GDT: R1G1 - Canucks host Flames - 7pm -

[Carl Yagro]

It really shouldn't be a surprise. The D group has been a low IQ adventure all year, serving up one turnover after another.

The Flames were smart in targeting Weber, softening him up for the kill. An 18 year old, undersized Bennett was absolutely crushing him.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Sam Bennett is going to be a player .

Still think they should win this considering Calgarys bottom two defencemen are worse than ours

Hey who is that big deigo sitting behind the visitors bench all the time ?

[Carl Yagro]

Richardson's line might not have been as good as they needed to be, but c'mon... first game back and he was battling.

Can you imagine the rape-fest that would have been Linden Vey? WD would be a fool to even consider it... so that means we'll probably be seeing his rewards program poster boy soon enough.

At least Vey doesn't handle the puck like a hot potato

How often does Vey get to handle the puck? Squeezing him off the puck is easier than popping a zit.

Richardson's got the same amount of points in 30 less games without PP time.

Vey can't play any D, has zero grit, is barely over 40% in draws and doesn't kill penalties. Kenins has consistently shown more offensive creativity in a defensive role.

C'mon Willie, put your boy in. We'll win the next 4 straight for sure.

Linden Vey would rule 8 Rinks beer league, but he is not an NHLer.

[rats19]

I think we better pick it up a notch on Friday...

[Hockey Widow]

Three more years of Luca.


Hiller was good but I think we really only had a handful of grade A scoring chances. We have made him look like a bitch before so we can beat this guy. A disappointing game one but somehow not a surprise. We had spurts of urgency and a lot of sitting back. Calgary played a patient game knowing they were always in it. They certainly didn't look nervous.

This series has been predicted to go 6-7 games so it's not over but we need more urgency and more finish. I hated seeing Burke gloat. The only consolation I have is knowing if Calgary moves on they won't get out of round two. Pretty lame I know.

[Meds]

Kinda felt like we owned the ice to start. Calgary sitting back and weathering the storm.

The team that took the fewest penalties gave us 3 chances with the man-advantage and we squandered them. That was the nail in our coffin.

At the end of the first period I said that we needed to score on the PP to start the 2nd period or we were going to pay for not putting them away early when we controlled the pace and play. Instead we did what I was afraid we would do. We gave a young team confidence that they can get it done in the playoffs and comeback late in games. Hopefully it's a false confidence, but either way, we let them take all of the momentum in this series going into game 2.

[Mr.Miyagi]

The game could have gone either way IMO and I don't think the Canucks played bad at all.

Alot of shit is getting thrown Sbisa and Bieksa's way after that GWG but I think everyone on the ice was guilty there. Bo included. Hansen and Kenins standing around, etc.... just an ugly display of defending.

We out-chanced them and should have capitalized early. I agree with Mëds that we should have put the game away when we had the chance. Hiller kept them in it and deserved the win. We will win tomorrow.

[damonberryman]

The game could have gone either way IMO and I don't think the Canucks played bad at all.

Alot of shit is getting thrown Sbisa and Bieksa's way after that GWG but I think everyone on the ice was guilty there. Bo included. Hansen and Kenins standing around, etc.... just an ugly display of defending.

We out-chanced them and should have capitalized early. I agree with Mëds that we should have put the game away when we had the chance. Hiller kept them in it and deserved the win. We will win tomorrow.

So we win in 5. Big deal. Leave it to wd and the vets.We will come back.

[kelowna kanuck]

After the first period with the dominance and all the scoring chances with no results, i had a bad feeling. As others have said , I think hillar was solid, but certainly did not stand on his head. The Canucks made him look better than he was. No, zero, fuck all, hitting. Too many no shows.
They need a big body in front of the net.
Come on guys. We lose and I have to tour Ktown bars with a fucking flammes jersey on a Friday night.

[Chef Boi RD]

Three more years of Luca.


.

Holy fuck get over it, you're just jumping on the I Hate Sbisa Bandwagon to be one of the Gang, "oh please like me everyone". He's nowhere near as bad as the rest of the babies here claim him to be. Weber and Bieksa were far worst. Him and Edler are our only 2 D-men willing to hit anyone. Bieksa is too old to hit anyone with significance

[Chef Boi RD]

Calgary's speed, skill and tenacity was too much as the game rolled. Too many guys that phone it in in big games. The old men who drive the offence the Dynamic mid - 30's foursome of the Sedins, Vrbata and Burrows can only do so much, massive drop off in offensive threat after the Sedin line. Bonino needs to step it up. Benning needs to ship Higgins out of town and not re-sign Matthias and Richardson. Turn the page, bring in the youthful ELC contracts. Kickstart the new era, the team had a great year but this is the Max that WD is going to get out of them, middling first round fodder

[Meds]

Calgary's speed, skill and tenacity was too much as the game rolled.

C'mon Dude, it's way to early for you to be double fisting the long necks.

I agree that their speed and tenacity was too much. But they didn't really scare me with skill.

Too many guys that phone it in in big games. The old men who drive the offence the Dynamic mid - 30's foursome of the Sedins, Vrbata and Burrows can only do so much, massive drop off in offensive threat after the Sedin line. Bonino needs to step it up. Benning needs to ship Higgins out of town and not re-sign Matthias and Richardson. Turn the page, bring in the youthful ELC contracts. Kickstart the new era, the team had a great year but this is the Max that WD is going to get out of them, middling first round fodder

True story. If Kassian is healthy do you play him over the too-soft-to-hit Matthias?

We had 2 lines last night, the Sedins/Burrows, and Kenins-Horvat-Hansen. Vrbata and Dorsett were lone wolves on their respective trios.

I won't throw Richardson under the bus though, it was his first game back in a while and I thought he just looked rusty. Bones, Higgins, and Matthias were total passengers though.

[ukcanuck]

Calgary's speed, skill and tenacity was too much as the game rolled. Too many guys that phone it in in big games. The old men who drive the offence the Dynamic mid - 30's foursome of the Sedins, Vrbata and Burrows can only do so much, massive drop off in offensive threat after the Sedin line. Bonino needs to step it up. Benning needs to ship Higgins out of town and not re-sign Matthias and Richardson. Turn the page, bring in the youthful ELC contracts. Kickstart the new era, the team had a great year but this is the Max that WD is going to get out of them, middling first round fodder

Jeez how out we let the series unfold before writing the obituaries

It's only game one fur focksake

[KeyserSoze]

Not a horrible game, but clearly too many mistakes and not enough intensity.

They seemed to think that a 1-goal lead mid way through the 3rd would be enough, and took their foot off the gas and let Calgary dictate the play after that.

Kennins aside not enough hits out there. It seemed like the Canucks were not getting to their checks in time to finish them with authority.

Give Weber the assist on the 1st goal, and all 5 Canucks shoulder the blame on the 2nd. Too much sloppy play in their own end all night though and too many odd man rushes against. Stuff like that will eventually come back to bite you.

Hiller made some really good saves (particularly the point blank save on Daniel, although I think he'd like that shot back as it he seemed to put it right on Hiller's pad), but the Canucks didn't test him enough.

The Flames did a good job of blocking shots. The decision to dress Bennett over Raymond seems like a no brainer now.

Sucks balls to lose game 1 on home ice, but I’m not too concerned.

[herb]

First off, Brian Burke looks close to death. Is the guy 60 or 80? What is it with him and ties?

Canucks started out really well and ended the game very poorly. The Sedins were dominant in the first period. The good news is, if the Sedins keep playing the way they did last night, pucks will go in.

Coaching. I wonder if the Flames have the advantage behind the bench.

What bugs me is that WD rolled four lines to keep the Sedins fresh all season long, but then in Game 1 of the playoffs, Hank only plays 17:29? It was a close game. It wasn't like we had a ton of penalties to kill or anything. Hank playing only 17:29 is odd. The Sedins were the fourth used line at even strength. Go figure that one out.

Shorten your bench in these situations and let your best players be your best players and try to win the damn game. Same goes for Edler-Tanev. They too could have easily played a lot more.

The second line was an adventure. Bonino made a couple nice defensive plays, but Vrbata looked really off and Higgins kind of whiffed on a couple of chances early.

Sbisa and Bieksa are awful. Just awful. They are the antithesis of a puck mover like Edler.

Lack was fine overall. Damn good at times. I doubt he liked the Russell goal, but those low percentage shots go in every once in a while.

Aaron Ward pointed out that the David Jones goal should have never happened because the play should have been waved down for a high stick. Controversy!