Justine Galo

http://aviewfromabroad-justine.blogspot.com

Starting August 9/09

The Canucks really dominated the game in the first two periods.  They dictated the pace, drew penalties, and also managed to put three goals past Nikolai Khabibulin.  The Bulin Wall looked like it was crumbling early, and the Canucks were dominating in all areas of play.   Pavol Demitra probably had his best game in the playoffs so far last night scoring on the power play and doing all the right things when he was on the ice. I believe Demitra could be a big playoff guy once he gets rolling and I’d like to see more of what I saw in Game 1 in future games of this series.

One thing the Canucks have been doing since the beginning of the playoffs is winning a high percentage in the face-off circle.  Mats Sundin, Henrik Sedin, Kyle Wellwood, and Ryan Johnson have been dominant.  They need to continue doing so and making sure their team controls the puck in order to stave off the Chicago Blackhawks.

Kyle Wellwood played some inspiring hockey in Game 1 vs the Blackhawks

Speaking of some of the centres on the team, I want to acknowledge the play of Kyle Wellwood last night. He played some inspiring hockey last night. He drew three penalties and on two of them he was cut. He was cut just above his eye and was stitched up between periods and then on his lip causing two double minor PP’s for his team.  Not only did Wellwood draw penalties and continued to play well in the corners, winning faceoffs, and playing good two-way hockey, he also assisted on two of the Canucks five goals. One to Pavol Demitra on the only PPG the Canucks mustered and other to Ryan Kesler’s first of the playoffs.  Wellwood was a very big factor in last night’s victory over Chicago.

There were good spots for the Hawks despite the loss. Kane potted a couple of pretty good ones. They managed to calm themselves down in the third period after taking a slew of penalties in the previous two periods.  Dustin Byfuglien really was in the faces of the Canucks’ defence last night and did a good job in front of the net and along the boards.  He also had that one amazing shift where he just won’t give up and kept the puck in the Chicago offensive zone.  Duncan Keith’s play was amazing.  He really has a good sense of where the puck is at and good anticipation.  Seabrook and Keith also ate up a lot of minutes and proving themselves to be a worthy pairing for the Hawks.   Byfuglien played a very good game.  He worked hard along the boards and made sure he had position on whomever was on him. The Hawks played a really good third period and can take that going into Game 2.

This is going to be a good series. After seeing what I saw last night, I will say the Hawks and the Nucks aren’t going to take each other lightly and the bad blood from their last regular season match-up is still evident on the ice. Now that the long wait for the Canucks is over, I can see them settling into this series much like they did in round one, but look out for the Hawks, they do have enough fire power on their offense to change the tide very quickly.  We saw it all last night, and what a down to the wire game it was for both teams.

Before I end this today, I want to say that Vancouver Mayor, Gregor Robertson and Chicago Mayor, Richard Daley have a friendly wager on this series. If Mayor Robertson wins, he gets a couple bottles of red sangria, some Polish sausage, two dozen cupcakes and a case of cheese. If Mayor Daley wins, he gets a bunch of Olympic gear, chocolates and smoked B.C. salmon.  So good luck to both respective cities, our food reputations are on the line here.

This has been A View From A Broad, a not too distant perspective.

Justine Galo

Alex Burrows OT goal sweeps the St. Louis Blues

In the famous words of House of Pain “Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin!”– The Vancouver Canucks did what they have never done in their 38 year history.  They swept a seven game series.  In the dying seconds of overtime, Alexandre Burrows took a pass and shot it five-hole on Chris Mason ending the Blues playoff dreams at the Scott Trade Center last night.

Although the series score was 4 games to none, I’d like to point out that the series was a slightly closer than that indicates.  The Blues did give the Canucks their all, but unfortunately for them, it wasn’t enough. The Vancouver Canucks, dug deep, and said, “We’re the better team, let’s do it and win.”

Many fans have posted, said, and commented about the Blues not deserving a sweep. Excuse me? They don’t deserve a sweep?  They brought their best and again like it has been aforementioned, they didn’t manage a win out of ‘their best’. I may seem like a heartless Canucks fan when I say this, but the Canucks are the third seed in the Western Conference, what would make anyone think they got there “accidentally”?  Maybe, just maybe, the Vancouver Canucks are just that good? The Blues ‘deserved’ to be swept, like the Columbus Blue Jackets do if Detroit can and will mostly do so.

This is playoff hockey. The Canucks did everything they could to get this series out of the way.  I do not in any way ‘feel sorry’ for the St. Louis Blues. Am I supposed to?  Is there a written doctrine that I needed to read and feel that they deserved a better fate than what was served to them by Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks?  Not that I can recall.  I’m not St. Louis played ‘bad hockey’. They had their chances and they didn’t capitalize.  It doesn’t help the Blues’ cause that Roberto Luongo had puck radar this series.

Chris Mason was out-dueled but Luongo, and the Blues big guns decided to start pouring on the pressure a little too late. Sure there was posts and cross bars hit, but the Canucks hit a few of those on their own as well.  Let’s not discount the fact the Blues special teams who have fared so well in the regular season didn’t  translate their formula into the series. Either that or maybe a combination of Vancouver’s stellar PK units doing their job and hunkering down when it counts.

Where To Go From Here

For the Blues

The St. Louis Blues can take this series of as a lesson to bring on their A-Game from all aspects into the playoffs.  They have a good young core of players, either drafted or acquired, who can take this experience and build their hockey acumen. Mix in some veteran leadership and you have a pretty good hockey team.  Just like the Chicago Blackhawks last year, the St. Louis Blues will have a great and bright future.  The acquisition of John Davidson as their President has been nothing but good for the organization and the city.  Hockey is again alive and well in St. Louis, which was much better than when I was at a game in January ’08 and only about 9000 fans showed up to the arena.

For the Canucks
A much needed time to rest the injuries and wait for the next round opponent.  That 7-10 days they are going to be resting,  it will help heal wounds, strengthen the weaknesses of their game and to focus on the task at hand, 12 more victories.  It has also shown doubters that the Vancouver Canucks are in fact, for real. I think they already knew that, it just took some time for the masses out there to buy into the program.  They are playing good hockey all around. They are scoring, they are defending and their goaltender is making a case for the starting job in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

All that being said and done. All we can do as Canucks is wait, and wait and wait until the round 2 brackets are set.   It’s a strange feeling as some have said, but it’s a good one to have as well.

I’ll keep you all posted on tidbits of what I see from the other playoff series going on, but my next big contribution will be at the start of Round 2. So until then, this has been A View From A Broad, a not too distant perspective.

Justine Galo

Addition: For those of you that don’t know I do write another Canucks blog. It’s with Canucks Corner. And it’s called “Musings from the Mud” written by yours truly “Lotus Blossom”.  Check out the Canucks Corner Front page and give it a read.  Right now, it’s Alex Burrows: Working Class Hero.  Canucks Corner is a great group of Canucks fans and discuss hockey related topics.  If you’re a Canucks fan, or want to learn more about the Vancouver Canucks through their fans, it’s a great place to congregate.

Mats Sundin with a lower body injury

Mats Sundin is most likely not going to play tonight in Game 4 against The St. Louis Blues.  He is day to day with a lower body injury and as the Canucks did find a way to beat the Blues in Game 3,  he will most likely rest up for the possible next round match up.

Mats Sundin has been an integral part of the Canucks’ success in the latter part of the season in this blogger’s opinion.  Mats has shown leadership in making Demitra and Kesler better players with him in the line up. Let’s not forget the value he brings into the locker room culture.  Mats Sundin is a leader and his stats and respect from his teammates and former teammates speaks volumes. How valuable is Mats in the line-up? More than we, the fans, see.

I’m not going to blow smoke up Mats’ ass and say he is just as good as he was a few years ago, but I don’t think the Big Swede is done.   I think that Mats Sundin has yet to bring the best of Mats Sundin to the ice.

People are arguing if the Canucks go deeper into the playoff rounds that Mats’ old body won’t be able to handle it.  I beg to differ.  I think that the further the Canucks make it down the playoffs, I think is when Mats Sundin is going to play more like well…Mats Sundin. Captain Clutch is what they called him in Leafland, where I reside, and past events have shown Mats Sundin plays his best hockey when the pressure is on.

Other Tidbits

Taylor Pyatt’s name has been circulating in rumours of making a return to the Canucks roster for the next round as well.  Now this is great news for the Canucks.  After the tragedy in Taylor’s life, it might do him some good to be back doing what he loves, playing hockey.  He would be a welcomed addition.  His presence on the PK is missed.  As much as I have enjoyed seeing Ryan Johnson doing what he can to help out the team, there is no question in my mind Pyatt would boost it even more.

Tonight, the Vancouver Canucks can do what they have yet to do as a franchise and that is sweep a seven game series. The all important Game 4. Will the fat lady be singing tonight for the St Louis Blues? Maybe. It would a calculated impossibility for the Canucks to lose four straight to the St. Louis Blues with Roberto Luongo playing the way he has been, as well as the team finding ways to win.

As many have said, “It ain’t over till it’s over” “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” Etc etc etc.  So I won’t, but I will start planning my trips to round 2 if and when the Canucks dismiss the Blues. Just in case.

This has been A View From a Broad, a not to distant perspective.

Justine Galo

PS I want to send out a quick shout to the wonderful posters of Canucks Corner.com and the man behind the scenes, Brian Wawryshyn for providing Canucks fans from all over the globe a great place to congregate, and discuss your Vancouver Canucks.  Great job, Brian and crew, it’s my home away from home. Check out Lotus Blossom’s blog on there as well and of course the famous Tom Benjamin’s NHL Blog on the Vancouver Canucks.

GO CANUCKS GO!

Roberto Luongo was stellar in Game 2

As the Vancouver Canucks head into St Louis this weekend for games 3 and 4, many sports writers, bloggers, analysts and fans alike are seeing a recipe for a successful playoff run.  What have the Vancouver Canucks done to make them the best team in the second half of the season? What has made them so good they now have a 2-0 series lead against the Blues?

Ingredients

1) A hot (and lucky) goaltender. One that is a puzzle to figure out, no matter how hard you try, you still can’t get it past him.

2) A healthy roster. Depth is important in the playoffs.

3) Strong defensive play.

4) The first line scorers doing what they get paid to do, score goals.

5) Secondary scoring, when the first line is going usually it tends to trickle down to the rest of the team.

6) Belief in each other as teammates. Belief from their coaching staff. No fake it to you make its. This all comes from the culture of the dressing room.

Directions:

1) Bring in, arguably, the best goaltender in the league and make him your captain.

2) Bring in the right puzzle pieces to give the roster depth in scoring, toughness, and speed.

3) Bring in the philosophy of two-way hockey.

4) Bring in a culture in the dressing room with all the above components.

5) Sprinkle a whole of belief in your teammates, your coaches, your system and your goaltender.

Mix it well and fine tune it for April.

===========================

The Vancouver Canucks have certainly followed that recipe to a tee.   They are up 2-0 in the series winning both games at home and now are heading to the “Show Me” State for games 3 and 4.

Roberto Luongo has been stellar and is showing everyone why he is an elite goaltender in the NHL.  His poise, his confidence and his leadership are so valuable to his team’s success.  That being said, Roberto has had some help this season.  There are six guys on the Canucks that have 20+ goals this  season. So the scoring support is there. The defense has tightened up and the Canucks are playing fantastic tactical hockey.

As a Canucks fan, I haven’t been this excited about this team in a long time. Last night, at GM Place, they proved to me that they can win it all, and they want to win it all.  That’s the culture of a team that I want to see night in and night out, and especially at this time of year.

The Canucks have made believers out of many non-believers.

I believe, do you?

Go Canucks Go!

This has been A View From A Broad, a not too distant perspective

Gillis’ Vancouver Canucks are now the NHL’s current hottest team.  They have won 12 of their last 14 games.  Their captain, Roberto Luongo, looks like he has taken control of his game in all aspects.  The two scoring lines are gelling.  The checking lines are getting set and the Canucks blue line is finally all healthy and with some added insurance in the form of Ossi Vanaanen added to the line up from the waiver wire.

Mike Gills doesn’t feel he should have to overhaul his team for short term gain. Although the Canucks are ready to start the playoffs today with their climb in the standings, their management didn’t feel it right to go after that player to put them over the top when they could simply ‘stand pat’.  From NHL.com  Gillis told reporters:

(excerpt from NHL.com article)

In some cases, standing pat was difficult.

“It becomes at times really difficult to resist the pressure to do things in the short term that are high risk and in the long term that are a total risk,” explained Canucks GM Mike Gillis. “As rumours and things begin to happen … it’s hard to resist the urge to get involved all over the place.

“But we did.”

Many analysts, hockey experts, and fans alike think that the Vancouver Canucks didn’t really need to do much movement this trade deadline. They did most of their wheeling and dealing in the acquisitions of Mats Sundin and Pavol Demitra.  Also adding a few depth players and some toughness in the forms of Darcy Hordichuk, Shane O’Brien, Rob Davison and Kyle Wellwood.   Most of their movement was through the waiver wire and through free agency.  So, does this make this team ‘playoff ready’?   They are as ready as any team in the playoff race, if not more so.

The team is carrying a very good momentum right now and I, along with many others, don’t see the Canucks coming to a screaching halt just prior to the playoffs.  In the last 45 days, we have witnessed this team win with a big lead, with a small lead, in a shootout and a few come from behind victories. Good teams will always find a way to win.  Perhaps, the Canucks are the Rodney Dangerfields of this years playoff contenders. No respect.  When healthy, although with a few notable exceptions, they aren’t spectacular on paper, but they are proving that they are worth more than the paper they are written on.

This has been A View from A Broad, a not too distant perspective.
Justine Galo

justine@justinegalo.com

Canucks Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Garage
Not a feature was playing, no video montage.
The stands were all empty and the ice rink was bare,
In hopes that Lord Stanley soon would be there.

The players were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of playoff runs danced in their heads.
And Mike Gillis still has room to fiddle with the cap,
He had just signed Sundin to fill in the gap.

While out on the bench no sticks to make clatter,
No Hordichuk checking, no making the glass shatter.
No Demitra skating by a d-man in a flash,
No goal song is playing, no tickets for cash.

Production crew off-set, no one manning the show
No fans up high in the stands, no fans down below.
No Ohlund and Salo for opponents to fear,
No Kevin Bieksa with his mean glare and sneer.

No sight of Ryan Kesler , so agile and quick,
I don’t see Willie Mitchell, the man with big stick.
More rapid than eagles his Bauers they came,
And he shucked and he jived, Mason Raymond by name!

“Now Daniel! now, Henrik! now, Rypien and Yannick!
Go Taylor ! Go, Brownie! Opposition in panic!
To the top of the crease, all balls to the wall!
Now hit away! Shoot away! Score away all!”

As up to the rafters we look, once 12 solo did it fly,
Linden’s 16 has joined him, up in the General Motor sky.
So up to the house-top, the broadcast booth we stew,
Yapping with Shorty and Tom, oh, John Garrett too.

And then, in an instant, MG raised the roof
Sundin was a Nuck! His contract was proof.
Staving off critics and all media hounds
Canucks with Mats are sure playoff bound!

Burrows was dressed all in gear, from his head to his foot,
Fighting in the corners, his jersey all dirty with soot.
A bundle of tricks he flung out of his on his sack,
Kyle Wellwood is scoring, Oh yes Leaf fans, he’s back!

MacLean’s eyes-how they twinkled! His smile is so merry!
Hosting duties are shared with that man, Don Cherry!
PJ and Kelly keeping us all in the know
While Strachan and Mad Mike go blow for blow!

“Go out there and get’em” AV did he preach
Ryan Walter and Rick Bowness, the lines they did teach!
Sanford and Son, to take between the pipes.
While our Captain battle with his groin that did gripe!

No Bernier battling through the crowd and shooting top shelf,
I’m not hooting and hollering, in spite of myself!
In a wink of an eye and a strange twist of fate
I was at the Garage at the newly renamed gate.

The stands were all full, many months passed us by,
And all of a sudden it was hockey in July!
Visions of battered faces and a bloody red nose,
Luongo our Captain, to the occasion he rose!

With the sound of the horn and the blow of the whistle,
Bone crunching sounds along with the stretch of the gristle.
I’ll see you on Robson with foamy head pucks!
“Maybe Lord Stanley will be there with the Vancouver Canucks!”

Merry Christmas everyone.

A View from a Broad, a not too distant perspective.
Justine Galo

justine.galo@gmail.com

Mats wants to play!

Yep, as Mats draws closer (or not) to making a decision where is going to play in the NHL, as a fan,  I am at the point where I pretty much don’t care where he goes as long as he doesn’t make his way to a Canucks division rival.  I want to point out I am displeased and annoyed with the way Mats Sundin has conducted himself in his lack of decision making skills this past off-season and now well into the season itself.

Back on July 29th, 2008, I was in Calgary visiting a friend and I was anticipating Mats supposed decision in the summer to play, but he was still undecided.  Like many, I was very excited as to where he was going to go and what he was going to do, but was left hanging and  wondering. Again, I was disappointed but still hopeful.

Anyway, Mats has now decided is going to play hockey and Vancouver has courted him with a two year $20 million contract. Those are some hefty numbers, but if money was what it was all about, he would be in Vancouver right now. We know Mats wants to win, but is he really worth it? Mike Gillis seems to think so that he hasn’t used up the cap space yet.

According to RDS ( TSN French Canadian affiliate) Mats will most likely end up in Vancouver, for obvious reasons.   The team has a good record, #1 in the always tight North West division. They have a world class goaltender in Roberto Luongo that can steal them games when need be.  They have the cap space and wouldn’t have to trade away any roster players to make room for Sundin.  Again, he has until the 19th of December to make sure he is signed with a team. After that, it won’t be until December 28th he can join one due to the NHL holiday roster freeze.  As it looks so far, the Vancouver Canucks have the best hand in Mats Sundin’s poker game.

Mike Gillis

Report card time for Vancouver Canucks GM, Mike Gillis.  On a team-imposed budget, Gillis has put together a pretty cohesive on-ice product.  Although the Canucks have very few legitimate superstars, the likes of guys like Kyle Wellwood, Jannik Hansen, Mason Raymond and a few others have shown that good work ethic, chemistry, and caring about your teammates mean just as much as having a Mats Sundin on board.

Although we are a bit thin on the blue line after our top six, Gillis has done a decent job assembling a team together so far as the NHL has just finished a third of the regular season.

Gillis has keep a low budget team competitive and battling for top spot in the North West division.  I’d give Gillis a ‘B‘ so far for the team he has put together. Now if we can get Gillis to get rid of the PPV games for the Vancouver Canucks, and just offer it on a regular package that grade can easily move up to an ‘A‘.

The Luongo Factor

Luongo is still day to day

Although the speculation around Roberto’s recent early exit from a practice prompted many assumptions that Luongo has re-injured his groin could simply just be that…speculation.  Precautionary measures are more likely the reasons to rest Luongo. He’s been skating with the team at about 80% and will need a little more recovery time to make sure he doesn’t tweak it again.   Although many fans hoped for Roberto to be back by the weekend of the December 13th, it would probably best best for Luongo, and the Vancouver Canucks if Bobby Lu just took the rest of February off. Sorry fantasy poolers, but you’re just going to have to wait.

The Canucks are playing  .500 hockey and with the brutal stretch behind them, they can improve on their recent games.  As a unit they will have to continue to find ways to win games, as they did in Nashville. Playing physical hockey and not letting up on their opponents.  In each game that Luongo has missed, the Canucks are improving, working better together and more mindful to keep the puck in the offensive zone. However,  I hope they improve their specials teams, especially on the power play.  How can you not score on a 7 minute power play?

As long as the Canucks to play like they did in Nashville and taking no prisoners, they should be alright for the month of December, which will most likely not have the return of the #1 netminder.  I’d rather Luongo rest up and heal properly opposed to rushing him and he isn’t at his best. We’re going to need Luongo the rest of the season, so it’s best he rests now and so he can be his usual ‘work horse’ self.

This has been A View From A Broad, a not too distant perspective.
Justine Galo

Chicago, IL

justine.galo@gmail.com

Well the NHL has taken action and have suspended Sean Avery indefinitely. Waiting for the verdict from the NHL big wigs later on Thursday afternoon, Sean Avery will know his fate with the league. From the words of Dallas Stars owner, Tom Hicks, in an issued press statement, Sean Avery would have been suspended by the team if the league did not take action.

His teammates don’t want anything to do with his comments, with his actions, and  with his apology.  That speaks volumes.  Dave Tippett has always made it clear that he doesn’t feel Sean Avery being back on the team would make it beneficiary to the Dallas Stars.  Avery put out a public apology via the media. The Dallas Stars organization did not sanction his apology.

So where Avery go from here? He has been shunned by his teammates, his coach and the whole entire Dallas Stars organization.  If there was another team to take on Avery in their locker room, which team would be crazy enough to take on Avery? No one is quite sure if he would be a detriment to their team or an asset, as he did show  with the Rangers.  Even his more ardent fan in Brett Hull doesn’t know how to deal with Avery’s comments and recent behaviour.

"Sloppy seconds ain't my style"

What I want to know is what do the fans of the NHL think? Were his comments suspension worthy?  Were they so obtuse and tactless that Avery should not be welcomed back to the Dallas Stars organization?  Many do, but there those out there that believe that Avery was just doing his job and just being his outspoken self.

Now there have been outspoken guys in the league, many of which are still very outspoken to this day.  In fact, co-GM of the Dallas Stars, Brett Hull, was never shy to share his opinion, make bold statements, and stir a little controversy in regards to issues in the NHL. Still, nothing that ever came out of Hull’s mouth, was ever that tactless and that pre-meditated.  It was as some of you wrestling fans out there call it, “A work”.

Another NHL star that has been outspoken in his time was Jeremy Roenick.  And Roenick has stirred a lot of controversy amongst his peers, management, media, and fans, but when it came down to it, Jeremy Roenick never thought himself bigger than the game.

Remember the crap that Claude Lemieux used to take from the media after he said a bone-headed thing?  Like when he wasn’t chosen for the 1998 Canadian Olympic team and he uttered the words , “Go USA!” as his displeasure for not being on the team? This makes Lemieux look like an angel.

Last time I had encountered a hockey player’s significant other being publicly ‘disrespected’ was a few years back in Vancouver when sports radio broadcaster, John “The Beast” Connors, said something about Todd Bertuzzi’s wife. Brian Burke, who was the Canucks GM at the time, made sure that John Connors felt the reprucussions of saying anything about a player’s wife/gf ever again.  John Connors lost his job and it was quite some time before the Vancouver Canucks organization granted interviews with the Team 1040,  which now carries the Canucks’ radio broadcast.

What do I think some of you ask? Well, as a woman, I am deeply offended that a man would refer to someone he had intimate relations with as “sloppy seconds”. To me, that comment sexist and misogynistic, not to mention pre-meditated. He had been waiting in the wings for someone to interview him and he used the media as his platform to talk the lowest type of trash you could to another player. Personally, Avery was lucky he was suspended that night and not able to play against the Flames. I think Phaneuf would have had a target on Avery’s forehead and wouldn’t have missed much throughout the night.

Brett Hull has even come to the ends of  Avery having a possible medical condition in terms of his behavioural patterns.  That may be true, but he’s a 30 year old man who is playing a game that many young men throughout Canada and United States dream of doing for a living. He dates Hollywood Starlets, but yet despite it all, he can’t ever just be content with what he has.

It’s one thing to talk SH*(T on the ice, it’s an unwritten rule of anything goes, but this one was premeditated, on the record, and something Mr. Avery can’t erase. Outspoken is one thing, offside is another.
This is a view from a broad, a not too distant perspective.

Justine Galo

Toronto, ON

justine.galo@gmail.com