Plain and simple, the Vancouver Canucks cannot afford to do anything but pray, now.
With Kevin Bieksa out for six to eight weeks with a lacerated leg, Sami Salo awaiting surgery for a broken orbital bone on top of an injured Lukas Krajicek, the Vancouver Canucks defense has been whittled down to the ilk of Mattias Ohlund, Willie Mitchell, Alex Edler, Aaron Miller, Nathan McIver and Luc Bourdon. And with the Canucks heading into a crucial eight-game series against teams in the Northwest Division, suffice to say, this could make or break the Vancouver Canucks’ season.
Not often would you say that in November. But if the Canucks manage to escape this eight-game swing with a winning record, all the previous lacklustre efforts up until now may be forgiven. However, a losing record could put the Canucks in a very, very deep hole, one which could end up burying the team only two months into what has seemed like a long, long season.
All that being said, the Vancouver Canucks have frustrated everyone, including themselves. Tommy Larscheid showed his disgust this morning on Canucks Lunch, and Larscheid is usually one of the most optimistic guys around. But, as Tommy said, when you’re showing zero passion, zero heart and zero desire to win, you have every right to be angry with how poorly the Vancouver Canucks have played thus far this season. The Canucks must regroup by Saturday if they’re going to get anywhere. And seemingly enough, there’s only one person in the Canuck lineup who can carry a team on his shoulders and steal games for this team.
Roberto Luongo. Calling out an All-Star goaltender may seem folly, but Luongo has to, HAS TO get this team going very quickly. It’s evident he hasn’t been as great as he was last season, but Luongo is the only player on the Vancouver Canucks who can get them out of this funk. If he can work such a miracle … well, only time will tell…
