At the halfway point of the 2007-08 campaign the Vancouver Canucks resemble a Cup contender.
Their play so far this season has been bettered only by powerhouses Detroit & Ottawa.
The team as a whole has played extremely well through some really bad breaks with respect to key players Bieska, Morrison, and Salo.
Depth is something which is vital to any team, but a successful club also needs some key components that this team is lacking.
The play of Pyatt, Raymond, and particularly Edler, has been great, but the overall toughness of the team has taken a backseat to cycling and creativity. The Canucks are at the bottom of the league in hits and shots. They will never be able to beat Anaheim, Calgary, or Minnesota if they cannot finish more checks, and lay the body whenever possible.
I'm not suggested the Wonder Twins should start running people—but if there was a just a little more physicality to their game, they wouldn't be looked at as "soft." The gritty players on this team have got to start hitting, plain and simple. Given the size and strength of Burrows, Cooke, Ohlund, Isbister, Pyatt, and Linden, they should be hitting far more.
At all home games, I would recommend a pre-game ritual of the players getting together and looking up at the single retired Canuck jersey for inspiration: the immortal #16—wait, I mean #12.
As far as the shot total? As i'm writing this, they've peppered DiPietro with close to 50 shots! But the overall shot totals for the season have been pathetic at best.
It's hard to criticize a team that is playing so well and has the points to back it up, but Coach A's performance thus far has been merely okay. I'm a big fan of chemistry, and I think his juggling has finally paid off by putting Raymond with Hank and Daniel.
The captain should find a nice home on the second line, and let's just count the days till Morrison and Bieska come back healthy.
There is a shout out I would like to give to big Kevin Bieska if he's reading this. He and his wife received a new healthy child just before his bizarre skate cut.
There are few things more important than the all mighty puck. I was at home when we had twins, and I can say that even though we would love to see Bieska back on the ice, those late feedings and just hanging out will be times too special for words.
To all the rabid Canuck fans, players—and of course, all our friends at Bleacher Report, have a healthy and prosperous 2008! Let's dream of drinking Granville Island lager from a silver cup this June!
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