Vancouver Canucks: At 1-1-1, Is It Time to Panic and Jump Off the Bandwagon?

The Vancouver Canucks lost out to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night, dropping their record to 1-1-1—good for only ninth place in the West, with only three of six potential points.

So is it time to panic and jump off the bandwagon?

Well, in a word: No.

Last year, the Canucks opened up 0-3 and they still finished the season comfortably atop the Northwest Division. 

So far, they have lost a close game 2-1 in a shootout against an LA Kings team that is expected to be a contender come playoff time, won a close game 2-1 versus a Florida team, then ran into some problems in a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, who got some help from the officials.

Every forward line, defence pairing and special teams unit, with the exception of the first line of the Sedins and Samuelsson, has had significant changes from last season.

Perhaps it isn't a surprise that the first line is the only one scoring on regular basis.

I'd say the first five or 10 games are a feeling-out process to get comfortable with new linemates and build chemistry, and after that we should be seeing more results—don't forget that the Canucks auditioned a lot of players in the preseason, so the real roster didn't get much of a chance to play together until opening night.

If the Canucks are still playing .500 hockey 10 or 15 games into the season, then its time to consider hitting the panic button. 

In the meantime, here are a few things I've noticed over the season, all three games of it:

Henrik Sedin + Daniel Sedin + Mikael Samuelsson = Offense

The first line (with Burrows out) is picking up where it left off last year, involved in five of the six goals scored by the Canucks so far, picking up 11 points: three goals and two assists for Daniel, four assists for Henrik and two assists for Samuelsson.

Secondary Scoring = ???

Unfortunately, the Canucks have only scored six goals this year: three by Daniel Sedin, two by Christian Erhoff and one by Raffi Torres.

The Canucks need to get more out of their secondary scoring, but I'm willing to write that off so far as a learning experience due to new linemates, especially given the shot totals.

Mason Raymond looks even faster than last year and has a team-leading 13 shots in three games; close behind Raymond, Samuelsson has 12 shots.

Unfortunately, these two players have a combined zero goals (and a mere two assists) between them.

But if they continue putting up four or five shots a night, the goals will come.

Jannik Hansen

The question going into the season for Jannik Hansen was: Would the Canucks get the feisty, speedy winger who battles for the puck and is willing to get dirty? Or would it be the inconsistent speedster with the hands of stone?

So far, Hansen has more than earned his new contract, leading the Canucks in hits with 11 over the first three games.

The promotion to the second line isn't a big surprise, as he had great chemistry with Kesler two years ago, and has played with Raymond on the third line at other times in the past.

Raffi Torres

He looked a bit out of place at times, but Torres is another guy who is more than earning his money.

Eight hits puts him second to Hansen amongst the forwards, and he is also the only forward not named Daniel Sedin to score a goal (a nice tip off a Hamhuis shot).

He also challenged Sheldon Brookbank of the Ducks, but while standing up for your teammates is good, it is better if you win the fight—or at least don't get the instigator penalty.

Faceoffs

The top three centers are all doing well at faceoffs. Henrik Sedin is 53.3 percent, Ryan Kesler is 57.4 percent and Manny Malhotra is 57.4 percent.

Now all they need is a center on the fourth line who plays the position for more than one game before being injured or sent to the press box.

Is it time to talk about Cody Hodgson yet? Just kidding.

New-Look Power Play

With Steve Bernier finally gone, coach Alain Vigneault is actually using his best players with the Sedins on the top unit, not just a big body with hands of stone, and the Canucks are clicking away at 37.5 percent, tops in the NHL to date.

Ryan Kesler has looked great on the power play, doing his best Todd Bertuzzi circa 2002 impression, creating chaos and screening the goalie on goals by Daniel Sedin and Christian Erhoff.

A note for all those doing play-by-play for the Canucks: No, Ryan Kesler is not filling in for Alex Burrows on the power play. Alex Burrows did NOT play on the power play on a regular basis at any time for the Canucks, as Vigneault was saving his ice time for even strength and the PK.

I expected better from TSN, as that comment was made a couple times during the game and just jumped out at me as something that would be said by someone who didn't actually watch any Canucks games last year, or do research prior to calling the game.

Which is surprising, because the guys from TSN usually know what they are talking about, you can argue with their opinions, but when it comes to facts they are usually right.

New-Look Luongo

Roberto Luongo looks good with his new style, playing deeper in the net when the puck is below the circles, as suggested by new goalie coach Rollie Melanson.

In all three games, there were several plays down low where he came across smoothly to calmly make a save, whereas last year it would have been either a heroic lunge across the crease or the puck would be in the back of the net.

He doesn't look like the usual October, "I'm still getting focused" Luongo, but more like a goalie who is in the zone. A .943 save percentage is pretty good, although his GAA is only 1.96.

Looking at the six goals that have been scored on him, two were during five-on-three power plays, another was a three-on-one odd-man rush (more on that later) by the Ducks, and another was a double ricochet off Edler's skates, so it is hard to fault him on any of those.

Questionable Calls

I'm not going to waste too much time on this, because the calls should even out over an 82-game season, but the refs handed the Ducks a pair of goals on questionable calls.

Ryan Kesler's delay of game penalty that put the Canucks down two men and set up the first Anaheim goal was pretty questionable.

From the replay, it seems clear that Bobby Ryan had his stick in there when Kesler cleared the puck over the glass, but from the ref's angle I can see why he thought it was all Kesler.

Still, usually you give the defender the benefit of the doubt on a gray call like that; but then again, a guy like Kesler who has a rep for complaining to the ref all the time doesn't usually get any favors on close calls.

The bad call I had the biggest problem with was the non-call that led to the game-winning goal. Check out the replay on TSN, it comes around 1:50 into the clip.

Ryan Getzlaf comes off the bench and checks the puck off Henrik, who was around 12 feet away from the boards when Matt Beleskey, the player Getzlaf was replacing, was still about six feet from the open door.

Getzlaf is crossing the blue line and leading the three-on-one before Beleskey even steps onto the bench.

Clearly, there should have been a too many men penalty against the Ducks, not the go-ahead goal late in the third. 

Aren't you all glad we have two refs to make sure everything is called correctly?

Still, despite two crappy calls like that leading to goals, you can't complain much. Over 82 games, it'll even out, and I'm sure the Canucks will benefit from calls like that.

I sure hope they do a better job officiating in the playoffs though, when a single call can change a series.