HUMBLE BEGINNINGS: Canucks off to a mediocre start
The smiles from the ending of the lockout quickly turn to surly grins as the Canucks have started the season with a rather humdrum record. The Canucks are notorious for slow starts, which are all the more concerning in a shortened season, but the Canucks have put out inconsistent performances which make it difficult to properly evaluate the worth of the club.
The Canucks were simply throttled by the Anaheim Ducks in what was the debacle of their season opener, with a final score of 7-3. Newly appointed starting goaltender Cory Schneider was aerated by pucks like a waterlogged soccer field and was pulled half-way through the game to be replaced by the dead man walking Roberto Luongo (Sorry Roberto, if you don’t enjoy the tone talk to Gillis). Much like Slim Shady, it took a while for us to see the emergence of the real Canucks as they lost their next game in a shootout to the frivolous Edmonton Oilers. It wasn’t until the Canucks got their money back against the Ducks that really marked the beginning of the season. The Canucks walked into lala land and stomped California’s third best team 5-0, along with a healthy dose of redemption for the aforementioned Schneider as he stopped the team to their biggest win of the season.
With the absence of second line regulars Ryan Kesler and David Booth, pressure falls on the broad shoulders of Zack Kassian and the not so broad shoulders of rookie Jordan Schroeder. Kassian has multiple points along with a seat on the top line next to the Sedins, and everyone knows that points while playing with the Sedins are like report cards…. They’re going to come. Schroeder however as had a bit of a lackluster start to his first few games, being called up to replace Andrew Ebbett as the second line center after the first game against Anaheim. Schroeder, who stands at a miniscule 5’8”, had only one assist after his first three games in a Canucks uniform. But we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt as it is his first shot at the big league, just for his sake he should realize Canucks fans aren’t known for their undying patience.
So for the Canucks it may be time to turn the ship, re-route the course, and start to pull up their blue and green socks. When seasons shorten so do error margins, and things can get out of control before you know it. The somewhat lucid solution to this Canuck sized conundrum would be to make the deal to trade Roberto Luongo. Despite saying all the right things, it is only a matter of time before things get so muddy in the dressing room that it becomes a serious problem. They’re called number one goalies for a reason, because you only have one of them.
Yes it’s early, and yes we are missing two of our top six forwards, but this is Vancouver and losses are not taken lightly. Whether it’s Luongo, or they simply haven’t woken up yet, the Canucks aren’t off to the most preferable of starts. Let’s just hope the best is yet to come.
By Matthew Inouye
What Should the Canucks Do with Cory Scheider?
By Gurpreet Randhawa, Grade 10
When Cory Schneider was drafted in the 2004 NHL entry draft, not many people thought that he would’ve given Roberto Luongo some competition for the starting goaltender position.
On October 18th, 2011, Schneider made his first start of the 2010-2011 NHL regular season against the Carolina Hurricanes. He stopped 32 shots in the 5-1 victory. Schneider ended the season with a 2.23 GAA and a .992 save percentage over 25 games. His record was 16-4-2, and he finished his rookie season with the William M. Jennings Trophy. Schneider has started the 2011-2012 season with a 10-5-0 record and has a save percentage of 92.7% so far. The million-dollar question is: should the Canucks deal Schneider?
Canucks Midterm
By Mike Chen, Grade 12
Hello, Warriors! I hope you all studied hard and did well on your midterms! It’s now officially halfway through the school year, and in the NHL it’s a similar situation. As the NHL trade deadline looms (February 27th at 12:00 PM PST), teams are preparing for the season’s home stretch. But before that happens, let’s take a look back at our home town Canucks’ season thus far, and since we’ve just had to go through midterms, it’s only fair to give one to the Canucks.
