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Surprise! Hank has dekes and the Canucks can score…

-by Ashleigh Lamontagne

You can’t be blamed if you weren’t expecting much from the Vancouver-Nashville game, but hey, isn’t that a great lesson in life? Lower your standards, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

What I’m trying to say is it was a great game.

Five notes on the game

1. The party started early: Andrew Ebbett got his first goal of the year less than 90 seconds into a game that saw everything. At the halfway mark of the first period, four goals and two fights had made their way to the score sheet.

Seven different players scored for the Canucks after they scored a total of seven in their last four games combined, and Maxim Lapierre’s breakaway goal chased Pecca Rinne from the net for the third consecutive time in Vancouver.

2. AV would’ve opted for the PP?! After the game, Henrik Sedin joked that Alain Vigneault had wanted a two minute power play rather than to see Hank take his penalty shot. Of course, as AV haters would tell you, he’s always wrong. Proof? Check out Hank’s shot:

For everyone whose jaw dropped upon seeing Hank’s move, here’s proof he’s done it before (thanks to Jason Botchford for finding this).

Shouldn’t a head coach remember that?

3. Welcome to the big show: Making his NHL debut at 28, Steve Pinizzotto’s first shift was a blaring announcement saying he’s come to play. After leveling Kevin Klein, the two dropped the gloves for Pinizzotto’s first NHL fight. From the looks of his first 11 minutes of ice time, we should be looking forward to more.

4. Lou and Schneids hate each other! For years Vancouver’s sports media has fed us the story that Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider have a great relationship — they support each other and want the best for each other.

We, the bloggers, should’ve known the media was wrong (because assuming the media is wrong is the first rule of being a blogger). Leave it to TSN to come in and uncover the real story of underlying jealousy and the self-serving nature of the two goalies.

5. Inspired daddy: Fatherhood seems to agree with Jannik Hansen, who has scored 7 points in the six games since having his twins on March 3. Against Nashville, he got three points and was the Canucks’ best player. Now someone just needs to tell him he doesn’t need to talk as fast as he skates.