[DOVAHKIIN]

Yeah.

"I wouldn't blame it on the injuries." - Tony regarding Toronto's loss to Vancouver on Saturday

*cough*

Riiiiight.

It's a fact, when half a dozen of your best and decent players are injured, something's bound to go bad. Yeah blame Raycroft for his bad goaltending on Saturday sure, but with a lackluster offensive production often comes little momentum, and with little momentum often comes defensive breakdowns. Especially when you have some mediocre/inexperienced players playing bigger roles as they're called up from the farm team.

With Antropov and Ponikarovsky back in the lineup tonight, there sure were some differences...

"Wouldn't blame it on the injuries." Hahhh.

*Spits*

EDIT: And before there's a rebuttal, here's a scenario:

If one or both of Sedins, Naslund, Ohlund, Pyatt, Mitchell, and Linden were all out and then Luongo sucked one night, I'm pretty sure the injuries to them would be a big factor...

Remember people, injuries hurt the whole team.

[dark_chancellor]

Yeah.

"I wouldn't blame it on the injuries." - Tony regarding Toronto's loss to Vancouver on Saturday

*cough*

Riiiiight.

It's a fact, when half a dozen of your best and decent players are injured, something's bound to go bad. Yeah blame Raycroft for his bad goaltending on Saturday sure, but with a lackluster offensive production often comes little momentum, and with little momentum often comes defensive breakdowns. Especially when you have some mediocre/inexperienced players playing bigger roles as they're called up from the farm team.

With Antropov and Ponikarovsky back in the lineup tonight, there sure were some differences...

"Wouldn't blame it on the injuries." Hahhh.

*Spits*

so bitter =(

where's the love? <3 <3

[Chioster]

Yeah.

"I wouldn't blame it on the injuries." - Tony regarding Toronto's loss to Vancouver on Saturday

*cough*

Riiiiight.

It's a fact, when half a dozen of your best and decent players are injured, something's bound to go bad. Yeah blame Raycroft for his bad goaltending on Saturday sure, but with a lackluster offensive production often comes little momentum, and with little momentum often comes defensive breakdowns. Especially when you have some mediocre/inexperienced players playing bigger roles as they're called up from the farm team.

With Antropov and Ponikarovsky back in the lineup tonight, there sure were some differences...

"Wouldn't blame it on the injuries." Hahhh.

*Spits*

EDIT: And before there's a rebuttal, here's a scenario:

If one or both of Sedins, Naslund, Ohlund, Pyatt, Mitchell, and Linden were all out and then Luongo sucked one night, I'm pretty sure the injuries to them would be a big factor...

Remember people, injuries hurt the whole team.

But every team should learn to overcome it rather then to complain and whine about it. Look at the canucks last year in febuary, Lost all 3 of our top D-men and lost Baumgartner for a few games. We had only 1 guy with NHL experience and 5 Minor league players. We still went 2-1 in that short stretch. It doesn't matter who is injured. Sure injuries can affect a team if they can create chances but if a team learns to overcome those injuries, then it will be good.

ALSO........

CANUCKS WIN 4-0 against montreal. The boobirds were just everywhere today. With like 1 minute left, they showed a part overhead cam and the arena was almost empty. A 22,000 arena.... Empty..... Glad Luongo came up big and got a shutout even though he didn't get sleep while in teh hospital the night before.

[DOVAHKIIN]

But every team should learn to overcome it rather then to complain and whine about it. Look at the canucks last year in febuary, Lost all 3 of our top D-men and lost Baumgartner for a few games. We had only 1 guy with NHL experience and 5 Minor league players. We still went 2-1 in that short stretch. It doesn't matter who is injured. Sure injuries can affect a team if they can create chances but if a team learns to overcome those injuries, then it will be good.

A 2-1 stretch record is hardly anything to talk about. Flyers could do that and I wouldn't be wow'd.

The Leafs did overcome the injuries, but like your Canucks last year, things weren't exactly consistent now were they? You know it yourself, if the Canucks had their healthy lineup, very likely things would've been better, and they would've made postseason last year.

And yes, it does matter who's injured. The injured player in the regular lineup brings a specific asset to the team that the farm player does not have. If you lose the asset, the farm player can play the best of his ability and contribute, but he can't fill in the missing asset slot of the injured player.

[Chioster]

Last years Canucks, I am not blaming them for injuries. I blamed them soley on giving up after 1 or 2 periods of play. They had no jump. No heart at all last year.

[res0nate]

2 and 1, thats it!? I was expecting this to go somewhere where the 'nucks went through some 10-15+ game stretch w/out a core group of guys.

[Chioster]

2 and 1 against divisonal rivals. Calgary and Colorado if i remember. But having only 1 NHL dmen with experience and 5 AHL players was hard enough. You can say today's Canucks team is made up of 50% AHL players but they have learned to play under the system. I am not saying the Canucks are a better team but I am saying. You can develope consistency if you know what your role. Also, wasn't that same injured Toronto AHL team with injuries that beat Buffalo 2 days before? And most fans saying it was the best game of the year?

[dark_chancellor]

The point is.. farm team players can definitely be used, but only as a short-term fix, and teams just have to learn to live with those periods of time if they ever do have to go through such a period. In the long term, though, it's hard, due to sheer statistical variance, for a team whose skill level drops significantly (supposedly) to continue winning on a consistent basis - if they do, then the team isnt' spending their money very wisely on the "veteran" guys because they're not making much of a difference.

You two are essentially saying the same thing, just with a little too much conviction.. <___<

Yes, the Canucks went on a 2-1 TEAR OF THE LEAGUEZ0RZ but down the road, they couldn't very well have thrived with that kind of a defense. It was a short term plug, is all that it was, but to be fair, 2-1 isn't anything that can be used to say whether a team was doing well or not..

I believe that injuries do affect a team's performance (obviously), and it may, in fact, have a very big impact if the scouting staff doesn't do a good job of beefing the farm team up with good enough players. Those guys may get some very good jump for a few games, especially around the beginning when they're all excited to play in the major league, but doesn't matter how consistent you think a team ought to play, replacements are never the long-term solution, there's a limit to how well a guy who isn't necessarily ready yet for the major league can play on a consistent basis in the major league.

[Aznbanana]

for an example of a team that is going on a tear with injuries, i direct to subject C, the Ottawa Senators. Doing amazing without a good portion of their lineup in the past 11 games...make that 12.

[dark_chancellor]

Comrie's totally lighting it up..

but..where do you think he'll fit in when Spezza and Fischer come back?? CONTROVERSY

[Chioster]

Bulis has requested a trade. But so far, he has denied these rumors so I hope its not true cause this will really mess up the locker room.

[Aznbanana]

....since when did Bulis had any REAL trade value lol

[Chioster]

Since he scored 4 goals in 1 game . But that was the climax of it. Lets go Canucks, this is the real test of the season. Back to Back games against Ottawa(2nd hottest team in the league after us) and Buffalo tomorrow (2nd best team in the league in points)

[dark_chancellor]

I will start a new rumour so that people will get a chance to deny them too

Nonis gets his hockey news from Soompi.com, and that's also where he gets information to make executive decisions.

he also hates Ruutu...and eats babies.

[Chioster]

LOL!, You know something is wrong when Rory scores the GWG of the game and the Canucks didn't get a shot on net in the 3rd period and still end up with a win. The shots were 35-14 O_O.

[DOVAHKIIN]

And most fans saying it was the best game of the year?

Not really. The press and analysts are the ones saying that. I find the 10-2 bashing against the Bruins as the best game of the year and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks the same.

[dark_chancellor]

^ Didn't Sportsnet Connected say Paul Maurice thought the same too, though?

[DOVAHKIIN]

Alright fine, the coach as well, but I still stand by the 10-2 bashing of the Bruins.

10-2 win over 4-2 any day

[dark_chancellor]

man..those Canucks fans on the Canucks forum are freaking wolves.. they just rip into Sabourin everytime they hear his name o_O goodness..

[Chioster]

No they are praising him now for keeping the Canucks in. From what I heard from the radio, he was awesome in the 3rd. He also robbed daniel briere while reaching behind him.

Still a great game, playing 3rd game in 4 days and playing the best team in the East after playing 1 yesterday against the hottest team in the east. Getting 7 of 8 points is great. Finally Sabourin is showing he can fill the back up role.