LET’S BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING…
THIS IS STILL THE EXIBITION SEASON…
THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS DO NOT START PLAYING FOR KEEPS UNTIL NEXT FRIDAY…
IT MAY EXPLAIN WHY HEAD COACH ALAIN VIGNEAULT WILL GO WITH HIS KIDS TONIGHT IN CALGARY…
THAT INCLUDES CURTIS SANFORD IN GOAL…
WHILE MIKE KEENAN IS GOING WITH A LINE UP THAT WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO OPENING NIGHT…
THANKS TO AN AVALANCHE OF INJURIES THIS MONTH…
THE BIGGEST CONCERN THE CANUCKS HAVE IS NOT FINDING A GROOVE…BUT RATHER…FINDING THE ICE…
INSTEAD THEY WILL USE SATURDAY’S GAME IN EDMONTON AS THEIR FINAL TUNE UP…
THEN NEXT WEEK PUT THE FINAL TOUCHES TOGETHER IN PRACTICE…
IS THE WAY THE CANUCKS PLANNED IT???
NOT AT ALL…
AS A RESULT THE TEAM WILL GO INTO THE REGULAR SEASON WITH A NUMBER OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS…
THE BIGGEST IS WHETHER OR NOT RYAN KESLER IS READY TO CENTER THE SECOND LINE WITH MARCUS NASLUND…
BRENDAN MORRISON SEEMS DESTINED TO START THE SEASON ON THE THIRD LINE WITH MATT COOKE…
ON DEFENCE…ITS UNLIKELY SAMI SALO WILL BE READY TO START THE SEASON…
WHICH MEANS…LIKE IT OR NOT…ALEX EDLER WILL LOG SOME BIG MINUTES…
PERHAPS THE ONLY THING THE CANUCKS KNOW FOR SURE IS THEIR SEASON WILL ONCE AGAIN REST ON THE SHOULDERS OF ROBERTO LUONGO…
AS MUCH AS HOCKEY FANS BELIEVE LUONGO IS THE BEST GOALTENDER ON THE PLANET…
THEY WITNESSED FIRST HAND IN THE PLAYOFFS…
LUONGO CAN NOT GET IT DONE BY HIMSELF…
LAST SPRING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CANUCKS FINISHING FIRST IN THEIR DIVISION AND GETTING THE THIRD SEED IN THE PLAYOFFS…WAS A SINGLE POINT…
A SINGLE POINT BETWEEN 3RD AND 7TH…
ONCE AGAIN THIS SEASON THE WESTERN CONFERENCE IS THE TOUGHEST IN THE NHL…
COLORADO…EDMONTON…CHICAGO…AND LOS ANGELES ARE ALL BETTER…
QUITE SIMPLY THE CANUCKS CAN NOT AFFORD A SLOW START…
THAT’S THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEXT 7 DAYS…STARTING TONIGHT IN CALGARY…