Man, some people's expectations are beyond reasonable.

Slapshots on the point are rarely accurate as that is the nature of slapshots. You trade accuracy for power/velocity. If you want pure accuracy on the point, then put a bunch of shooters who specialize in wristers. Unfortunately, wrist shots though higher in accuracy, are lower in power/velocity, which really doesn't work well on the point due to distance from the net.

It's not just Salo. Look around the league and everyone will see that inaccuracy with Blue Line slapshots is a natural phenomenon in hockey. Why do you think in skills competitions, people only use wristers in accuracy competitions and why only the measure of velocity is the only competition for slapshots? Because everyone knows slapshots are naturally inaccurate.

cause we expect lidstrom/pronger shots from everyone :D

Haha. Touche.

(Pls don't edit to read "touch me")

Agreed - couple that with up to 5-6 guys in front of the net, and the shot is bound to bounce off any one of these guys. It's a crap shoot at best, but it has it's benefits (tip ins, deflections, or just guys in front of the net blocking the goaltenders view and the shot actually making it to the net)

I'm sure the D and the point men try to take the best shot from the point if they have a chance. However, it seems the Canucks seem to lack guys up front of the goal to make the follow up plays (the deflections or taking a shot off the rebounds).

I also notice that the guys keep passing waiting for the perfect shot. They slow the game right down so that the opposition and goalie have a chance to set up before they take the shot. They need to just line it up and take a one time shot for the element of surprise.

I'm happy for our ex-captain. Glad he's enjoying it over @ NYR. Yeah, it was a pity that only Linden got recongized during the last game of last season. It seemed that Nasland's last couple of shakey seasons with the Canucks erased all he did for the team prior to that.

Love him or hate him. Naslund was one of the best players we've ever had. Sure I for one wasn't so happy with his last few seasons here but I sure as hell remember more good times then bad with him. When he was truely one of the best it was damn good to watch. I haven't seen anything like that with the Canucks since the Bure days. Id hand has jersey up in GM Place anyday. Good on you for finding new happiness Nassy you deserve it.

I wished Canucks wouldn't be fancy passing so much. That's a common problem they have. Or when they find a stray puck in the slot, instead of shoot, they will fake, and pass.

I will admit, my angle from watching through a camera's point of view will not be as clear as what the players down on the ice will see (as whether they truely got a clear path to the net or not), but it's frustrating to see pucks not being thrown at the net often enough.

hmm, sometimes when I edit my post, it doesn't show up. weird.

Anyway, I think Canucks need to practice one-timers.

I wasn't talking about shots from the point. In general our forwards rarely do a slap shot. Thank you for your great observation of a slap shot having less accuracy than a wrister, Captain Obvious.

I'm not complaining about the missed shots from the point but at least shoot it when there is open lane. I keep seeing them shoot the puck when there is clearly a forward in front. I dont mind the blue line using wristers for more accuracy but I would love to see some of our forwards slap the puck when they are a few feet inside the blue line.

our forwards prefer fancy highlight plays than actual goals ...

Right :rolleyes: Because the construct of you criticism singled out forwards didn't it?

Don't get butt hurt because your criticism of others turned out to be a criticism of yourself.

:werd: we need to shoot the puck as much as we can, ugly goals are awesome to watch :lol

I don't think chances or shooting the puck is the problem. It's how they shoot the puck. Go upstairs! Bernier would have had 10 goals by now if he stopped shooting at the pads of every goalie when the top half the net is totally empty.

Kev

That is where part of the problem is. He has hands of stone whenever he is in that close. A simple pull the puck back and go upstairs turns into rush the shot somewhere close to the net and ends up 10 inches off the ice and into the goalie's pads or glove.

This is where I give Wellwood props. :thumbsup:

'He's one of the best left-wingers in Canucks history ...'
GM has no doubts about Naslund's legacy

Ben Kuzma
Times Colonist

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

NEW YORK -- Mike Gillis is biased.

Ask the former player agent about Markus Naslund's legacy as an often misunderstood former Vancouver Canucks captain and Gillis defends the left-winger the way a father would protect his son.

"He's one of the best left-wingers in Canucks history and his legacy is that of a great captain who was fantastic in the community," the Vancouver general manager said of his former client. "He's an incredibly proud person with tremendous integrity and he took so much pride in his game and how he was looked upon as a player."

As the franchise leader in career points (756) and single-season leader in goals (48), assists (56) and points (104) by a left-winger, established in the 2002-03 season, you could argue that Naslund's No. 19 should be raised to the rafters.

"Well, that's a discussion that we've begun to broach in some ways," added Gillis. "It's not up to me because I'm pretty biased, but it would involve the hockey department and ownership."

That said, you could also argue that Naslund's free-agent exit to the New York Rangers this season spoke loudly of his dissatisfaction with the franchise -- especially in the failure to get the winger a dominant centre. In that sense, there will always be disagreement when it comes to Naslund's legacy. He was a quiet leader who didn't always look comfortable in the spokesman role.

Gillis will tell you that Naslund is even a better person than a player. When the two first crossed paths at a tumultuous time in Naslund's career, a lasting bond was formed. Naslund had found a confidant and close friend.

It was during Mike Keenan's reign of terror that Naslund believed that his NHL days were numbered. When Keenan became coach during the 1997-98 season, Naslund became one of his many whipping boys. At the time, Russ Courtnall was a Gillis client and a call was brokered.

"Markus was thinking of going back to Sweden and he phoned me and said: 'I'm probably just wasting your time because I don't think I'll be back playing in North America.'

"I told him I'd watch him for 10 games and let him know what I think. I then told him he'd be absolutely crazy not to pursue his goals here. He's incredibly talented, but fell into a mindset where he had lost his confidence and didn't play to his skill set.

"He had one of the best wrist shots in the league, but even at that time, he wasn't shooting the puck much. He was carrying it and kind of going in circles."

After being a healthy scratch to start the 1998-99 season, Naslund got his break when Alex Mogilny and Todd Bertuzzi suffered injuries. Naslund responded with a 36-goal season after netting just 14 in the previous campaign.

Then came 41 goals in 2000-01, 40 in 01-02 and 48 in 02-03.

Last season, Naslund still managed 25 goals on a defensive-minded team that lacked offensive talent. Following a humiliating 7-1 loss to Calgary in the season finale, the captain was at the career crossroads. Retirement was a possibility, but most knew a change of scenery was more likely.

When the Rangers came calling with a two-year, $8-million-US deal, Naslund went from pressure to playing a support role on a competitive club.

"I think he's happy now and in hindsight, he probably realizes a change was good for him emotionally," said Gillis. "I felt he was treated unfairly here in certain ways. I felt the expectations were so brutally high for him.

"You can't play this game on your own. He thinks the game differently and goes in different places. If the puck is being constantly dumped in, it's pretty difficult to be successful."

In the two years before he became a GM, Gillis saw how Naslund struggled to regain the form that led to first-team all-star status in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

"We had discussions all the time about it -- what to do and what could be done -- and it all played into when I took this [GM] job," said Gillis. "I told him if there aren't players here for you to play with, you're not going to re-live that kind of experience because it's not fair."

Gillis did offer unrestricted free-agent centre Mats Sundin a two-year, $20-million deal when free agency opened. But there was no guarantee the big Swede would show, so Naslund opted for the Rangers two days later.

The Canucks did land a playmaker in free agent Pavol Demitra on July 10, but by then Naslund was long gone.

"It would have got more complicated," said Gillis. "If Markus had his mind made up that different alternatives were enticing, then I don't know -- we didn't get that far."

In fact, Naslund was never tendered an offer.

"When he signed in New York, we still didn't have the parts here that would be complementary," said Gillis.

Kesler has lots of respect for Captain Nazzy
'He was unbelievable as a friend, teammate'

Ben Kuzma
The Province

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

NEW YORK -- When Ryan Kesler signed an offer sheet from Philadelphia in September 2006, -- a one-year deal for $1.9 million US that the Canucks matched -- many offered free advice.

Trade the centre as soon as the term expired, they spat. It was at that moment that Kesler really learned about Markus Naslund.

"He was unbelievable as a friend and a teammate," Kesler recalled Tuesday on the eve of facing Naslund and the New York Rangers. "He really stuck by me. You try not to hear all the stuff that is being said in the paper, but it gets back to you.

"That was a tough time. I was pretty young and he really helped me deal with it. I remember him and Mo [Brendan Morrison] brought me in the hotel room at camp and we really just talked.

"I was pretty upset and I didn't know if I did the right thing. I was questioning it. We went for dinner that night and it kind of got my mind off it. It really meant a lot to me."

Kesler was about to sign a two-year deal with the Canucks for $1.9 million [$900,000, $1 million] when Flyers general manager Bob Clarke called.

Meanwhile, Kesler isn't the first Canucks player to stress that Naslund was misunderstood in the Vancouver market.

"He gave it all every night and I'm not just saying that because I'm his friend or that he was our captain," said Kesler. "He cared a lot about the team.

"He scores two goals and we lose and he's probably the maddest guy in the room. You don't always get a captain like him and everybody had a lot of respect for him."

From the fishbowl to the Big Apple
Former captain enjoying anonymity and chance to be a champ

Ben Kuzma
The Province

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

'It's weird, if you asked me two or three years ago, I always envisioned myself retiring as a Canuck,' says New York Ranger Markus Naslund.

His son is playing minor hockey and his daughters are into hip-hop music in a major way.

Markus Naslund and family have made a seamless transition from a fishbowl existence in Vancouver to the lost-in-the-crowd comfort of New York.

"No one really recognizes you here," said the former Canucks captain, who resides a 15-minute ride away from the team's practice facility in Tarrytown, N.Y.

"Some people at the school and Alex's hockey would know who you are, but you can be pretty anonymous here and it's different -- that's for sure.

"I didn't have a problem with the whole social part in Vancouver, but I'm happy here. It's a fresh start and a lot of new experiences. It's easy to come to the rink when you feel you're enjoying the game and everything around it."

It wasn't always that way in Vancouver.

When you consider Naslund knew his days were numbered when a season of so much hope came crashing down with a failed pursuit of a playoff spot last spring, it's not surprising he leapt at a two-year, $8-million-US offer from the New York Rangers on July 3.

"I think it was a mutual thing," said Naslund. "I had a gut feeling that I wasn't coming back and that they wanted to go in a different direction after the season ended. I got that right from the get-go.

"I had to take some time to figure if I would play or not and after that. And I had to start thinking about where I would play."

When Naslund's agent Mike Gillis replaced Dave Nonis as general manager on April 23, it only complicated matters. As much as Gillis wanted to accommodate his former client, he knew a change of scenery would be easier than finding the right fit for Naslund.

"It's weird," admitted Naslund. "If you asked me two or three years ago, I always envisioned myself retiring as a Canuck. But things happen for a reason and I embrace the opportunity that I've got to come to a team that wanted me and is giving me a chance to play and have some fun again."

There's that word again -- fun.

Naslund has played for coach Tom Renney before. The bench boss was just getting his NHL feet wet when replaced by Mike Keenan 19 games into the 1997-98 season after the Canucks got off to a horrible 4-13-2 record. A player's coach by design, Renney prefers to let his charges work through scoring difficulty rather than pointing fingers.

"He doesn't name guys publicly and he'll talk to you one-on-one," said Naslund. "He's not one of those guys who'll hang you out to dry in the papers. He adds a lot of positive things."

You could read between the lines and conclude that Naslund had difficulty with coach Alain Vigneault. Constant line juggling and a defensive system would fuel that argument.

In 2006-07, Naslund played on 13 different line combinations. There was less line-dancing last season, but the once-dominant left-winger still found himself skating with Brad Isbister and Ryan Shannon in a 7-1 season-finale embarrassment against the Calgary Flames. Not exactly the West Coast Express.

Year after year, the Canucks failed to find Naslund a dominant centre. And and as his goal totals started slipping from a career-high 48 in 2002-03 to 35, 32, 24 and 25, his frustration grew -- even though he was loathe to throw management under the bus.

The Canucks scored 213 goals last season and were ranked 24th.

"To have success and put up the numbers, you've got to click with someone," said Naslund, who has 14 points (6-8) through 21 games to sit second in team scoring. It's difficult when you're probably working as hard as you ever have, but the output is not the same.

"That was just the nature of our team. We didn't really have that much offence and you can blame me for some of it, for sure. I didn't put up the same numbers that I'm used to.

"It's nice when you're on a line and you know you'll have chances. You know where the other guy is at all times and it's easy to go and find an opening."

Naslund has played with Scott Gomez, Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan as linemates and is still looking for the right fit.

"We haven't really found the right line combinations yet, but we're working on it," said Naslund.

Naslund has also found the East Coast travel to be quite the eye-opener. Instead of long cross-country jaunts, the short Atlantic Division hops to Long Island, New Jersey and Philadelphia are quite laughable.

"I'm blown away by what a difference it is," he said. "We bus to Long Island and Jersey and take the train to Philly."

If a competitive team and easy travel combine in the right manner, maybe Naslund will finally capture an elusive championship in New York. He didn't represent his native Sweden when it claimed Winter Olympics gold in 2006 and world championship gold in 1998 and 2006.

"Those two years in Vancouver -- 2003 and 2004 -- we had strong enough teams to have gone real far," said Naslund. "But I don't know if one moment stood out. I enjoyed the group there and we grew up together and seemed to be taking a step every year.

"That's what makes it even more frustrating."

Now, Naslund may finally end a long struggle to be known as a champion.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=393247

Claude Lemiumx comeback attempt.

wow 3 breakaways, 2 goals, could you imagine if raymond scored on his ?

And Pyatt got an assist on Wellfed's goal.

Soooooooo many chances but great period.

wtf..tortorella picks kirk Maclean as the greatest Canuck of all time?!?

Btw that fucking tootoo punch was fucking bullshit get that fucking chug OUT OF THE LEAGUE

Holy shiite............ the Canucks are on fire!

Burrows is the man!

Go, 'Nucks, GO!!!!!

SALO!! That was goal!!

ok under review...

!!

this game feels onesided, nyr defense isnt working tonight