Canucks Post-Mortem & the 2011 NHL Entry Draft: Nicklas Jensen & David Honzik

It’s taken me a while to come to terms with the Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup loss.

Unlike the drunken numbskulls who stormed the streets in Vancouver—the vandals, the yahoos, the looters, the arsonists, the leaders and the followers—I have been silent. Until the wound began to heal, I felt no urgency to place blame and ponder next year.

But the dust has cleared, and the time has come for some perspective.

The 2011 Stanley Cup Final

How in the world did the Stanley Cup Final spiral beyond the control of the Canucks and their cornerstone players?

Vancouver opened the series with two wins on home ice, thanks to great goaltending from Roberto Luongo and clutch goals from Raffi Torres in Game 1 and Alex Burrows in Game 2.

However, Boston wrestled the momentum away from Vancouver in the same way Chicago did in 2009 and 2010. It’s been three years of periodic meltdowns, and so the question remains: how do you stem the tide so long as Luongo is your goaltender?

Of course it was different against Chicago this year, but the well-worn pattern was there. An early lead in the series that speaks to the team’s terrific coaching and overall preparation, followed by a Luongo breakdown that permeates the whole team's collective resolve.

With Game 1 shutouts against Chicago, Nashville and Boston, there’s no question Vancouver is second to none when it comes to formulating and executing a game plan. But Chicago and Boston have now shown Canucks fans that when push comes to shove, their elite players exhibit an inner hunger that remains lacking in the clinical style we see from Roberto Luongo and the Sedin twins.

By clinical, we refer to the lack of mental strength (Luongo), and the lack of physical strength (the Sedins) demonstrated against truly elite competition. Luongo played his best hockey against Nashville—a team that has virtually no offensive weapons, and could only score on odd bounces and shots from below the goal line.

It remains a mystery why Luongo is so prone to bad bounces. After a few years of witnessing puck luck that rarely goes his way, you’d have to say it happens because he panics and gets nervous when his confidence is murky.

Sure, he wants to win, but perhaps too desperately, and his mental approach remains a work in progress when the going gets tough.

The sad truth in the Chicago and Boston series is that Luongo lost his technique—what gives him his foundation in net and his confidence in the mind—and the Canucks lost the ability to execute their game plan.

Although Tim Thomas was spectacular in net for Boston, I’m convinced Vancouver would have won had their goaltending been dependable in Games 3, 4, 6 and 7.

As for the Sedins, despite Henrik's well-documented injury, the playoffs proved that the twins wilted against elite physical defensemen. The only dominant series they had was in the third round against San Jose. The power play was dynamic and there was no physical shutdown pair to match the Sedin cycle game.

Unfortunately, Chicago had Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, and Nashville had Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. And Boston had Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg.

In all three cases, the Sedins were outmatched physically. Their off-season challenge will be to bulk up, so they’re better equipped to stand up to the physical challenges of playing against bruising defensemen night after night.

Quite frankly, it was downright embarrassing watching the Sedins fall down after every whistle and accept the physical abuse they received. Sure, the throwback officiating that allowed Brad Marchand to use Daniel Sedin’s head as a punching bag without repercussion was mind-boggling, but how can Daniel put up with that?

At the very least, he’s got to defend himself by grabbing or shoving Marchand, to make the statement that he won’t put up with the abuse.

The 2011 NHL Entry Draft

On Day 1 of the draft, the Vancouver Canucks selected Nicklas Jensen with the 29th overall selection. A 6’2”, 187-pound Danish winger who shoots left, Jensen can play all three forward positions.

In his first year in North America, Jensen played 61 games for the Oshawa Generals and averaged just under a point per game (61-29-29-58). In the Generals’ brief playoff run, Jensen’s production increased, putting up 11 points in 10 games (10-7-4-11).

Jensen has speed, size, a scoring touch and play-making abilities—and due to his size, Jensen projects as a Top 6 power forward with skill. And when you consider the fact the Vancouver’s Top 6 forwards failed to match the physical strength of the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final, Jensen will be an intriguing prospect to watch evolve.

He figures to play the 2011-2012 campaign in Oshawa, where he will play his sophomore year—and no doubt make his third appearance in the World Junior Tournament as Denmark’s primary scoring threat.

Early in Day 2 of the draft the Canucks swung a 2-for-1 deal with the Minnesota Wild. Minnesota received Vancouver’s 60th overall pick in exchange for the 71st pick and the 101st pick.

With the 71st pick, Gillis went off the charts a little bit in selecting David Honzik, the 13th ranked North American goalie. A Czech-born goalie who came to North America this year and split duties in Victoriaville, Honzik turned heads with a terrific playoff performance, leading the Tigers to a first-round upset of the heavily-favoured Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Honzik is a 6’3”, 203-pound goalie who’s late-season progression reminded a lot of scouts and observers of Pekka Rinne, due to his massive stature, athleticism and tendency to play deep in the net.

A surprising pick because of Vancouver’s depth in goal with Luongo, Cory Schneider, Eddie “The Stork” Lack and Hobey Baker finalist Joe Cannnata, Honzik’s selection makes you wonder whether Gillis will be trading Schneider in the near future.

Given Luongo’s struggles at times during the playoffs, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Schneider remained. Honzik, after all, will likely be at least five years away from competing for an NHL job.