SMUG NATION
alain vigneault
Scenarios Pt. I: Get Better
by Tyler Rowe
Good guy. Good coach. Good luck. (Image property of vancouversun.com)
It would appear that I was too optimistic about the Vancouver Canucks playoff chances for the second year in a row. In case you haven’t heard, the Canucks were unable to win one game against the San Jose Sharks, not even for the Gipper. And over the next week, I’m going to try to figure out why that happened and what needs fixing. If Vancouver is talented but unable to win a single game against a good but beatable opponent, then either something is broken in the coaching staff, or in the team’s player personnel and the culture they engender as a whole. *Spoiler Alert*: It might be both. Continue reading
The History of the Northwest Division (Part I)
by Tyler Rowe The indomitable Brian Beitz, formerly of SmugNation (kidding!) and now a pupil at UVic Law, which he tells me was created solely to save the environment, actually managed to see though the green haze his life has become to point out something interesting the other day: Northwest Division (1999-2013) championships:
Vancouver Canucks – 7
Colorado Avalanche -5
Calgary Flames – 1
Minnesota Wild – 1
Edmonton Oilers – 0
Read past the jump for a whole lot more. Continue reading
Mike Gillis Addresses the Presses
by Tyler Rowe
Mike Gillis, the well-spoken, level-headed General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks.
From the Post-Season news conference. All quotes paraphrased since I don’t have a PVR yet, and gaps exist even more than they should because there is construction outside my apartment so I couldn’t hear everything. Still, you’re welcome. This is more or less how it went:
Flipt Scripping: Checking Game 2′s narratives against reality
by Brian Beitz
"I could've sworn we were supposed to be preparing for something..." (Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
Every once in awhile, Smug Nation likes to review the stories leading up to a game and compare them to the harsh realities that came to be. We want to know what the difference makers in the game were. Were the “keys to the game” really just hype? Essentially, after a win or a loss, we just want to know why this is the best or the worst day of our lives.
Find out what the stories were for Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarter Finals after the jump!
No Daniel, No Problem.
by Brian Beitz
Rich Lam / Getty Images
If someone had told me earlier in the year that one of the Canucks strongest runs would come with Daniel Sedin and Kevin Bieksa sitting out with injuries, I would have… I’d have… Well, I’d probably believe them. Despite their lackluster play in January and February, the Canucks play a strong system game and have always said that if they stick to that system, they give themselves a great chance to win no matter who’s in the lineup. Now, since Daniel went down due to a mysterious upper-body injury cheap and brutal headshot—wait, did I cross out the wrong part there?—the Canucks have won 6 straight, their longest winning streak of the season. Really, with the schedule as it is, the Canucks could very well finish the season on a 9-0 run without their leading goal scorer. It’s like they don’t even need him!
The problem is, as you’ll find out after the jump, the Canucks seem to realize this as well…
