Pre-Game Talk: Bring on the canucks! (schedule added post#1)

[do0glas]

Thanks. How is the rest of the defense (other than Hannan) playing, especially with Burns still a forward? Has Boyle improved over his earlier season issue? How have Vlasic, Stuart, Demers (it looks like he's been out?), and Braun doing?

boyle is average, irwin looks invisible offensively tbh.

vlasic/braun is probably one of the better shutdown duos weve had in a while. the sedins are being limited to about 2 even strength chances a night. the rest is from the point or outside. braun has started to show a little jump in the offensive zone, but honestly anything outside of what he is doing is a complete bonus at this point.

demers is out, replaced by hannan, and their pairing is in the positive every night as well. i think tmac did a good job putting them behind the thornton line, though they take shifts with the 4th line as well and get out chanced. nothing crazy.

 

[hockeyball]

Thanks. How is the rest of the defense (other than Hannan) playing, especially with Burns still a forward? Has Boyle improved over his earlier season issue? How have Vlasic, Stuart, Demers (it looks like he's been out?), and Braun doing?

Boyle is being sheltered, and doing fine at that. Vlasic - Bruan are getting the tough matchups and doing very well. Defense is good, I'm not sure they are win the cup good though, but a week off might help a ton if the Sharks can finish this sweep.

 

[Arrch]

Thanks. How is the rest of the defense (other than Hannan) playing, especially with Burns still a forward? Has Boyle improved over his earlier season issue? How have Vlasic, Stuart, Demers (it looks like he's been out?), and Braun doing?

Braun is still getting physically outmatched, but Vlasic/Braun have shutdown the Sedins to the tune of a pair of assist each (one each were on the PP). Demers has been out. Stuart/Hannan pairing wasn't a liability in Vancouver like we had all expected. They dominated Kesler's line last night, so that's promising.

The biggest surprise has been how badly AV has been outcoached by TM. Looking at the shift charts alone, you would have assumed the first two games were in San Jose, not Vancouver.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Thanks. How is the rest of the defense (other than Hannan) playing, especially with Burns still a forward? Has Boyle improved over his earlier season issue? How have Vlasic, Stuart, Demers (it looks like he's been out?), and Braun doing?

Boyle and Irwin have been the weak links on D, but they're not train wrecks. Fortunately Boyle did remember how to run a PP again, as it's looked much better than it had been leading up to this series. Vlasic/Braun have completely shut down the Sedins, it's been awesome to watch. Vlasic is Vlasic, and Braun is having his coming out party. The offensive side of his game still isn't where I thought it would be at this point, but he has improved by leaps and bounds defensively. He's all over the ice right now. Finally Stuart has been a rock, a defenseman built for the playoffs if there ever was one.

 

[hockeyball]

Oh. my. god.

Brodie Brazil ‏@brodiebrazilCSN 3m
Kevin Bieksa completely throwing Thornton & Couture under the bus, accusing embellishment. "This is about integrity" #sjsharks #canucks

He cannot possible be serious right? right?

roflmao.

 

[Grave]

Hahaha wow, Canucks complaining about diving. Is this real life?

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Oh. my. god.



He cannot possible be serious right? right?

roflmao.

All they have done is ****ing talk this entire series. They are such a bunch of sore losers.

Did any of our players come out to say something like that after the 4-1 series thrashing we had 2 years back.

 

[magic school bus]

Lol Bieska

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I think Jumbo should walk/skate upto Bieksa before game 4 and just give him a big hug.

 

[Bizz]

Bieksa is the epitome of why nobody that watches the NHL likes the Canucks other than Canuck fans. ****ing disgraceful.

 

[Vaasa]

Thanks for the updates folks. I expect to be back in the US next season (at least that is how it is looking) so I'll be able to watch games for myself again. I appreciate the info.

 

[ClicheGuevara]

“Those are 2 Canadian guys who are supposed to be playing the game with integrity. Maybe our team has to do more of that.”

LOL. His team is The Beatles of "that".

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

I guess it's not enough for the Nucks to embarrass themselves on the ice, they need to do it in between games as well.

 

[Oppa]

American guys aren't held to the same standard?

 

[SharksAddict]

All they have done is ****ing talk this entire series. They are such a bunch of sore losers.

Did any of our players come out to say something like that after the 4-1 series thrashing we had 2 years back.

There is a reason they are the most hated team in hockey. The whole team and organization is littered with classless individuals. Gillis and AV are always whining about something and the players take after them.

Then you have the endless cheap shots that are completely unprovoked.

A sweep is going to be quite nice.

 

[CrazedZooChimp]

LOL. His team is The Beatles of "that".

Well, since the Sedins aren't Canadian I assume he's given them the green light to dive. Our problem is we don't have enough Euros to do all our diving!

 

[hockeyball]

There is a reason they are the most hated team in hockey. The whole team and organization is littered with classless individuals. Gillis and AV are always whining about something and the players take after them.

Then you have the endless cheap shots that are completely unprovoked.

A sweep is going to be quite nice.

I know everyone wants to take the easy road and assume the Nucks will win at least one game, but I honestly don't. Sharks should sweep, they better sweep. It will prove they 'got it' this year, finally. Sharks need the rest, and the Sharks have let teams sneak back into a playoff series too many times and I think this year this is a team that is not going to allow that. Couture isn't going to allow that.

Sharks need to come out tomorrow and stomp on their throats and put them out of their misery. I will be supremely disappointed if they go and drop an egg tomorrow.

 

[ClicheGuevara]

http://www.fearthefin.com/2013/5/6/4305670/sharks-vs-canucks-game-3-by-the-numbers

The number of scoring chances when Bieksa's on the ice are hilarious. Guy needs to work on his game as much as he works on his **** talk.

 

[Ninja Hertl]

I just love how every time the sharks do well in a playoff series it's the refs fault. Wings fans are still butthurt over getting beat two years in a row and will point to officiating as the reason for defeat.

Aside from Eagergate in 2011 the sharks just don't take very many dumb penalties in the playoffs. The wings took a huge amount in both of those series, and the Canucks are taking bad penalties again.

If power plays are tilted one way does that automatically make them bad calls? Not sure I buy that theory....

 

[hohosaregood]

It does seem like the Sharks are embellishing a lot more and they are getting a lot of calls go there way at more opportune times. They were pretty clean for game 1 and most of game 2 and then it just seemed like they got sick of the Canuck's crap and started doing what the Canucks were doing.

 

[SJSharks42]

It does seem like the Sharks are embellishing a lot more and they are getting a lot of calls go there way at more opportune times. They were pretty clean for game 1 and most of game 2 and then it just seemed like they got sick of the Canuck's crap and started doing what the Canucks were doing.

Couture has embellished a bit. Don't think I've seen him outright dive though. It's just really funny coming from Kevin Bieksa of all people.

 

[Zeroz]

Hahahahaha Bieksa complaining about Sharks embellishing. No time to look in the mirror about your own play, eh? Maybe Couture was embellishing perhaps not. All I now is that Havlat took a nut shot (and is not playing) Galiardi took an elbow to the back of his head one game and nearly missed being hacked in the face,while on the ground, in the next. This guy needs to focus on his game and not whine about the other team. Only the Habs can do that apparently.

 

[thirtysix*]

I dont mind the embellishing honestly. If refs arent going to call clear penalities in the playoffs ofc players are going to try and sell it. It happened on both sides anyways.

 

[AstroDan]

http://www.fearthefin.com/2013/5/6/4305670/sharks-vs-canucks-game-3-by-the-numbers

The number of scoring chances when Bieksa's on the ice are hilarious. Guy needs to work on his game as much as he works on his **** talk.

Please explain this chart.

 

[Ninja Hertl]

Please explain this chart.

Taking a guess but I assume it's the net scoring chances that happened on ice when each sharks player was on ice at the same time as whichever nucks player it's lined up with.

edit: for example for all the time when both Stuart and Bieksa were on ice together, the sharks had 6 more scoring chances than vancouver? I think that's it