The view from Vancouver

VANCOUVER SUN

Brad Ziemer: Canucks make ‘statement,’ Kings just win

Vancouver played more than half of the first period short-handed and there was a parade to the penalty box all night long as two teams that clearly don’t like one another left it all on the ice.
Move over Chicago Blackhawks, the Canucks have a new team they hate even more than you.

Daniel Wagner: I Watched This Game: Canucks at Los Angeles Kings, January 13, 2014

The big story heading into this game is how the Canucks would respond in their first game against the Los Angeles Kings since Dustin Brown injured Roberto Luongo. I wondered, personally, if the fans were out for more blood than the Canucks themselves, that, perhaps, the Canucks would be more focussed on winning the game (and passing the Kings in the Pacific Division standings), than exacting retribution.

Not so much.

It was clear right from puck drop that this game was about sending a message and establishing an identity as a team that stands up for their teammates, won’t be bullied by physical play, and is difficult to play against. Not a single guff was taken in this game; all guffs remained the possession of their original owners.

THE PROVINCE

Ben Kuzma: Los Angeles 1 Vancouver 0: Canucks come out swinging as bad blood boils over in L.A.

Canucks coach John Tortorella wanted more bite. He didn’t expect it from Paul Devorski.

On a night when you knew the Los Angeles Kings would target Henrik and Daniel Sedin again – they’re one of the few NHL clubs who physically go after the twins – the trickle-down effect of Jordan Nolan slamming the Vancouver captain Henrik into the Plexiglas in the opening minutes and then refusing to fight Tom Sestito had senior referee Devorski reaching for his calculator and Tortorella reaching for the rule book Monday at the Staples Center.

Ben Kuzma: Kuzma: Canucks need to play in the other team’s blue paint

Roberto Luongo hopes to be a fast healer. He also hopes his teammates are fast learners.

When the Vancouver goaltender labelled Dustin Brown’s crease crash here Jan. 4 that resulted in the tying goal and an ankle injury for the Canucks starter — “accidentally running me over” after a slight collision with Mike Santorelli — Luongo didn’t lament the tactic by the Los Angeles Kings captain. In fact, he applauded the ploy because of the NHL’s loose description of what is and isn’t an infraction in the blue paint.

Jason Botchford: Kings-Canucks Van Provies: Spite Nite at Staples

The Canucks spent half of the first period killing penalties and what did John Tortorella say about it?

“We did our job.”

Part of it was avenging Lu. Part of it was counter-punching an NHL powerhouse which has not only dominated the Canucks, it has done it while making Vancouver its —–.

And part of it, was a team finally starting to take on the personality of a coach who took over in June, one who seems more bent on changing his group’s AV personality (or, as he says, mindset) than fixing the power play.

Wyatt Arndt: From the Rafters: Canucks at Kings (Kings win 1-0)

The positive: The Canucks showed grit and toughness against a team that has pushed them around in the past. For a team that has had to deal with the narrative of not being tough enough hanging over their head for many years (highlighted by Marchand punching Daniel repeatedly and the whole Vigneault “turn the other cheek” era) it was nice to see the Canucks play like this.

j.Bowman: Canucks/Kings Post Game Quotes (I Wish Were Real)

John Tortorella – “We don’t have to practice the PK for the next month. I think we got it to a place I can be comfortable with. Now we just gotta practice our winning. I also wish I had fought someone tonight.”

CANUCKS ARMY

Dimitri Filipovic: Canucks win fight(s), lose game

There was a lot of talk leading up to Monday night’s game in LA as to what the Vancouver Canucks would do in response to Dustin Brown’s most recent shenanigans. I did my part in perpetuating the talk by devoting a large chunk of the game preview to it (mostly because I figured there was at least a decent chance that we could see them really muck it up), but I still wasn’t necessarily convinced that we’d see what most fans were clamouring for ever since the incident in question took place.

The Canucks – despite being billed as a tougher team that would play with an edge and wouldn’t be bullied by bigger opponents from the day John Tortorella was hired – hadn’t exactly lived up to the hype on that front this season (except for that one time in November, against these same Kings). They also had a chance to tie the Kings in the standings with a regulation win, which made me question whether they’d throw caution to the wind and go all out for the retribution.

I guess I should’ve stuck with my gut instinct, because that’s exactly what happened. The Canucks may’ve lost the hockey game by a score of 1-0, but in the grand scheme of things I think we can put an asterisk beside this one, because they put a lot of the “soft” talk to rest. Lose a battle, win the war? We’ll see.

NUCKS MISCONDUCT

vancitydan: A ” We’ll Take That” Game Recap ( 1 – 0 L )

This game seemed to crackle with an electric tension almost from the outset. While I am sure that the officials saw a mention in the morning briefing to note that Dustin Brown had indeed done what Dustin Brown does, and run over another goaltender ( in the blue paint too. It’s like he has a “Special Shanny Hall Pass” or something… ) , causing injury to the Canucks #1 netmider.

Perhaps that had something to do with how he reacted to Zack Kassian’s somewhat clumsy way of sending a message to Mr. Brown. And while I will say that the officials, struggled with their duties this evening, it was a game that anyone would have struggled with. Well, maybe not Kerry Fraser, but everyone else !

PUCK DADDY

Greg Wyshynski (not Vancouver-based, obviously): Tom Sestito picks up 27 penalty minutes in one-second night

Things you can do in a second: Blink several times; score a buzzer-beater; “like” a Facebook post; or, in the case of Tom Sestito of the Vancouver Canucks, accumulate 27 penalty minutes in one second, a.k.a. your total ice time for the night.

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