SB Nation - Tanner Glass

Basement Blues Come To Garage To Test Canucks' Character

Sean Zandberg — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:21:42 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

He's got the whole game in his hand

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BLUES (14-14-5) VS CANUCKS (20-15-0)

GAME TIME: 7:00 PM

TV: Sportsnet Pacific

The Enemy: St. Louis Game Time

UPDATE (2:58 PM): Did Blues' GM Larry Pleau rip into the players after their 6-3 loss to the Lightning? Well, only if you believe this guy.

UPDATE (2:02 PM): No Mathieu Schneider at practice today. He was absent due to personal reasons. Remember what I said a couple of days ago... Also, tonight is Fan Appreciation night. That means the "Jersey's Off Our Backs" ceremony will happen post game. Hopefully Rypien's jersey is stained with Blues' blood. Wouldn't that be a keeper? Hell yeah!

UPDATE (1:55 PM):

Asked if the Canucks had to guard against a letdown, which occurred on the last road trip after impressive wins in New Jersey and Philadelphia, Kesler replied: "The world is filled with such negative thinking. There is a positive bubble in this room and we have to not let this negative thinking creep into this bubble we have.”

-The Vancouver Sun

UPDATE (11:49 AM): The Blues have lost 5 of their last 6 at GM Place. -Sports Network

******************

I've seen this story before. The Canucks play well and beat a superb team and then play a basement dweller and show lack of intensity and lose. Is it about to happen again? Do the Canucks want to be in a playoff spot or not? They can do just that if they win tonight.

More after the jump...

This will be the first game of a 4-game road trip for St. Louis. They hold an impressive 8-3-3 record away from home. They last played on Friday, a 6-3 loss to the Lightning. They are 4-4 in December, 4-5-1 in their last 10, and have lost 2 in a row.

Which Blues are "rolling" over their past 5 games?

-David Backes: 3 goals and 5 points

-Brad Boyes: 1 goal and 4 assists

-TJ Oshie: 3 goals and 1 assist

-Andy McDonald: 1 goal and 3 assists

-Paul Kariya: 4 assists

COMPARATIVE STATS

GOALS PER GAME: Canucks 4th, Blues 30th

GOALS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Blues 15th

5 on 5: Canucks 5th, Blues 21st

POWER PLAY: Canucks 4th, Blues 30th. Wow.

PENALTY KILL: Blues 4th, Canucks 18th. Draw your own conclusions.

SHOTS PER GAME: Canucks 11th, Blues 16th

SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Blues 23rd

WINNING % WHEN LEADING AFTER 2 PERIODS: Canucks 8th, Blues 27th

FACEOFF %: Canucks 11th, Blues 19th

Another intriguing stat: The Canucks have scored more goals on home ice than any other team in the NHL. The Blues are 26th overall in goals scored on the road.

Statistically, the Canucks have the Blues dominated. They need to put these guys away and get into the playoff picture. 6 points separate the Canucks from the Northwest Division-leading Colorado Avalanche.

The last time these 2 teams played was on November 10. The Blues destroyed the Canucks 6-1 in a penalty-filled game.

The Blues have started Chris Mason 23 games this season, and Ty Conklin 11. Conklin has better stats. Not sure which one plays against the Canucks tonight.

Tanner Glass scrapped Cam Janssen in a marathon match last game. Let's see Rypien and Janssen go at it!

Keep Your Heads Up! Canucks-Blackhawks Preview

Sean Zandberg — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:12:26 -0000

Willie Mitchell doesn't like Blackhawks. Especially not baby-faced Hawk captains. (H/T to Mike for the image)

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GAME TIME: 7:00 PST

TV: Sportsnet Pacific

The Mortal Enemy: Second City Hockey

UPDATE (1:28 PM): Joel Quenneville said this about any potential retribution from Chicago:

"Our priority will be to win the hockey game and nothing else," Quenneville said. "Getting even on the scoreboard is the best way to get even."

-Chicago Tribune.

***************

I'm going to focus quite a bit on Jonathan Toews to start this preview. A lot of this game and even the Hawks' recent success has revolved around him. On October 21, Toews had just played over 13:00 of hockey in a home game against the Canucks. He took a pass as he came out of his own zone and BANGO! Willie Mitchell, who had just stepped out of the penalty box, rang his damned bell, causing the Chicago's captain to miss 6 games with a concussion. Prior to that game against the Canucks, the Hawks had lost to the Stars, but had won 4 straight before that. The Canucks beat Chicago 3-2 that night and we all felt pretty good about it. In the 6 games that Toews missed at the hands of Big Willie, Chicago went 3-3. When Toews returned to the lineup on November 9th, his team went on a 6-game winning streak leading up to tonight. To say Toews is valuable to the Blackhawks team is an understatement.

He scored 2 goals and 1 assist against the Oilers Saturday night in a 5-2 victory.

Many wonder if the Hawks are going to seek some kind of retribution against Vancouver tonight for the Mitchell hit on Toews. It is quite possible. So they had better prepare themselves for a potential war tonight. There is no love between the 2 teams that's for sure. The animosity continues to grow.

Vancouver has the "luxury" of playing a Hawks team that is playing in a back-to-back situation. However, from what I saw in the Hawks-Oilers game Saturday night, Chicago disposed of Edmonton with relative ease. The Canucks have to come out hard and play them consistently aggressive in order to win. They have to wear them down as the game goes on without taking too many penalties in the process. Chicago is 2-0-1 in back-to-back scenarios this season.

Marian Hossa will not play against the Canucks. He's due to return sometime next week. But the return of Daniel Sedin has to boost the Canucks, especially Henrik Sedin. Now we'll finally see the cycle again! Woo! Hat tip to Hank for putting up an admirable effort in his brother's absence. He, although the points came sporadically, scored 10 goals and 8 assists in 18 games without his twin. Not bad at all, Hank. Now we shall see how the Canucks perform with the rejuvenated Sedin-Burrows top line and the Kesler-Samuelsson-Raymond second line. The team cannot take Daniel's return for granted. They all have to work hard and contribute in order to be successful. Dank may be a little rusty after missing so much time.

Speaking of hat tips: A big cheers to Tanner Glass for stealing the 4th line spot from Darcy Hordichuk...for now. He's not going to put up a shitload of points, but he's getting the job done and it's being noticed. In 18 games played this season, he may only have 2 goals and 3 points, but he has only been a minus once. Of course, he's matched up against the other teams' 4th line, but still, he's a tough, reliable guy.

Comparative Stats:

Goals Per Game: Chicago 5th, Canucks 12th in the NHL

Goals Against Per Game: Chicago 2nd, Canucks 10th

Who's better 5 on 5? Chicago 3rd, Canucks 10th

Powerplay: Canucks 6th, Chicago 9th

Penalty Kill: Chicago 1st, Canucks 24th.

Shots Per Game: Chicago 4th, Canucks 13th

Shots Against Per Game: Chicago 1st, Canucks 9th

Faceoff Percentage: Chicago 2nd, Canucks 7th

Cristobal Huet played very well against the Oilers. If the Hawks play Antii Niemi against the Canucks...well he's not so bad either. He has started 4 games this season, holds a 3-1 record, a 2.22 GAA and a .900 save percentage.

The Canucks are monsters at GM Place this season, with an 8-2-0 record. Chicago knows damned well that they need to work on their 4-3-1 road record. Kicking the Albertan teams' asses in their last 2 games is a great start. The Canucks still sit in 1th spot in the West, with a 12-10-0 record, now 4 points behind the Flames, who have played 1 less game, and 5 points behind the Northwest Division-leading Avalanche, who have played 1 more game than us. There isn't much room for error right now.

Let's go Canucks! Bury these bastards once again!

The Blues Get Their Revenge

Sean Zandberg — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:03:26 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

Fair enough, Blues fans. Even Lou got Perrowned on this night.

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So the Blues got their revenge tonight, winning 6-1 in convincing fashion. Why am I not surprised? Before the game I said (in response to Temujin's 4-1 Blues win prediction):

Funny you say that, because I’m thinking along the same lines. If I was a betting man, which I am, I’d pick the Blues because:
-Revenge factor
-Hence the McDonald-Boyes shows gets going
-the layoff and possible lousy play in front of Raycroft = Blues goals.
5-2 Blues in an angry, penalty-filled night.

Well the prediction came true mostly. Andy McDonald scored 18 seconds into the game (assisted by Brad Boyes). McDonald had 1 goal and 3 points, Brad Boyes had 1 goal and 4 points, and some schmuck named David Perron scored 3 goals. The Blues got only their second win on home ice by playing a stellar game.

Already down 5-0 going into the 3rd period, the Blues outshot the Canucks 8-2 in the final frame and 30-23 overall. We never saw a Rypien-Janssen fight, rather, Tanner Glass and Darcy Hordichuk fighting the Blues' goon and perhaps those were the highlights of the night. To make this sound even more pathetic, Janssen handled himself pretty well in both tilts.

3 Canucks finished -3 tonight: Steve Bernier, Alex Burrows and Sami Salo. The Blues' Barrett Jackman, Andy McDonald and Brad Boyes managed a +3 rating. Chris Mason more than avenged his Game 4 flubbery by stopping 22 of 23 Canucks shots.

That was an absolute fail by the Canucks, pure and simple.

BOXSCORE

HIGHLIGHTS

QUOTED:

"I don't know if it was too much time [off] or whatever — we weren't sharp," said Henrik Sedin, who scored the lone Canuck goal in the third period.

"We gave them too many chances and left Razor out to dry. It wasn't good enough. It's inexcusable. We didn't create a whole lot."

The rousing reception to the in-house game promotion said it all Tuesday.

Reminded that the St. Louis Blues needed one more effort to hit the five-goal plateau and reward the Scottrade Center faithful with free Big Macs, there was a fan frenzy. After all, Andrew Raycroft had allowed four goals on nine shots through the opening eight minutes.

Anybody hungry? -The Province

O'Brien May Face Disciplinary Hearing For Avery Incident (UPDATED)

Sean Zandberg — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:36:51 -0000

TSN is reporting that Shane O'Brien may be in a little bit of hot water for poking at Sean Avery with his stick from the bench. Comically, Avery grabbed the stick out of O'Brien's hands and kept himself rather composed. UPDATE: O'Brien has been suspended for 1 game.

Rangers' Dane Byers ~~may face~~ gets a 1 game suspension plus a $10,000 fine (edit: coach John Tortorella gets the fine) for instigating a fight with Tanner Glass with less than 5:00 left in the 3rd period (18:50 mark). That's comical too because he'd more or less have triple punishment for his crime: suspension, fine and his ass beat. Just saying.

Here is the video of the entire scuffle/aftermath (plug your ears, kids. Ferraro's mic catches some great profanity):

Vancouver Moose Return Home To Face Avalanche

Sean Zandberg — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:55:11 -0000

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST

TV: Canucks PPV (dammit) Ah well, I'm committed.

THE ENEMY: Mile High Hockey and Jerseys and Hockey Love and Jibblescribbits. The latter 2 blogs I have been in contact with since well before the SBN days. Good guys.

Update: 1:03 PM PST: Andrew Raycroft will face his former team tonight.

Update: 12:44 PM PST: There is a good chance that Kyle Wellwood will return tonight, according to the Vancouver Sun. He practiced on line 3 with Steve Bernier and Tanner Glass. The Sun also reports that Darcy Hordichuk will play on line 4 with Rick Rypien and Mario Bliznak. Apparently, the healthy scratches are Mathieu Schneider(?) and Shane O'Brien.

Daniel Sedin update! Finally! He had his cast removed and will be walking around in a walking boot for a week.

Update: 11:37 AM PST: The Avalanche are 7-1-1 in their last 9 games at GM Place. (CBC)

Not-so Update: 12:15 AM PST: What’s your favorite band? And best concert you’ve seen live? (Kathy L, Vancouver, BC)

I’d have to say Britney Spears in 2001 was one of the concerts I really liked going to. Yes, it was great. The best band out there I’d like to say, I really like U2. -Burrows

Burrows, say it isn't so! My god!

Update: 11:33 PM PST: The glass is half full. Geez uh..thanks Detroit for beating the Flames 3-1. With 2 games in hand, the Flames are only 1 point ahead of Vancouver. The Canucks remain 1 point out of a playoff spot.

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It's awfully hard to be optimistic about the Canucks' chances against the Western Conference's best team, led by the NHL's current best goalie. So much is going wrong for the Canucks and right for the Avalanche.

Colorado lost it's first game in regulation in over 3 weeks to the Sharks the last game they played. They were terribly outshot (46-25) but Craig Anderson played well enough to give them a chance. For that reason, Anderson will start his 15th straight game tonight.

Anderson's stats are mind-numbing.

As soon as he arrived in Florida in 2006, his stats have been consistently awesome, no matter how many games he played. He was always stuck behind a #1 goalie regardless. Not anymore. Take a look at his game-by-game stats from this season. Note:

-the Avalanche allow a horde of shots against in every game, but Anderson answers the bell.

-only twice has his save percentage dropped below .903

-the guy is a freak. How much longer can he continue at this torrid pace? Jibblescribbits weighs in on that issue, and it's hardly arguable, IMO.

The Avalanche have quite a balanced attack, with Wojtek Wolski being the standout with 8 goals 13 points in 14 games. Willie, go out there and take care of that guy.

They just suck at defence.

The Canucks were saying that they would continue their stifling defence that they showed in the 2-1 win over the Kings when they played the Ducks the next night. They started off on the right foot, even with 8 defencemen dressed, but completely crumpled in the final 55 minutes of that game. Blame the back-to-back fatigue factor and Ryan Kesler will say "bullshit". Even with injuries to so many key guys, the team wouldn't allow any excuses. Bottom line is it plays a fucking role in what we're seeing out there.

So what can we expect from out beaten up Canucks Sunday night? They are so full of surprises aren't they? It's enough to destroy your faith/liver. I say: expect the unexpected. That's my heart talking. My head says the Avs have the superior advantage to take this one.

The Canucks have to contain the Avalanche's speed. In their 3-0 loss to Colorado in game 2 of the season they didn't do that, and we were wondering where in the hell their ~~defence~~ collective brains went. They also need scoring from more guys. C'mon lines 1 and 2, step it up!

Got to get off to a good start this week, as the Canucks play 4 games in the next 6 nights against Colorado, Rangers, Minnesota and Dallas. The latter 2 games are back-to-back. Oh yippee!

I / we will provide all the updates during the day, as you know there are going to be a ~~few~~ shitload of those.

I'm a little torn on who should start in goal for the Canucks. Both goalies were hung out to dry against the Ducks, but I thought Cory Schneider looked more sharp than Raycroft did. Discuss.

(By the way, a big hat tip to Couch Coach, a member of the CDC Forums, who created the original Johnny Canuck image. You sir are a fine artist!)

Poll

Who should get the start in goal for the Canucks tonight?

Andrew Raycroft

46 votes

Cory Schneider

33 votes

John Garrett, get your ass out there

46 votes

125 votes | Poll has closed

Canucks-Oilers Preview

Sean Zandberg — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:40:28 -0000

UPDATE (12:00 PM): Hat Tip to Missy for finding this so quickly: Darcy Hordichuk will be a healthy scratch tonight, with Tanner Glass taking his spot. Wise move, AV! I'm lovin' it. The rest of the lines will remain intact. Said Hordichuk of the scratch:

"It's (seven) games in and we're all horny to get fights. We're all horny to send a message.
"The team needs more help from the fourth line. We have to be more accountable. I thought last game, besides the penalties, we were."

Canucks Shut Down Wild

Sean Zandberg — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:15:05 -0000

That's a lot more like it. This is how the Canucks have to play in order to be successful. I know many people love that run and gun exciting hockey and tonight's defensive effort from the Canucks may have kept the GM Place crowd mostly quiet, but they still won. This is the style that Alain Vigneault wants them to play. You know it's good when they not only outshoot the opposition 39-18, but they also limit the higher quality chances against. Roberto Luongo had an easy night. Niklas Backstrom however, did not. He tried heroically to keep the Wild in it but Vancouver was too much for him to handle on his own.

Although Mason Raymond didn't factor in on the scoresheet, I thought that was the best game I've seen him play in the NHL. He played like a man possessed. I love it when he shows no fear and drives to the net like that. He played over 17:00 tonight and had 6 shots. Ryan Kesler led the team with 8 SOG.

Kyle Wellwood must have eaten the right kind of wheaties after the first period, because he got better as the game went on, and had his best game of the season.

I thought he clicked well with Alexandre Bolduc. I thought Bolduc looked better out there than Tanner Glass did in recent games. Bolduc may as well stay on the roster.

I get the feeling that all Michael Grabner needs to do is pot just one goal and his confidence will soar. There is a lot of pressure on him right now. He played just over 14:00, had 3 shots, and still missed the net several times. I think he is on the verge. Alain Vigneault is liking his play. I'm loving Line 2 right now. So much speed there.

Thank you Mikael Samuelsson for scoring the winning goal. Gotta admire how this guy loves to shoot the puck.

I hate to say this, but Steve Bernier has hands of stone, and I really wonder if he ever will score at a consistent level.

The Canucks finally did something that they had not done all season which was play that whole 60 minutes. Hopefully they get it now. Consistency is key.

BOXSCORE

HIGHLIGHTS

VIGNEAULT POST GAME

Kevin Bieksa on After Hours:

Guillaume Desbiens Recalled, Daniel Sedin Likely Scratched

Yankee Canuck — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:55:43 -0000

Anyone remember the last time there was only a single Sedin on the roster? It's likely happening tomorrow night. With Daniel Sedin nursing a bruised foot (at least we hope it's just that), the Canucks have recalled not Sergei Shirokov or Michael Grabner, but Guillaume Desbiens. Why Desbiens you ask? Said AV:

"I talked to (Manitoba head coach Scott Arneil and GM Craig Heisinger) and both of them said Desbiens had been their best player at both ends of the rink," Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault said. "They played last night, and I think Grabner got a couple of goals. But it was only his first game where he played pretty good. And it was Alex Bolduc's first game back from injury.

"So, out of the guys who had been there since the beginning, Desbiens had done the best."

Anyone get the feeling AV basically hates Grabner at this point?

Desbiens - along with Tanner Glass - gives the Canucks even more sandpaper to deploy against the Stars. But the question now becomes who slots into the first line in Daniel's absence? My hunch is Steve Bernier since they played well together against the Habs, but we'll see.

Hey at least it'll be easy to tell the twins apart for a change.

Who's that? Little knowns and unknowns making an early impact

James Mirtle — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:54:36 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

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It's way too early in the season to draw any conclusions about the Coyotes or Avs or so and so's two-game scoring slump, but one thing I try to keep an eye on in the early going is low profile players earning noteworthy ice time around the league.

Here's a list of 25 players, 15 forwards and 10 defenders, picking up some surprising minutes so far (Rk is their ice time rank for their position):

Rk	Player	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	S	TOI/G
61	Matt Moulson	NYI	1	0	1	1	0	5	19:20
129	T.J. Galiardi	COL	2	0	1	1	1	2	16:52
135	Rickard Wallin	TOR	3	0	0	0	-2	2	16:40
154	Jamie Benn	DAL	2	0	1	1	0	3	16:11
165	J-F Jacques	EDM	2	0	0	0	-2	3	15:48
178	M. Santorelli	NSH	1	0	0	0	0	3	15:29
187	N. Bergfors	NJD	2	0	1	1	-1	3	15:04
201	Tom Wandell	DAL	2	0	0	0	-1	1	14:42
244	Ryan Stone	EDM	2	0	0	0	-1	0	13:20
251	V. Stalberg	TOR	3	0	1	1	-1	6	13:08
253	Benn Ferriero	SJS	3	1	0	1	-2	6	12:57
254	Mika Pyorala	PHI	3	0	0	0	2	3	12:50
256	James Wright	TBL	2	0	0	0	0	2	12:39
266	Tanner Glass	VAN	1	0	0	0	1	0	12:11
271	Ryan O'Reilly	COL	2	0	1	1	1	1	11:57

Rk	Player	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	S	TOI/G
49	Chris Butler	BUF	1	0	0	0	-1	3	22:57
117	D. Kulikov	FLA	2	0	0	0	-1	0	18:33
131	Matt Carkner	OTT	2	0	0	0	0	4	17:41
141	Sami Lepisto	PHX	1	0	0	0	0	1	16:54
144	D. Drewiske	LAK	2	1	1	2	2	2	16:44
146	J. Demers	SJS	3	0	2	2	1	3	16:38
154	Alec Martinez	LAK	1	0	0	0	-2	2	16:01
156	Y. Weber	MTL	2	0	0	0	-3	1	15:47
171	Mathieu Roy	CBJ	2	0	1	1	2	1	14:22
173	M. Del Zotto	NYR	3	2	1	3	1	4	13:30

Some of the players here are far more surprising than others (who knew Benn Ferriero would make the Sharks, for one) but I'd wager most are relative unknowns for your average hockey fan. Some of those above have even played some decent minutes in the NHL in the past (like Butler in Buffalo) although most are either unheralded rookies or veteran minor leaguers getting a long-awaited shot.

Wallin, Wandell and Pyorala are in a different category altogether as European imports, all of whom had to win roles in training camp and preseason.

Any of the "unknowns" impressed you to this point?

Canucks Make Bold Statement in 7-1 Destruction Over Canadiens

Sean Zandberg — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:48:32 -0000

10/8, 10:03 AM Update: According to the Team 1040 and some threads, Carey Price punched a hole in the dressing room wall after last night's game. Perhaps he was aiming for Jacques Martin and missed.

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Maybe the naysayers and bandwagon jumpers will hop back on board after the slaughter tonight, maybe not. It is only one game after all. But what a way to break out of a slump! The Canadiens could not contain a possessed Canucks squad and also did little to help out their buddy Carey Price (in front of his pops no less). So many positives to take out of this game.

-The Raymond-Kesler-Samuelsson line looked good, with all 3 scoring tonight. The Keslord had a goal and 2 assists. I think that line should remain in tact for now. Go with what works.

-The Sedins combined for 7 points, with Henrik, the game's first star, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists.

-Steve Bernier potted one as well, playing on the power play with the Twins. From what I can recall, AV was shuffling both Bernier and Burrows on the top line 5 on 5.

-The 3rd and 4th lines...good energy even though they didn't get on the scoresheet. So it's official, Rick Rypien may be a middleweight, but can fight in the heavyweight class. Nice seeing Hal Gill's head pop back from those lefts.

It makes me wonder though...do we really need Darcy Hordichuk? Much is said about the leadership he brings, but we don't need 2 goons on that 4th line do we? I'd put someone like Tanner Glass on that line instead.

-Roberto Luongo had a lot of help from his buddies tonight, but besides the weak goal he let in, he was solid. An NM reader mentioned that Lou still doesn't look to be in top form yet and I would have to agree. Nevertheless, cheers to Lou for responding the way he did.

The win couldn't come at a better time. The Canucks don't play again until Sunday against the Stars, and then don't play again until Friday against the Flames. It was pretty crucial to get this monkey off their back as well. Great job by the team. Way to get it done in ass-kicking style.

BOXSCORE (drooling material)

HIGHLIGHTS (It's ok to laugh)