Asked about the evolution of the Vancouver Canucks, Alain Vigneault joked last week that when a team photo was taken at the end of the coach's first season, people wondered if it was a portrait of goalie Roberto Luongo.
He was the team. Luongo was everything and the 2007 playoff game plan, stripped to its core, consisted mainly of the netminder being brilliant.
That image of the team seems ironic now because as the Canucks begin another National Hockey League playoff tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, Luongo's ability to be consistently superior is one of the key questions on the way to the Stanley Cup.
But maybe not much has really changed in Vancouver because the latest team photo surely consists solely of Daniel Sedin's silhouette. This conclusion is based on reaction across the Twitterverse Tuesday when the concussed star was assigned to skate with Canuck extras one day after returning from injury for his first full practice with teammates.
Amid the digital din, a couple of key points were either overlooked or understated:
1. That Sedin skated vigorously a second straight day, regardless of where, when and with whom, was excellent news because it meant he suffered no neurological effects from his complete practice on Monday and his recovery continues.
2. If Vancouver's playoff hopes hinge on the first-line winger being available for Game 1 against the Kings, we may as well stay home because the Canucks clearly aren't the Cup contender they're supposed to be.
"If one player drastically alters things for your team, you probably don't have enough depth to win anyway," Canuck winger Chris Higgins said. "You have to be able to win without one of your best players. I still don't know what his status is. You approach [Game 1] like we practised today, I guess, and we'll see what happens."
Higgins wasn't being flippant or disrespectful, although given precedent Sedin probably has a case to take to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal. Higgins was being practical.
"I don't know what's going on today," Canuck Ryan Kesler said.
"Even if I knew, I don't think I could tell you. You come in and the numbers [for practice] are on the board. I don't ask too many questions.
"Our job is to play hockey. We want him back and we need him back, but if he's not there then we'll make do."
The Canucks ended the season 8-1 without Sedin to inadvertently win the Presidents' Trophy again.
The Kings should have won the Pacific Division but lost three of their last four games, blowing leads in all of them, to fall to the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Only the Minnesota Wild scored fewer goals than the Kings this season, and if you're doing the old math Los Angeles lost two games more than it won, finishing with fewer wins (40) than two teams that missed the playoffs.
Kings' goalie Jonathan Quick is a candidate for both the Vezina and Hart trophies, the team defence in front of him is tight and robust, Los Angeles has a few formidable forwards with formidable salaries and the team is coached by a Sutter - Darryl, I think - who has been to the final.
But the Canucks are deeper, tougher, have better goaltending and more experience than when they went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final 10 months ago. For now, they should win with or without one of their wondertwins.
The healthy one, Henrik Sedin, accidentally caused much of Tuesday's commotion by declaring Monday that Danny was "100 per cent," which is why he was as quotable Tuesday as Chewbacca. If you can translate Wookie, please let us know.
"I'm not going to comment any more," Henrik said. "I'm not saying anything. We've shown in the past couple of weeks we can win games without him."
Later, the Canuck captain admitted: "It's been awkward because I don't like to lie to people, and people know that we talk to each other. It's not like another teammate where maybe you send him a text; we talk to each other every day. That's been the tough part - to say enough that I'm not being dishonest but to not say too much."
It's a little late for this, but let's try not to overthink Daniel Sedin's deployment on Tuesday.
He hasn't played since Chicago Blackhawk Duncan Keith drove an elbow through Sedin's tonsils on March 21. Sedin didn't skate until Sunday. The next day he practised fully. He skated again Tuesday. Progress. Terrific.
If Sedin doesn't play tonight, maybe he'll be ready for Game 2 on Friday. He will be re-evaluated this morning.
That Sedin seems to have a chance to play Game 1 after so long an absence and so little time on the ice may indicate that his injury is no longer brain-related. He may have something as common as whiplash or stiffness in his back, for which Sedin previously required treatment.
As for the idea floated that Vigneault was engaging in "gamesmanship" by removing Daniel from the regular practice, that seems more than a little silly.
Sedin is one of the Canucks' cornerstones, a superstar who has two years left on a $30.5million contract. And after a severe injury that has given him almost no preparation for the hyperintense playoffs, Sedin is going to be further deprived practice time and moved like a pawn so he can be unleashed upon the Kings, who are supposed to run in terror because they forgot to account for last season's scoring champion during their 92 hours of pre-scouting? Sure, makes sense.
What does Tuesday mean? "It means his [concussion] protocol is still progressing," Canuck defenceman Dan Hamhuis said.
And so should the Canucks - with or without Sedin.
imacintyre@vancouversun.com
NEXT GAME
Tonight vs. Los Angeles Kings (Game 1) 7: 30 p.m. at Rogers Arena CBC/TEAM 1040
CANUCKS ONLINE
Check out - and participate in - our full line up of exclusive coverage at vancouversun.com
PRE-GAME:
Elliott Pap files his Game Day preview at noon; Cam Tucker blogs live from today's pre-game skate at PuckWorld; video from pre-game skate.
DURING THE GAME:
Cam Tucker hosts live game chat; photo galleries of the action and the fans from Rogers Arena; Brad Ziemer will provide period updates.
POST-GAME:
Analysis and reports from Iain MacIntyre, Cam Cole, Brad Ziemer, Elliott Pap, Cam Tucker and Pass It To Bulis, post-game video from the press box.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.
0 意見:
Post a Comment