Music: {allcanada} Canucks coach: 'It's our turn to step up'

Thursday, April 23, 2015

{allcanada} Canucks coach: 'It's our turn to step up'

Nashville / Natalie Portman / NHL / Ordinary World / Pamela Anderson

VANCOUVER — The callers on Vancouver's sports radio shows were bludgeoning poor Willie Desjardins on Wednesday.

The Sedins weren't playing enough, Kevin Bieksa was playing too much, and Radim Vrbata was playing with the wrong people.

And by the way, why isn't Sven Baertschi playing at all?

Desjardins is one of the smartest and nicest hockey men you'll ever meet. In this town on this day however, he is disliked and second-guessed, a venting process that is the lifeblood of sports radio.

"There have been lots of times this year where people have said, 'Well, this (road) trip will determine who you are. Or this trip, or this trip…,'" Desjardins said after his team practiced, separated from their exit interviews by just one more loss to the Calgary Flames. "On all those trips we found a way. That's exactly where we're at now.

"Everybody is saying this and that about us. It's our turn to step up and show who we are."

That's the problem. Who the Canucks are is everything Calgary is not.

Vancouver has no depth in scoring, meaning the Sedins' ability to shut the Sean Monahan line down during 5-on-5 play isn't enough. They have to fill the net, too.

Where once played Ryan Kesler, now resides Nick Bonino, a third-line centre disguised as a No. 2. The Flames defence has outscored Vancouver's blueline 3-0 through four games. In goal, Eddie Lack has been merely fine. But he hasn't been the best goalie in the series — Jonas Hiller has.

Calgary is much the quicker team, and their rugged forecheck is, in fact, showing the Canucks defencemen who they are as well. It turns out, however, that older, slower, and prone to coughing up the puck is the answer.

Meanwhile, the Canucks' forecheck can't get any traction because Calgary's quick defence moves the puck too well.

"Their breakout," Canucks' Shawn Matthias marveled, when asked what surprised him the most about Calgary. "Just how quick they're getting it out of (the defenceman's) hands, into the neutral zone, and coming at us. It seems as soon as we get it over the red line and they see it again, it's right out of their end, and their guys are grabbing the puck and coming right at us."

This series was always going to be a toss-up, and both players and fans are aware that this edition of the Canucks is a decent team, but one that isn't in any Stanley Cup conversations. Being beaten like this by the Calgary Flames however, wasn't ever part of the equation.

Younger, faster, more emotion, more clutch performances… It is as if the new dog on the Western Canadian block has finally grown to the point it's taking away the old dog's long-held territory.

"That's an easy way to look at it," said Daniel Sedin, who, like his brother, was front-and-centre to face the media when the dressing room doors opened to the press on Wednesday. "We've heard that for two or three years now. I don't think it's that simple. Look at scoring chances, a lot of those stats, we're playing good. But we're down 3-1 so it doesn't matter.

"Everyone keeps saying (Calgary) came out so hard last game. They got their first shot, 5-on-5, at the 10 minute mark."

The Canucks are mired in 'what ifs,' a surer sign of an ageing power than getting caught clipping coupons for Depends.

After two games, they reminded us how they had won "five of the six periods," so they were going to be fine. After a 4-2 loss in Game 3, the Canucks had only been down 2-1 after 40 minutes. One break, one powerplay goal, and it would have been tied. In Game 4, the Canucks took three first period penalties, and Eddie Lack let in a softie for a 3-1 deficit after 20 minutes.

One more powerplay goal, one less brain cramp, and the series is tied heading home…

"Look at the games, each and every one we're in and have a chance to win. We've out-chanced them at least three out of four games," said Henrik. The twins' possession numbers are tops among NHL forwards this post-season, and they've neutralized the Flames top line, 5-on-5.

That and about $35 will get you parking at Rogers Arena for Game 5 Thursday.

"It's true, Corsi doesn't win you games, we know that," Henrik said. "We also believe that if you play enough games well you're going to score goals sooner or later."

Sooner, Henrik. Now, it has to be sooner.

Paul Newman / Reese Witherspoon / Revenge / Salma Hayek / Soap Operas