A Good Start
Overall I was more than pleased by the Canuck’s play last night. I wasn’t happy about all the penalties because the game didn’t have much flow in the first two periods as a result. By the time the officials put away their whistles, the Canucks were in full trap mode, so the third period didn’t have much flow either.
While Vancouver obviously has to stay out of the penalty box, it was in all other respects a Canuck game. The penalty killers did a great job and Luongo looks formidable. On the other hand, the one sour note…
The boys at the CBC desk noticed how sluggish Mats Sundin looked (MacLean called him an anchor) and Cam Cole has a good piece about him today.
His number, 13, was indeed positioned over top of a pair of hockey pants, shin pads and skates, so it may well be that there was a body inside there, as well. But it was often difficult to tell. The growing realization — stop me if you noticed this a month ago, and neglected to mention it — is that it’s possible Mats Sundin isn’t going to get any better.
Not because he doesn’t want to be good. Because he can’t.
I don’t think anyone in Vancouver is counting on a better Sundin anymore. Many (including myself) hoped to see more in the playoffs. He didn’t step it up last night – the playoff pace left him even further behind. Hopes are flagging.
If he doesn’t get better – and quickly – I’d take him out of the lineup. Pyatt will be back soon and Vigneault can’t pull Mason Raymond. The Canucks would be a better team if Mats developed a minor undisclosed injury.
Wellwood Update: Ron MacLean has been giving me some grief about my opinion of Kyle Wellwood and the doubts I’ve expressed about his ability to be an NHL player. Wellwood was excellent all over the ice last night. Clearly if he plays like that in his own zone he is an asset to any team. And he’s played like that for at least a month.
It may be time to admit I was wrong about him.
There comes a time for all athletes when the clock strikes midnight, and the body simply can’t do for them what it did before. That time looks to have arrived for Mats Sundin. In his case, I think the half-season off just crippled him. He simply never did get his foot speed and timing back. Training camp is even more important for older players than it is for the young guys, oddly enough, and as we saw from Niedermayer and Selanne last year, even world class players are unable to simply turn it on like a switch.
Sundin’s sudden decline reminds me a little of Brett Hull. Brett was still a very effective player for the Red Wings in 03-04, but he came back after the lockout in 2005 with the Coyotes to find that his game had totally abandoned him. I think Vigneault will leave Sundin on the second line tomorrow night, but if he continues to struggle like that look for his ice time to be cut significantly. (No way they make him a healthy scratch — that would be publicly admitting that Gillis’s prize signing was a bust.)
…and as we saw from Niedermayer and Selanne last year, even world class players are unable to simply turn it on like a switch.
That’s not how I’d describe Selanne or Niedermayer’s return last year at all. In fact, I was shocked at how generally up-to-speed both guys seemed upon their debuts, though you could note one play per game for a couple weeks where maybe the decision-making wasn’t there.
I’m a bit shocked that Mats had such a tough time, because based on what I saw from Scotty & Teemu last year, they made it look a bit too easy.
It’s nice to see you’re admitting you were wrong about Wellwood there, Tom. Too much talent there not to be useful. If he can continue to keep up his cardio and add some muscle… ah, dare to dream…
…and as we saw from Niedermayer and Selanne last year, even world class players are unable to simply turn it on like a switch.
It’s hard to correlate that with the play of Brendan Shanahan. It reminds me of Lou Lamoriello’s comment when asked to compare the play of Shanahan and Sundin a couple of months ago: “My guy’s in shape.” I don’t think Sundin worked out that much in the off season, and I don’t think he is in any kind of game shape yet. Hella-shot, though. Maybe the point on the power play might work for him.
I don’t think Sundin worked out that much in the off season, and I don’t think he is in any kind of game shape yet.
If he got out of shape at 37, he probably never gets it back. I think if he takes a couple weeks and then goes back to working out hard every day, he can still play when training camp rolls around. He could wait longer if he wanted, as long as he maintained an athlete’s physical conditioning. If he goes soft, he’s got a 37 year old body to get back to game shape.
He can still shoot and he can still pass but he can’t get to where he has to be.
Sundin can’t play the point on the power play, I don’t think. First, the Canucks already have good play from Edler, Salo, Bieksa and Demitra. I’m happy with Ohlund back there, too. Second, he has to be able to play defense. Third, the only place he can be halfway effective is by using his size behind the net and down low. Speed isn’t very important around the net.
If he goes soft, he’s got a 37 year old body to get back to game shape.
This is key. Since he didn’t put in the effort to keep it, I don’t think he’s going to put in the effort necessary to get it back, though. I think we’ve seen all that’s left of Sundin.