Nov 18, 2015
Thumbs up to Canucks' bucking current trend
TSN's Dave Hodge gives a thumbs up to the struggling Vancouver Canucks, who, despite their troubles in one-goal games, are too good to be stuck in this rut forever.
By Dave Hodge
If it's true that a one-goal loss hurts more than a blowout loss, the Vancouver Canucks definitely feel worse than any other NHL team for all the one-goal losses they've suffered.
Incredibly, 11 of their 12 defeats have been by a single goal, and the other loss would have been by that same narrowest of margins had a goal in the closing seconds of a 4-2 loss to Toronto not been declared offside by an inconsequential video review.
But let's think more about how tough these one-goal defeats actually are to swallow, because six of them have come in overtime, which means that those games have produced six of Vancouver's 20 points in the standings. And that's good enough for a second place tie in the Pacific Division.
On the other hand, there's the problem of an 0-6 record in overtime. Some thought the 3-on-3 format would be made to order for the slick-passing Sedins.
So where are we in deciding what this Vancouver team is all about? Do the Canucks look bad for the fact they can't win close games, or are they playing pretty well to be getting so many chances to win?
If it must be one or the other, I'll say "thumbs up" with the thought that the Sedins are bound to produce an overtime goal and in that way or in some other way, the Canucks will start winning by one, at least as often as they lose by one.
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To say the least, it can be difficult to know exactly how to react to a coach challenge that wipes out a tying goal because the preceding play at the blueline was offside.
It happened last night (again) to the Buffalo Sabres, who eventually lost to Dallas 3-1 after thinking they had evened the score at 2-2.
After one look at the replay showed a clear offside, the initial reaction was to praise Stars' coach Lindy Ruff and others on the Dallas bench for spotting the infraction, and, as learned later, a video coach named Kelly Forbes for quickly verifying it.
After "thumbs up" on that note, it was "thumbs down" to the officials for missing the offside. It makes you wonder how many close calls at the blueline are judged incorrectly when one that leads to a goal is exposed. What are the odds that was the only such mistake made?
This isn't an argument in favour of unlimited challenges for offside. It's a simple wish that proper calls are made, especially when it matters most, just before a goal is scored.
It's a concern that linesmen might be unwittingly hesitating to blow their whistles, because a challenge can undo a mistake. And a worry that coaches will ask for replay when their teams give up a crucial goal because … why not?
It is easier to make a Sabres' fan mad today by mentioning last night's disallowed goal than by mocking Buffalo's winter weather. If only Rex Ryan coached the Sabres.