okay, great win tonight against the punks, and mikael scores the game winning goal unassisted on a good defensive play on the forecheck to go along with a good assist, and yet i hated his game tonight, and every game i've seen him in a canucks sweater.

specifically there are 2 things i really don't like:

1. he floats most of the game.  i'm not sure if he's getting old, or trying to conserve energy or just disinterested most of the time but his forecheck is generally uninspired (tonight's goal was as much brian campbell's gift as anything).  in the first period the puck was thrown to the side boards off an offensive zone faceoff and sat not 10 feet from samuelsson and he didn't even make a move for it, letting his man just skate over and pick it up.

2. he sucks on the point.  sucks.  horrific decisions like the stupid pass to bieksa against the flames that resulted in the shorthanded goal against are regular occurences and his movement with the puck through the neutral zone seems to baffle the rest of the players on the power play as much as it does me.  many bad passes in transition, tries to be too cute, doesn't hold the puck in well, doesn't quarterback the power play in a way that gets guys open looks at the net.  the bad thing about it is that with salo out there isn't really a better option on the team so i'm hoping that schneider can be a revelation back there when he starts playing.

am i getting picky? given his point production so far probably yes.  is he my least favorite player on the canucks?  no, that would be demitra who is everything bad about samuelsson and then some, but he's not playing right now which makes for really unsatisfying rants.  i just had high hopes for mikael and his veteran savvy but those expectations just make me yell at the tv during games.

and i don't mean that they're going to come out tentative and disorganized to start games. 

i had pretty much figured that it would take 3-5 games for them to settle in and the team to start clicking given the way the preseason didn't allow the team to ice their real lineup in any game but watching the game tonight and the domination of the puck by the canucks in the second and especially the third period i think you're seeing the results of all the biorhythm bracelets, diet plans and workout regimes that were initiated last year.  the flames looked gassed the whole of the third, often barely getting the puck out to the neutral zone before it came right back in.  the wellwood/bernier/o'brien diet has been talked about all preseason but there are a lot of other players on the team who have always taken conditioning very seriously and the lineup is top to bottom extremely fit, even in comparison to other nhl players.  and this is the net result of that, a team that wears down their opponents and takes over games down the stretch. 

it also shouldn't be understated that gillis has seemed to make a point of picking up very fitness conscious players this offseason.  samuelsson has a reputation as a workout machine, and erhoff is known for his fitness as well.  i was impressed with all the players that were in camp, there really wasn't a floater in the bunch.  it's a huge difference from the ponderous loads that were sundin and pyatt last year and i expect that to make a difference this season.  demitra and schneider better be on the bikes while they're rehabbing or they'll be well behind the play when they get back in.

tonight the canucks dug themselves too deep a hole and kipper was too hot to allow a complete comeback but as the season progresses i'm positive that the canucks will not be out-skated on many nights.  i'm very very happy with where the organization is headed.

everything i've been reading about him is positive, including this latest blurb on si.com.  check out this quote if you're not on the bandwagon yet:

"He's a bit of a hot dog," the scout said. "He loves whipping up the crowd. Beyond that, he's a classic Russian. Maybe not the fastest skater, but strong enough on his feet and very clever with the puck. He's got some moves...he's fun to watch. [And he] really thinks the game well. His size was always the issue [that hurt his draft stock], but he's got a big heart, a lot of determination."

big heart, determination, thinks the game well, i'm on board with that.  yeah we have a surplus of mighty mite forwards, but that ensures that there will be good competition in camp and i'm really hoping that 1 or 2 step up and play big.  maybe a year in manitoba for shirokov and then he can step into demo's shoes as the nifty forward on a team of speedy hustle guys.  in the future however, i'd really like it if management would make size more of a priority.

ok, everyone seems to be taking a deep breath after a rollicking first couple days.  the big headlines are behind us and the signings will get smaller and more niche from here.  so what are gillis' options from this point to improve the team?  one thing i think he will try again is taking a run at an RFA or 2.  he tried it last year with david backes (would have been a great move if it worked) and given the lack of high quality canucks RFAs i don't think retaliatory offers are going to be much of a deterrent.  so who's available and/or likely?  well i'll tell you who i'd like him to go for.

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from an article in the vancouver sun today:

Not only do quiet Canucks Daniel and Henrik Sedin talk on the ice, they chirp, according to David Backes.

The Blues' centre said he raised his gloves and stick into Henrik's face with seven seconds remaining in Sunday's game because the Canuck talked trash to him.

"It was unsportsmanlike, I thought, on his part to come and rub in the fact it was going to be a 3-0 series deficit for us," Backes said Monday. "I take exception to it. It was nothing to hurt him, maybe just send the message that we're a prideful team in here and you may have gotten the best of us that night, but you don't need to rub it in our faces."

you have got to be effing kidding me.  regardless of the veracity of backes' comments (sedin refutes them in the next paragraph) i can not believe that a 6'4" 220lbs professional hockey player can have his feelings hurt by a player on the opposing team informing him of the current series standings.  in the immortal words of ryan kesler: "give your balls a tug you effing pussy".

also, i love the irony of backes stating, with a straight face apparently, that henrik was being unsportsmanlike, so i cross checked him in the face.