and Dobber Hockey (No. 16) had nagging doubts about him.
  
  Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings: He has been brilliant in his career. He has also been mediocre. Dobber Hockey had him sixth, but Yahoo! Sports had him No. 10 and NHL.com had him down at No. 18.
  
  Roberto Luongo. Vancouver Canucks (for now): At the moment he finds himself in a time share with upstart Corey Schneider. Rather than become a pine time player, he is willing to move back to Florida in a trade. Dobber Hockey still lists him as the 10th best goaltender for this season, but NHL.com had him at No. 16 and Yahoo! Sports had him at No. 30.
  
  Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins: His playoff collapse created a mixed vote for his 2012-13 projection. Dobber Hockey had him fourth. NHL.com had him at No. 7 – but Yahoo ranked him 19th.
  
  Jonas Hiller, Anaheim Ducks: Banking on this team to pick up where it left off, NHL.com gave him a solid No. 10 rating. Dobber Hockey ranked him 13th and Yahoo! Sports had him at No. 27.
  
  Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames: Dobber Hockey loves this veteran and ranks him fifth. Yahoo! Sports (14th) and NHL.com (20th) were less enthusiastic.
  
  You get the idea. After the top few, even the guys who project statistics for a living are guessing.

  0 Comments
• Ten NHL goaltenders on the spot

  September 02, 2012

  The Philadelphia Flyers did not got the expected return on that nine-year, $51 million contract lavished on goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov last year.
  
  He ran hot and cold all season. Which goaltender will Philly get this season? Will it get the guy who allowed 18 goals during a four-game span in October?
  
  Or will it see more of the Bryzgalov who went 10-2-1 with a 1.43 goals-against average, .947 save percentage and four shutouts in March.
  
  He produced a shutout stretch of 249 minutes and 43 seconds that month. On the other hand, his playoffs took an unfortunate turn. He posted a 5-6 record with a 3.46 GAA and .887 save percentage.
  
  His bottom line was unimpressive: 33 victories, 10th most in the NHL, rankings of 21st in GAA (2.48) and 33rd in save percentage (.909). The Flyers are counting on a much better showing this season.
  
  Flyers star Claude Giroux believes Bryzgalov should be much more prepared for all the hockey fanfare in the City of Brotherly Love. “Obviously next year he's gonna know what to expect and if I had to predict anything he's gonna be the best goalie in the league next year,” Giroux told a Philadelphia radio station. “I'm pretty sure that's what's gonna happen.”
  
  Bryzgalov is just one NHL goaltender on the spot this year. Here are some others:
  
  Roberto Luongo, Canucks: He was OK during the regular season, posting decent numbers (31-14-8, 2.41 GAA and .919 save percentage). But Corey Schneider supplanted him as the No. 1 goaltender during last spring’s playoffs. He is ready to take change this season, too. Schneider’s time has come. Trouble is, Luongo, 33, and the remainder of his 12-year, $64 million remain in place. Efforts to trade him at the NHL Draft failed. Toronto could use a marquee goaltender Luongo would accept a move to Florida, but thus far no team has been willing to meet Vancouver’s asking price. If this uncertainly drags into the regular season, will Luongo remained focused?
  
  Marc-Andre Fleury, Penguins: Many experts favored Pittsburgh to win the Stanley Cup last spring. Then the Penguins lost a crazy first-round series to the Flyers. Fleury took plenty of the blame with his stunningly bad performance (4.63 GAA in six games). That breakdown led to the arrival of Tomas Vokoun to back-up Fleury and potentially press him for playing time. Another offseason factor was the departure of outstanding defensive defenseman Zbynek Michalek. But . . . Fleury won a career-high 42 games last season while posting a 2.36 GAA. The Penguins believe he will be fine with additional rest during the season, but Vokoun is more than capable of taking over as the No. 1 man if necessary.
  
  Ryan Miller, Sabres: Bruins power forward Milan Lucic knocked him off his game with his “accidental” bump last season. Miller lost time to a concussion and didn’t look like his old self in December (.893 save percentage) and January (.901). Finally he hit stride in his last 22 games, posting a 15-4-3 record and moving his season ratios (2.54 and .916) back in line with his career norms. He was especially good in February with a .938 save percentage and a 1.85 GAA. The big-spending Sabres are looking to climb back into Stanley Cup contention this season and Miller is the key figure in that quest.
  
  Anders Lindback, Lightning: Tampa Bay has more than enough firepower to contend for the Stanley Cup. But its goaltending blew up last season, with old-timer Dwayne Roloson finally hitting the wall and Mathieu Garon and Dustin Tokarski failing to pick up the pieces. Enter Lindback, the rangy and promising netminder stuck behind Pekka Rinne in Nashville. The Lightning are betting that he can become The Answer. But it is difficult to assess Lindback based on his small (16 games) sample that produced a 2.42 GAA and .912 save percentage for the Predators last season. He has played in just 38 NHL games overall, producing so-so ratios (2.53/.914.)
  
  Tuukka Rask, Bruins: With “Free Citizen” Tim Thomas taking a year off from hockey, Rask graduates into the starting role after his lengthy apprenticeship. Great things are expected, given his 2.20 GAA, a .926 save percentage and 11 shutouts in 102 NHL games. But last season he posted a middling 54.5 percent Quality Start percentage, reminding us that back-ups don’t always settle into a consistently high level of performance upon graduation to regular work.
  
  Devan Dubnyk, Oilers: Edmonton is loaded with explosive offensive talent up front and promising defensemen on the blue line. But the playoffs have remained out of reach for the Young Men of Oil. This team is overdue to break out and much of that responsibility could fall in Dubnyk, a still-developing netminder who has posted mediocre ratios (2.85 GAA and a .910 save percentage) in 101 NHL games. If Dubnyk can finally blossom and replace 900-year-old Nikolai Khabibulin, this franchise could finally take off. He showed signs of taking that step during his final 13 starts last season, posting a 2.04 GAA and .933 save percentage down the stretch.
  
  Corey Crawford, Blackhawks: The former Stanley Cup champions paid the price for erratic goaltending last season. Neither Crawford nor Ray Emery sustained quality play for defensive-minded coach Joel Quenneville. Crawford appeared to be an emerging star two years ago (33-18-6 record, 2.30 GAA, .917 save percentage) but last year his numbers turned ugly (2.72, .903). He allowed three or more goals 27 times in 57 games. Quenneville yanked him from seven starts. Crawford allowed lots of bad-angle goals and he appeared tentative while attempting to stop breakaway. Blackhawks management have expressed public support for Crawford, but experts wonder if Stan Bowman could yet make a move to fortify his team in goal.
  
  Niklas Backstrom, Wild: After committing about $200 million to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, Minnesota needs its goaltender to regain the form that allowed him to post 2.32 GAA and .922 save percentage from 2007 to 2009. Staying and consistent proved problematic for him last season. He had three good months, October (3-3-2, 2.30 and .912.), November (6-2-0, 1.82 and .948.) and February (4-5-2 2.36 and .920.) The team can’t afford such intermittent success this season.
  
  Jonas Hiller, Ducks: He suffered as the team suffered early last season. His numbers for November (2-6-3, 3.54 GAA, .895 save percentage) and December (3-6-2, 3.31, .896) were way off his career norms. Overall he led the NHL losses and finished tied for the second-most goals allowed. On the other hand he started 73 games and proved his earlier health problems were behind him. Now the Ducks are hoping that Hiller and the rest of their cornerstone players can start well and set aside last season’s fiasco.

  0 Comments