Prospect
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 82
Location: British
Columbia |
#8 Posted: 4/13/2012 7:54:52 PM QUOTE Originally Posted by canadaguy_25:
I think that would be a smart play. After the abysmal performance by the Canucks on Wednesday, I expect them to come out tonight with guns blazing. I love the Detroit/Nashville play as well.
I agree ... Wings @ Preds should be considered for OT for damn near every encounter. Barring the loss of top players, these teams have a history of playing close, tough games. Add in the playoff atmosphere and it makes a lot of sense.
Also agreed about the Canucks. They didn't play a smart game on Wednesday, and if they don't improve their overall play, the Kings are capable of taking them out.
Frankly, I had more confidence in Vancouver going into the playoffs last year. This year, while they certainly played a goodly number of games that squarely placed them among the elite, they played just as many (or more) that were problematic and questionable.
In my opinion, the ongoing difficulties are in their collective head. The team confidence comes and goes, There's no getting away from it ... the goalie situation has thrown a pall over them.
When Roberto is on, he's among the best in the league. But he has lapses, mental breakdowns and crisis in self-confidence more than is understandable. In a bad game when he misplays at least one goal, he'll start fighting the puck, which causes his defensemen to become a little more shaky. In other words, it filters down and eventually spreads throughout the team.
As great as Luongo is a good portion of the time (he was the Canuck hero in the Wednesday game, for instance), the smart move would be to retain Schneider and move Lou. The trick is in how to get another team to accept his annual salary for the next X number of years. |