Kesler is back -- new line up

[sfgiants5518]

Ryan Kesler is back.

At least, that’s what head coach Alain Vigneault promised.

Vigneault said he’s planning to give Kesler limited minutes against the Dallas Stars. Kesler was coy about it, claiming he didn’t know he was playing. Maybe he didn’t. It wouldn’t be the first time he wasn’t on the same page as his coach.

Vigneault said he has Kesler in the lineup, on the second line, on the team’s first power-play unit, and will need him to pick up the faceoff slack left by Manny Malhotra, who was, well, told to go home.

Is that all? Good luck with managing those minutes.

Kesler said he wouldn’t come back unless he’s 100 per cent. So, he must be ready to reprise his role as the team’s heart and soul. Right?

He doesn’t plan to change the way he plays, either. You know, the often daring-but-reckless, gutsy-but-risky style that, when he’s on, can look like he’s driving a stock car and taking turns just a little too fast.

It’s made him oh-so productive when he’s healthy, but oh-so disappointing when he’s injured. Quite the quandary. But Kesler said he doesn’t see any other way.

“The way I play is the reason I’m successful,” Kesler said. “I’m not one of those guys who is going to get by on their skill alone. I have to be one of the hardest-working guys out there.”

He’s 28 and has already had two hip surgeries, one for his finger, one for his wrist and another to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in May. He was supposed to be ready in five months after the shoulder surgery, but it’s been nine. Things turned complicated after it was concluded he needed wrist surgery in June.

“I’ve learned a lot over the past few years about injury prevention and taking care of my body,” Kesler said. “Not only on the ice, but off the ice. There are things I can do to help prevent injuries.”

Kesler will centre the second line between Chris Higgins and Zack Kassian. Vigneault likes the fact Higgins and Kesler have history and everyone likes the way Kassian is playing.

“I don’t want to say he surprised me, but watching him and skating with him for the past few weeks, he has pretty good hands for a big guy,” Kesler said. “He can skate, move and protects the puck really well.

“If I do get a chance to play with him, I think we’ll fit well together.”

Kesler’s importance shouldn’t be lost on anyone. Along with Daniel Sedin, he’s the Canucks most-dangerous goal-scorer on the power play. He’s the team’s best defensive forward, and won the Selke award in 2011.

And now, with Malhotra on injured reserve without being injured to clear up a roster spot, Kesler just became the team’s faceoff specialist.

Just look at the Canucks’ special teams over the first 12 games. The penalty kill is 22nd in the league, and the power play 18th.

Even without him in the lineup, the Canucks have speed. But Kesler has an interesting combo, speed and a will to barrel into the net, well-being be damned. That’s been missed.

But, with all of the great, comes the injuries. And with the injuries comes Kesler’s tendency to push back into the lineup too soon, something which plagued him most of last season. His hip was never quite right.

This time, he promised, it would be different. We’ll see.

He did, at least publicly, replace the antsy, itching-to-play guy with Baby Steps Kesler. Ask Baby Steps when he’s coming back, and he’d act like he had all the time in the world, like he was trolling for trout on a sleepy Sunday afternoon and playing hockey was just an afterthought.

“I want to play, and get in there and help my teammates but I had to be chill,” Kesler said. “Maybe on the inside I was feeling a little differently.”

All along, Kesler may have had this week circled. He gets two games at home, Friday and Sunday, before the Canucks embark on one of their biggest road trips of the season. They play archrival Chicago Tuesday and Detroit, Kesler’s hometown, five days later.

“Obviously, you have a deadline in your head,” Kesler said.

Is there anything he can’t do right now?

“I probably couldn’t squat 1,000 pounds,” he said. “Maybe 2,000.”

Vigneault poked some fun at Baby Steps a week ago.

“On the ice, it doesn’t look like baby steps. It looks like leaps and bounds,” Vigneault said, chiding his star.

There is context here. When last we left Kesler’s playing career, Vigneault was adding fuel to a fire that he did not necessarily need to be sparked. Vigneault said Kesler’s injury wasn’t “the reason his production fell” at the end of last season and in the playoffs.

That didn’t go over too well in the Kesler camp. Neither did Vigneault’s critique a year ago Kesler needed to use his linemates more.

Be interesting to watch the dynamic between these two. Let the good times roll.

twitter.com/@botchford

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Ca...#ixzz2KvhlIXWX

First of all, it's disappointing that Manny's season has been cut short. Clearly, the eye accident plagued his game these last 2 seasons. He's one of the more respected players in the league so hopefully he comes back in a front office role.

2ndly.. Kesler. What I don't understand is how he's suddenly 100% better. He was cleared for contact today, but does he only need 1 practice to declare himself ready to go? I'm afraid that he's going to take a couple of big hits and he'll be shelved for longer. Not sure if returning tomorrow is worth the long term risk. Why not wait another week or 2.. or 3? We don't NEED a center with Malhotra out. We could have used Lapierre on the 3rd and Ebbett on the 4th. Just doens't make sense to me....

Anyway, the new lineup:

Daniel - Henrik - Burrows
Higgins - Kesler - Kassian
Raymond - Schroeder - Hansen
Volpatti - Lapierre - Weise

D the same. Edler/Hamhuis, Bieksa/Garrison, Ballard/Tanev

I love the way that this lineup looks, I'm just worried.

[ink]

Hope he is able to bring his A game. I don't expect that Higgins-Kesler-Kassian line to last long. Sorry but just not that excited about Kesler coming back.

[sfgiants5518]

Here's AV's reasoning for using this particular lineup:

Kesler practised on a line Thursday with Zack Kassian and Chris Higgins. He also worked on the first-unit power play with the Sedins, Alex Burrows and Alex Edler.

"Him and Chris in the past have played good hockey together and I like the way Zack is playing right now," Vigneault said. "That is a big line, it's a line that brings a physical dimension plus real good puck pursuit, plays with really good speed. We'll see how it looks tomorrow."

That combination also allows Vigneault to keep Jordan Schroeder, Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen together on what has been an effective line.

"There is a lot of speed on that line, a lot of skill on that line and defensively they have been reliable so we'll obviously stick with that for now," Vigneault said.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/C...#ixzz2KvpAtHNc

Sounds like that line is going to stick... until Booth comes back. Only change I can envision is switching Burrows/Kassian, which AV will probably do multiple times.

[sfgiants5518]

Another thought. Trading Hodgson obviously took away our 3rd scoring line. But, with Schroeder in the lineup still, we now have that scoring from the 3rd line. Schroeder's production/Kassian's emergence makes the Hodgson trade not as terrible.

[carson005]

Another thought. Trading Hodgson obviously took away our 3rd scoring line. But, with Schroeder in the lineup still, we now have that scoring from the 3rd line. Schroeder's production/Kassian's emergence makes the Hodgson trade not as terrible.

But to me, the trade isn't about whether Kassian is a good player or can become a good player, it was about CoHo's value and what we got for him value wise.

[carson005]

Also I love these lines <3

[ink]

Why do you think the Higgins-Kesler-Kassian line will do anything? I don't see chemistry there, more like spare parts from other lines. That's why I don't see the line lasting long. AV will pilfer from the speed line and we'll have a mix of 2nd and 3rd lines just when we established an effective second line. Sad to see Kassian get juggled all over the lineup and Higgins belongs on a third line.

[sfgiants5518]

Why do you think the Higgins-Kesler-Kassian line will do anything? I don't see chemistry there, more like spare parts from other lines. That's why I don't see the line lasting long. AV will pilfer from the speed line and we'll have a mix of 2nd and 3rd lines just when we established an effective second line. Sad to see Kassian get juggled all over the lineup and Higgins belongs on a third line.

Higgins and Kesler have chemistry. Higgins played at his best when he was on Kesler's line last year. I don't know how Kassian would mesh but i'd rather have him getting 2nd line minutes than 4th...

[sfgiants5518]

But to me, the trade isn't about whether Kassian is a good player or can become a good player, it was about CoHo's value and what we got for him value wise.

Who knows what we could have gotten, but Kassian is legit.

[BlueJayFanDan]

I'm cool with the lines. I just hope the chemistry forms with the 2nd line. The way Raymond is playing this year, and Hansen being the beast that he started becoming last year, with the offensive game Schroeder brings should make for a very nice offensive 3rd line. I really want the Kesler of 2010-2011. The guy that got 40 goals. We need him.

[NUCK-U]

Will be great to have Kesler back, and I didn't think he was that close to being ready either. Wasn't it just a week or two ago that they said Kesler's return will be delayed? But hey, he's been medically cleared to play, has looked very good in practice and will be given limited minutes tonight. Let's hope for the best. I also don't understand why Higgins is on the 2nd line, and I'm not sure what type of chemistry Kassian will have with those two. I think Raymond and Hansen are playing great these days, and deserve some 2nd line duty.

[ink]

Will be great to have Kesler back, and I didn't think he was that close to being ready either. Wasn't it just a week or two ago that they said Kesler's return will be delayed? But hey, he's been medically cleared to play, has looked very good in practice and will be given limited minutes tonight. Let's hope for the best. I also don't understand why Higgins is on the 2nd line, and I'm not sure what type of chemistry Kassian will have with those two. I think Raymond and Hansen are playing great these days, and deserve some 2nd line duty.

Yeah I wouldn't be surprised to see the "3rd line" get more minutes than the "2nd line" since the 3rd has been a very successful 2nd for us lately. The only thing second line about the new second line is Kesler. Kassian, I want to see back on the line with the Sedins eventually. I think we're going to see some juggling of lines by AV and a disruption until the team re-forms itself. It's not like there were great linemates just waiting to re-bond with Kesler or anything. This isn't meant as a knock, but he does most things solo anyway so linemates may not be that important to him.

[GrkGawdofWalkz]

For the time being I would use it as such:

Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alex Burrows
Mason Raymond - Ryan Kesler - Zach Kassian
Chris Higgins - Jordan Schroeder - Jannik Hansen
Dale Weise - Maxim Lapierre - Arron Volpatti

I hate Raymond, but he's been somewhat consistent. Higgins is a third liner, and should stay there. The third line is solid potentially with Jordan centering the line. Maxim was just fine their as well.

[GrkGawdofWalkz]

Yeah I wouldn't be surprised to see the "3rd line" get more minutes than the "2nd line" since the 3rd has been a very successful 2nd for us lately. The only thing second line about the new second line is Kesler. Kassian, I want to see back on the line with the Sedins eventually. I think we're going to see some juggling of lines by AV and a disruption until the team re-forms itself. It's not like there were great linemates just waiting to re-bond with Kesler or anything. This isn't meant as a knock, but he does most things solo anyway so linemates may not be that important to him.

I totally agree. There's no way to know which version of Kesler is coming back so soon. The amount of rust that could be there regardless of rehabbing and drills. I don't have much expectations for him for the rest of the season. But, having Kesler is better than not having him. We'll see what happens for the last 3/4 of the season.