:: The Defence Rests..All series long ::
And another disappointing season comes to a close for the Canucks against a team that had no business beating them. With the exception of a few players, the Flames are filled with mucker and grinders, and they out worked a far more talented Canucks almost every step of the way.
For this loss I blame two things: 1) Marc Crawford. I know that Cloutier was injured, but three goalies in one series? C'mon man, that's just not how it's done. Auld played very well, but I would've stuck with Hedberg. Why? Because Hedberg now just lost his spot to a rookie in the playoffs. You think he wants to come back next year? I doubt it. He's now just 2004's version of Peter Skudra.
I admire how Crawford got his team into the playoffs after losing Bertuzzi. He did a good job there. But when you can't get your team full of talented players to play better than the Flames, you aren't doing your job. And he did next to nothing to try and replace Bertuzzi's size in front of the net. He didn't use his biggest remaining forward - Linden - in front on powerplays. Not once. Hell, he could've put d-men Malik or Allen in front to see if it worked. It does with Chara in Ottawa.
I used to really like Crawford, I still do I guess, but if he's gone next season I won't be too upset.
2.) The Defence. They were absolutely abysmal. They got beat by the bigger, harder working Flames forwards n in every puck battle in the corner and behind the net. Every. Single. One. Ohlund played poorly. So did Salo and Malik. Don't even get me started on Ed "This is my puck but you can have it" Jovanoski, who had more turnovers that Pillsbury. It was gross.
I'm upset that the Canucks lost, obviously, but I can't honestly say I'm surprised. Don't take that as a lack of faith on my part, but I've been watching the Canucks for 16 years - the year that something bad doesn't happen to them or they don't self-implode is the year I'll go out and buy season tickets for everyone. And then with the Bertuzzi thing it just didn't seem like their year. They gave it a decent enough shot I guess, but in the end they still got outworked.
Next year (if there is a next year, and no lockout) if the Canucks want any chance of winning, they need to do a number of things: 1) Keep Brian Burke. 2) Give the starter's job to Alex Auld (how high is his save % going to have to go before he's finally given the damn job?) 3.) Find permanent spots for Jason King and maybe Ryan Kesler. 4) Get bigger forwards. 5) Get one tough Robyn Regehr/Rhett Warrener type defenceman to take Malik's spot.
Those are my solutions. How many do I expect to be done? Zero. Hey, after 16 years of this, I've come to expect it.
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