Canucks Blank Ducks 3-0

A very sound, all-around good performance for a minor-league version of the Canucks that move to 2-0 for the pre-season.

The Canucks easily handled the star-studded Ducks that skated their A-team. In fact, this Canucks team is very fast; I’m not certain that even Chicago is really that much faster than this version of the Canucks. The Ducks looked disjointed.

Post game notes and player reviews

• Fights—As predicted yesterday on this blog, it was fight night; two fights in the first, 2 in the second.
• Aaron Rome—Had an astonishing 5 first period shots; great rush for his 2^nd period goal.
• Kyle Wellwood—The best player on the ice; two assists and many opportunities created.
• Roberto Luongo—Very sound, top drawer.
• Cory Schneider—Also sound, though not tested much.
  
• Mason Raymond—Superb pass and assist on Rome’s goal; fast as uaual and a +2.
• Mikael Samuelsson—Competent, but not really noticeable (too slow ofa shot release on the 3-1 during the second).
• Ryan Kesler—Very, very sharp, might have been the best skater were it not for Wellwood’s performance.
• Darcy Hordicuk—Not very sharp at all, moronic move to challenge Parros who was already on the bench.
• Tanner Glass—Looked highly confident and competent with his fists versus Wisnewski.
• Ryan Johnson—Good penalty kill in the second though I wonder if he's trying too hard.
• Kevin Oberg—Not bad on the power-play, but turns the puck over far too often.
• Matt Pope—Nice deflection on the power-play (which looked very good, though the goal was credited to Bieksa).
• Michael Grabner—Nice speed, drew a penalty, worked the puck very well on Pope’s second period power-play goal, but not showing he can make the NHL...yet.
• Kevin Bieksa—Always leaves me wanting more…needs to work on those passes.
• Nathan McIver—Lost badly in his fight, otherwise I didn’t notice him much
• Corey Perry—The classless rat tries to start a brawl after the game has ended (I don’t want to see that guy on Team Canada).
• The Ducks—Despite it being an early pre-season game, the Ducks skated all of their A players—their best team. Most of the Canucks team were minor-leaguers or those fighting for spots (our top scorers the Sedins and Burrows were absent and our top defensemen Salo, Ehrhoff, Schneider and Edler were on the bench too). What were the Ducks trying to prove, knowing the Canucks were skating mostly rookies and minor leaguers?

Note: With the end result in hand I skipped most of the 3^rd to go down to the 54-40 concert in Coal Harbour (they were great!) so my notes don't reflect any of the 3^rd period save for the final two minutes.