Comments on: UPDATED: Canucks’ Bieksa suffers groin injury

By: valoisvipers

valoisvipers — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 20:28:58 +0000

HCBear I would take Edler on my team any day.

By: thehighcountrybear

thehighcountrybear — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 19:57:24 +0000

Thanks kitshky, I knew you were a fan…

By: kitshky

kitshky — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 17:00:57 +0000

Good to see more unbiased and well informed “analysis” from the highcountry…

By: jpat2424

jpat2424 — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 16:57:02 +0000

Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy

By: thehighcountrybear

thehighcountrybear — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 15:12:24 +0000

Shutdown role…? The Canucks have no such defence-men in their system…they have have a D so porous it makes the Red Wings’ D look impenetrable! And, Bieksa and Edler are the most over-rated and suspect of the lot; like Ballard, they’re forever caught chasing hits out of position while speedy maneuverable forwards dance around them at will. Hint: when you have to brag on and on about superlative goal-tending, you likely have not so superlative defence-men…

By: ikillchicken

ikillchicken — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 10:45:06 +0000

Well, I think it would be easy enough to shift Tanev into a shutdown role with Hamhuis. However, the dilemma then becomes who to play with Edler. We’ve either got to shift him to the right side again (which did NOT go too well) or play him with Ballard (Alberts is obviously out). Ballard has been great lately but I do worry a little that we’ll push him to the breaking point, separating him from Tanev AND moving him to the right side AND putting him with the often unpredictable Edler AND giving him super tough top pairing minutes. Plus, I think Edler plays better with someone more defensively minded. So yeah, I agree. Keeping Edler and Tanev together and putting Ballard with Hamhuis is probably our best bet.

By: leepetertk

leepetertk — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 08:43:07 +0000

Tough for Vancouver because Bieksa is one of their few natural right side defensemen, Tanev being the other. They have been using Edler mostly on that side this year with mixed results. Ballard slid into the right side role in his absence.

The Canucks are still playing mix-and-match with their 6 defencemen trying to find the right combination that works the best. A little more juggling looks in order without Bieksa. Ballard might slot into the shut down role for now (who else…???).

Vancouver has used the same six defencemen since opening night. Now it looks like Andrew Alberts will finally draw in.

By: salmon90

salmon90 — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 02:57:33 +0000

Suspend Gill for life!! Preds are the cheapest team in the league…what an absolute joke non-call.

……….Joking