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Canucks Post-Game SixPack – Canucks almost "Seahawk" the Wild

DH Vancouver Staff
DH Vancouver Staff
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Dec 19 2017, 9:49 pm
Canucks Post-Game SixPack – Canucks almost "Seahawk" the Wild

The Canucks and Wild provided a little Super Bowl appetizer with a rare noon start time matinee game at Rogers Arena.

A lot of the talk surrounding today’s game was about the Super Bowl and the Seahawks. It was the talk around Rogers Arena too.

Some fans didn’t want their Super Bowl party plans ruined and didn’t even bother showing up.

With the score 3-0 in the third period, Canucks fans began looking ahead to the Super Bowl. And then the Canucks started their best Seahawks impression, scoring two quick goals to make it 3-2.

The PitB guys are becoming old crusty newspaper guys right before our eyes.

But alas, the Seahawking wasn’t good enough, and the Canucks gave up an empty netter to lose 4-2.

Now, how about a little pre-game SixPack?

1. #GinoStrong

The best Canucks news of the weekend came off the ice, with news that Gino Odjick’s health has been improving. Once told that he had just “months” to live, Odjick was healthy enough to be in attendance at Friday night’s game. Ed Willes from the Province had a great piece on Gino yesterday:

Nine months ago, when his heart was operating at 28 per cent of its capacity, doctors were telling Gino Odjick he might have a year to live.

Today, his heart is operating at 58 per cent of its capacity and the doctors are saying he might have three years left, possibly more.

More from Ed Willes:

Odjick’s private struggle became a public story last June when he revealed he was suffering from amyloidosis, a rare heart condition in which protein deposits are formed in the heart. His case was considered terminal and there was a question if he’d make it to the new year.

But a round of chemo slowed the disease and he’s now considered to be in remission. On Friday night, he was also in the Canucks’ alumni suite taking in the Sabres game with his good friend Peter Leech, and if you saw him in June, the transformation is striking. He’s still weak from the chemo and his voice is reedy, but he gets around and he now talks about working for the Canucks in a scouting capacity.

The Canucks are planning a a ceremony to celebrate Gino Odjick before the end of the year. There isn’t another guy in Canucks history that will appreciate it more than Gino.

2. Waived Off Goal

Much of the talk after this game will surround Alex Edler’s waved off goal when the Canucks were trailing 2-0 in the third period. In a curious move, the refs discussed overturned their original decision after a discussion that ended long after the puck went in the net.

The play wasn’t overturned with video replay, it was because one of the officials far away from the play made a judgement call on Vrbata being in the crease. To the letter of the law, it was the right call, but I think 9 times out of 10, this play stands. And 99 times out of 100, it isn’t overturned by the referee standing at the blue line.

3. Sbisa vs Fans

I’m not sure that Canucks fans have ever had this kind of hate for a depth defenceman, just 42 games in. Truth be told, some fans have been riding him ever since the preseason.

Sbisa had a tough night. He has had a lot of tough nights.

He had a puck deflect off him for the first Wild goal. I don’t blame him for that one, as he was forced to slide to prevent a pass across. Jannik Hansen almost stole the puck but didn’t, which changed the timing for Sbisa.

The second Wild goal was scored on the power play, with Sbisa screening Ryan Miller. Sbisa was trying to clear the front of the net, which is what you want your big/physical defenceman to do, but clearly he didn’t time this one right. Sbisa needs to pick and choose when the right time is to clear the front of the net on the power play and when to let his man go so he doesn’t provide a double screen.

Sbisa hasn’t had a good season and his $2.175 cap hit makes it hurt more. Granted, he’s only 25-years-old, but the early returns aren’t good.

4. Power Play

The Canucks power play failed to get much done tonight. They only had 3 opportunities with the man advantage, but they were momentum sapping chances for the most part.

The Sedins need to wear a lot of this in my view. As they get older and they begin to slow down, they should be able to hold on to a little bit more magic with the man advantage.

If you’re counting at home, that’s now two Kyle Wellwood references so far in today’s SixPack.

I thought Adam Clendening looked solid in his first game as a Canuck. He was advertised as a good offensive defenceman that has trouble on the defensive side of the puck. Tonight, he looked fine. He had the best even strength Corsi among Canucks blueliners not named Edler and Tanev at +11.

Clendening will be on the Canucks first unit in no time. He has a hard shot, makes smart plays with the puck and can walk the blueline comfortably. He looks born to run a power play. Of course, this is just one game, but tonight gave me reason for optimism.

5. Dorsett

If I’m Jim Benning, I am working my butt off to get Derek Dorsett’s name on a contract ASAP. Dorsett is the perfect 4th liner and exactly the kind of guy the Canucks need in their lineup.

His effort is unquestioned every game, he finishes every check and he can flat out play the game. He’s the kind of guy that will be even more important if/when they play in the playoffs.

Dorsett getting into a fight right after returning to the lineup reminded me so much of a game that Rick Rypien played when he returned to the Canucks lineup with a hand injury. Rypien hurt his hand and the coaches told him not to fight in the next game. Rypien started the game with a thundering bodycheck, got challenged to fight and then threw punches like he always did.

6. Go Hawks

It’s Vancouver vs Boston Seattle vs New England for the Super Bowl today, so you know my blood is boiling. Yeah I know, it’s Seattle’s team and we’re just on the bandwagon, but that is changing. Vancouver is mostly a Seahawks town now and it’s growing every year.

And if it’s not Vancouver vs Boston, it’s certainly Canucks vs Bruins.

https://twitter.com/EKarlssonfan/status/561684263729647618

https://twitter.com/PatsNOPatsies/status/561680485361807360

Think I’m going to cheer for a team that Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand support? No way.

Go Hawks!

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