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Canucks first
quarter review

» ‘Nucks trying to swim without sinking

Davie Wong
Sports Reporter

merican Thanksgiving marks
very important date for

Canadians. Even though we’ve
already had our fill of turkey and
pumpkin pie, the day still remains
relevant. It marks the end of the
first quarter of hockey season. For
sports reporters across the country
it means one thing: time to crunch
stats and make broad predictions!

When I look at Vancouver’s
season at a glance, the term
“mediocrity” comes to mind.

As of Friday, the Canucks have
arecord of 9-8-6, with a win
percentage slightly over 50
percent. Surprisingly, that is
amongst the best in their division.

Much to the benefit
of the Canucks, the Pacific
division has been a cesspool of
lacklustre teams that have failed
to perform. Out of the seven
teams in the division, five of
them, including the Canucks,
are among the bottom half of
the league in terms of points.

The Edmonton Oilers,
having lost their prized rookie
Connor McDavid to long-term
injury, have seemingly resigned
themselves to another first-pick-
in-the-draft season. The Calgary
Flames, who defied statistics
last season, have had their luck
catch up with them; the hockey

: gods giveth and the hockey gods

: taketh. The Anaheim Ducks can’t
: seem to score and the Phoenix

: Coyotes are just too average.

The Canucks are not without

But alas their problems,

: as many problems in hockey

: do, overlap. The poor show of

: goaltending from the Miller-

: Markstrom duo has resulted in

: the need for much more scoring

: from the aging offensive core.

: The Canucks, who have averaged
: three goals a game for the last five
: years, have seemed to make it

: work in years past. The difference
: was the quality of goaltending.

In 12 games in November, the

: goaltenders have given up 3 or

: more goals 10 times. Miller, who
: had an excellent opening month
: in October, struggled to keep with :
: the heavy workload in November.
: It hasn't helped that his backup,

: Markstrom, suffered an injury into :
: the season. While his play time

: has been limited, it hasn’t been

: without good reason; he has a

: record of 1-1-1 with a GAA of 3.31.

This has been a huge

: transition for both goaltenders,

: as Miller, who was injured long

: term last year, split games with

: Eddie Lack. Lack, who was

: traded during the summer to the
: their own flaws, however. The new :
: overtime format has taken its toll
: on the floundering fish. They’ve

: lost six crucial points in the

: overtime. Those six points would
: put them at the top of the Pacific
: Division witha nice two-game

: lead and put them on par with the :
: rest of the top teams in the league. :
: : not surprising that head coach

: Willie Desjardins has had a hard
; time starting him over Miller.

Carolina Hurricanes, left behind

: a gaping void for Markstrom

: to fill. The youngster who was

: originally part of the Luongo

: trade, has had flashes of brilliance.
: Unfortunately, this year is not

: looking like one of them, as the

new backup has looked solid at
times but shaky at others. It is

Another thing that has

: plagued the first quarter of the

: 2015-16 campaign is injuries. Chris
: Higgins and new arrival Brandon
> Prust have been hounded by

: injuries since the start of the

: season. Their veteran scoring

: presence has been missed by

: the Canucks, whose young

: roster has lacked leadership.

: While the Sedins have had great
: scoring success and are on track

: to come back to great success,

their presence in the locker room

: has not always been the type of
: leadership that has been needed.

Previously, the responsibility

: has fallen to assistant captains,
: suchas Ryan Kesler, and Kevin
: Bieska. Now with both of them
: gone, I'd imagine the locker

: room is feeling a little empty.

(¥Y Midseason reflections
(Y Player of the Month

And more!

 

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSTITUTION CONF PTS
VIU 6-1 12
DOUGLAS 6-1 12
CAPILANO 5-2 10
QUEST 43 8
LANGARA 3-4 6
CBC 3-4 6
CAMOSUN 1-6 2
KPU O-7 Oo

MEN'S BASKETBALL

INSTITUTION CONF PTS
VIU 7-0 14
QUEST 6-1 12
LANGARA 5-2 10
CAPILANO 43 8
CAMOSUN 3-4 6
DOUGLAS 2-5 4
CBC 1-6 2
KPU 0-7 oO

 

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSTITUTION CONF PTS
VIU 10-2 20
CAPILANO 8-4 16
CAMOSUN 8-4 16
DOUGLAS 6-6 12
UFV 48
COTR 3-9
CBC 3°9
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
INSTITUTION CONF PTS
CAMOSUN 12-0 24
DOUGLAS 9-3 18
UFV 7-5 14
VIU 6-6 12
CAPILANO 48
COTR 4-8
CBC 0-12 oO