Vancouver Canucks new logo

“@thegemlife: Canucks new logo twitter.com/TheGemLife/sta…” @knuter7
— Tyler Lindstrom (@TylerLindstrom_) May 9, 2013

So sue, I hate the Vancouver Canucks.

You have to love Adam Burish’s candor

This was golden, I know this is a day old but It’s worth the read if you haven’t seen it yet. Former Badger forward and current San Jose Shark Adam Burish responded to Vancouver Canucks defenseman Bieska’s charges that the Sharks were embellishing during their series against the Canucks. On its face, this charge is hilarious, if not preposterous, because the Canucks are known around the National Hockey League as being perpetual divers and have two of the biggest divers in the league. Check it out.

Kevin Kurz, CSNBayArea.com -- [Adam] Burish offered a suggestion to the Vancouver defenseman.

“I guess it if I was him, while he's up on his soap box trying to save the integrity of the game and doing all that stuff, I'd swing by player No. 14 (Alex Burrows) and player No. 17 (Ryan Kesler) – The Beast – and have a little talk with them about diving and the integrity. Then he can work his way over to our room.

“But, I'd start with those two guys in his room.”

Burish wasn't done.

“It was silly to call out the refs and worry about what we're doing. Please, keep worrying about us. But, in our room we're going to worry about our guys, what we've got to do, how we can be better and not worry about the integrity of the game and have props in interviews, and act like a lawyer with video evidence."

This is one of the reasons that no one likes the Vancouver Canucks outside of the Province of British Colombia. The point is also mute now, because the Canucks were eliminated by the Sharks last night.

Canucks may have an interest in Gophers Bjugstad

Getty Images

Yesterday I included a link to this story in one of my blog posts.

This is one of the reasons that I think that the Gophers are lucky to have Nick Bjugstad back with them this season. There are many that believe that Bjugstad could play in the NHL this season and that he is NHL ready.

Ben Kuzma, The Province --- Nick Bjugstad is not Patrick White.

While the centres are first-round NHL draft picks and products of the heavily scrutinized University of Minnesota program, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Bjugstad is coming off a 25-goal NCAA sophomore season and it’s not surprising that the Vancouver Canucks have rumoured interest in the 20-year-old as a possible return from the Florida Panthers in a Roberto Luongo trade package. The previous regime had that level of interest in the 2007 draft when White was a surprise 25th overall selection — one pick before the St. Louis Blues took David Perron — but he never played a game for the Canucks. White never had more than nine goals in his three college seasons, was traded to the San Jose Sharks in 2009 and spent last season in the third division of the German Oberliga. It was a clear draft-day miss.

However, as much as scouts will tell you that Bjugstad is a can’t-miss prospect whose career is on fast forward, he’s rightfully returning for another season with the Golden Gophers. He has yet to complete a full NCAA season, battled a pair of injuries last season and his production dropped in the second half after 16 goals in his first 20 games.

While Gopher and WCHA fans are lucky that we get to see the young Bjugstad play a final season in the WCHA… You can almost bet that Bjugstad will be signing an entry level deal as soon as the Gophers are eliminated from in the regional the NCAA tourney.

Keith Ballard ‘was sleeping 16-18 hours a day' due to concussion

Associated Press Photo

Here is a story about former Golden Gopher and current Vancouver Canucks Keith Ballard and what he has gone through with a concussion that he suffered earlier this season playing for the Vancouver Canucks.

Elliott Pap, Vancouver --- Ballard, 29, participated in the Canucks' morning skate prior to their game against the Los Angeles Kings and talked later about what he has endured since his last lineup appearance Feb. 7 against Nashville.

It may provide some insight into what Daniel is facing, or has faced, since Duncan Keith's cheap-shot elbow took him out last Wednesday in Chicago.

“I had a lot of different stuff,” Ballard said. “I had dizziness and a lot of headaches during the day. I was sleeping 16-18 hours a day and, when I tried to do some light workouts, I ended up getting real sick and I'd be in bed for four days. By around the end of February, we almost had no choice but to just shut me down and not do anything. At that point, I couldn't get through a day without a lot of symptoms.”

According to Ballard, he was initially injured Feb. 5 in Colorado.

Did they not see the game? Canucks and their adoring media practice revisionist history…

The most unlikable team is back in the news again whining about the Chicago Blackhawks; their fans can't figure out why we can’t stand their whinny team. There is just so much ammo and so little time. I will make an attempt...

Ed Willes, The Province --- The play in question occurred 13½ minutes into the first period in an affair that had already taken on an edge. Jannik Hansen scored on the game’s first shift. Daniel finished a hit on Keith that was high. Just prior to Keith’s retaliation, Alex Edler flattened Hawks forward Andrew Shaw.

An aerial pass was then sent over Daniel’s head and as he moved to chase the puck, Keith delivered an elbow to the point of his chin. Sedin went down, didn’t appear to lose consciousness, tried to play a shift on the ensuing power play, then called it a night.

Those, at least, are the facts of the case, your honour, and they will be reviewed in great detail in forthcoming days. But, for once, the Canucks didn’t wait for the officiating crew and/or Brendan Shanahan to mete out justice. For once, the Canucks took matters into their own hands.

Frist off, I am not condoning either hit; they’re both equally bad in my opinion. Both are dirty hits and need to be removed from the game of hockey. My solution is, don’t hit someone with a dirty hit and then scream and bawl when you’re taken out by the same player you hit with a dirty hit.

First during last night game, if we need to review at all, there were "two" questionable hits. The only one that seems to be getting any play is the Keith hit on Sedin.

First it’s Daniel Sedin that hit Duncan Keith with a high dirty hit in the head. That is unacceptable as well. Keith not to be outdone returned the favor with a very questionable dirty high hit in the head to Daniel Sedin. For me, all you have to do is watch Alex Burroughs knee Duncan Keith in the groin that should be worthy of a game suspension as well…

Now we have media, fans the hockey pundits eviscerating Duncan Keith will giving the Daniel Sedin a free pass. They shouldn’t. That being said, you can’t have it both ways Canucks apologists. If a player hits someone with a dirty, high hit and then is a victim of the same hit later, that player doesn’t hold a moral high ground. I believe that both players are equally culpable in this situation and they should both be fined the NHL max and given a reprimand from the NHL.

Tuesday Links...

Image via Wikipedia

Fargo Force beat writer Ryan S. Clarke has a great feature on Devils Lake resident and Fighting Sioux recruit Keaton Thompson. [Slightly Chilled]

This kid might be good at this hockey thing. The 16 year-old defenseman was part of the U.S. U-17 Team, which won its third straight Four Nations title over the weekend scoring two goals (three if you include an exhibition game) during the tournament.

Scoring goals in an international tournament is just adding to what’s been a good year for the Devils Lake, N.D. native.

“It’s really good,” said Thompson a few weeks before the tournament. “Everything is going good. Hockey is doing good. Every thing is going really good. Its kind of rainy out here so I’d say that’s the only bad thing.”

The NHL Hockey GM’s are going to discuss the 1-3-1 defense. Personally, I don’t know what they are going to discuss? Playing the trap is perfectly legal in the NHL and in all levels of hockey, “all” teams play it from time to time. [NHL.COM]

Vancover Canucks hack Alex Burrows isn't happy that the NHL didn't suspend Bruins forward Milan Lucic for his hit on Ryan Miller. My first question is, why does anyone care what the Canucks punk Alex Burrows has to say on anything? [Yahoo Sports]

"I'm really surprised and even more confused," Canucks winger Alex Burrows said after the ruling. "I've been trying to figure it out and I don't know if goalies are in play now if they're out of their crease. This might set a precedent. Shanahan played the game and he probably knew that he [Lucic] had time to move and growing up you learn you can't really hit the goalies. I would have dove at the puck or have tried to get out of the way.

"I thought there would be repercussions. We're concerned. I thought we were trying to get those kind of hits out of this league and now it might be back to old-time hockey. The next thing you know, you might have a line brawl or a bench clearing."

Alex Burrows can’t be serious; this clown doesn't have a leg to stand on or the moral compass to make these comments. In case anyone forgot, this was the same buffoon that bit Patrice Bergeron last spring in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Buffalo Sabre goalies are having a rough go of as of late. After Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller was run over by  Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic, Sabres backup goaltender Jhonas Enroth was run over by the Canadiens' Erik Cole. The funny thing is there isn’t as much public out cry about Cole running over Enroth [Video]

Former Fighting Sioux goalie Eddy Belfour was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. [Click to view video]