As the month of June draws to a close, the Vancouver Whitecaps are already –somewhat sadly, in a way– sitting on their best month of the MLS era in terms of point production. The Caps’ previous best, eight points in each of March and July last season, was eclipsed when they beat bottom-of-the-West Chivas USA a week ago. Now, Vancouver looks to beat bottom-of-the-East DC United on Saturday. If they do, they’ll take 12 out of a possible 15 June points before heading in to a tough July schedule.
For the second time in as many posts, we at PitH are proud to present a brand spankin’ new correspondent. Russell Arbuthnot (@ArbuOutThere in Twitterland) has been associated with the Abbotsford Heat hockey club over the past couple of seasons, but grew up playing, watching and otherwise obsessing about the beautiful game. He sat in the Pucked in the Head media seat at Saturday’s adrenaline-soaked Whitecaps FC match, and filed this ode to Kenny Miller’s cleats.
I’ll Be Alone Forever, Thanks to Kenny Miller By Russell Arbuthnot
Kenny Miller scored twice, earning the Man of the Match award and MLS Player of the Week honours. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
The Vancouver Whitecaps welcomed the New England Revolution to BC Place stadium for the first time on Saturday night. Both clubs came into the game with streaks on the line: the Revs (5-5-5, 20 pts, 6th in Eastern Conference) had collected points in each of their last 7 matches, while the ‘Caps (5-5-4, 19 pts, 7th in Western Conference) had yet to lose a game at home this season.
Before kickoff, Steve Nash (sort of) riled up the Whitecaps’ faithful with a (somewhat) rousing rendition of “White is the Colour.” It’s safe to say the title of “best singing voice on a local sports franchise minority-owner” still belongs to Michael Bublé — Nash’s many pitch problems were only outdone by the New England Revolution in the first half.
I’m not kidding. It’s not sure whether the visiting team’s boots were manufactured by Becel, but judging by the amount of time New England players spent on the turf in the opening minutes, someone had greased the cleats.
Despite the wardrobe malfunction(s), the Revolution jumped out to an early lead in the 10th minute, when Juan Agudelo exposed a ‘Caps defensive hole the size of Nantucket before converting a lovely through ball from left back Chris Tierney. Just 10 minutes later, Kelyn Rowe doubled their lead on a wonderful finish from12 yards out. The Whitecaps’ defensive woes, which have dogged them all season, were once again proving to be costly. This team, however, is nothing if not resilient.
Maybe it was hearing goalkeeper Brad Knighton deliver a tongue-lashing to the back line, or maybe it was seeing the image of a parched Mr. Nash solemnly eating fries on the big screen that changed the intensity of the Vancouver squad. His thirst had to be quenched, and Knighton in all of his pink-clad fury had to be heeded.
It was Miller time.
More, including a rousing Ode to Kenny Miller’s Cleats, after the jump.
In response to Kenny Miller’s brace of goals, Hervé (@1stLineCentre) leads the Southsiders in a stirring rendition of Ludvig van Beethoven’s adaptation of Freidrich Schiller’s 1785 poem, Ode to Joy. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Jason & Chris examine the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and somehow wind up talking about Derek Roy and the Canucks. Along the way, they utilize as many metaphors as you can shake a dead horse at. Or something.
Episode 52: Leafs & Habs & Midgets, oh my!
• Intro
• Sofa Surfer Girl / Regularity
• Ovi’s back
• 2013 Esso Cup in Burnaby
• NHL Eastern Conference playoffs
• Time for a Change
• Thanks for Listening
FC Dallas, who played the Whitecaps last Saturday in Dallas, and will play them again this coming Saturday in Vancouver, put out a video yesterday introducing the world to “Vancouvering”. It’s an amusing idea, making fun of Joe Cannon’s habit of resting his head on his arms while laying on the turf after a goal against. It shows people in everyday situations reacting to disappointment in similar fashion. While I did get a laugh (before I realized the thing went on for over three minutes), the Dallas social media team really should learn not to cast stones when the team they’re employed by is renowned league-wide as the biggest bunch of diving, whining cheats in Major League Soccer. “Vancouvering,” you say? I give you Dallasing.
Huge props to Caleb Henry of the BCIT Broadcasting program for shooting some footage at the most recent Abbotsford Heat home stand, including a brief interview with Sven Bärtschi. (No, I don’t ask him if he’s ever been to Utica.)
Despite playing just 30 games with the AHL team this season — he missed a chunk of the year due to injury, and spent 10 games with the big club in Calgary — he is the fifth leading scorer on the team with 25 points. That includes a goal and an assist in each of the last three Heat wins. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, as he proved himself as an elite threat with the Portland Winterhawks in his last year in the WHL, notching exactly two points per game: 94 points in 47 games. With the departure of Jarome Iginla from the Flames, don’t be surprised to see Bärtschi take a more regular position at the Saddledome next season.
Check out Caleb’s editing handiwork below. It’s our first foray into full-on video coverage, so any and all feedback is much appreciated!
The Abbotsford Heat are 17-7-3-3 with Sven Bärtschi in the lineup this season. The Swiss forward hasn’t found his scoring touch when called up to the Calgary Flames just yet, but at the AHL level he’s a threat each and every game. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Chris & Jason discuss the midseason surprises of the shortened 2013 NHL season, and wonder if the window has perhaps shut early on the Vancouver Canucks wündercore assembled by Mike Gillis & predecessors Brian Burke & Dave Nonis. They also wave buh-bye to the Vancouver Giants, whose season ends without playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Fifteen-year-old forward Jakob Stukel wears the full face shield against the Kelowna Rockets during one of his six trial games with the Vancouver Giants. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
• Introduction
• Sofa Surfer Girl by the Orchid Highway
• 30 seconds of soccer talk
• Vancouver Giants season is over
• Hybrid icing / a lack of brains
• Habs & Ducks
• Chicks dig stats
• Ducks & Habs
• The Canucks are whelming Chris Withers
• Columbus just might make the playoffs
• Time for a Change by the Orchid Highway
• Thanks for Listening
The Abbotsford Heat are on the road this week, with three games of the must-win variety. Wednesday and Friday give the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate a chance at points against the last place Hamilton Bulldogs, while Saturday offers an afternoon tilt against the division-leading Toronto Marlies. The Heat are in tough to make the playoffs, having won just three of their last ten games.
More after the jump.
Abbotsford Heat defenseman Joe Callahan is better known for his physical, stay-at-home style, but he added an assist in a split against the Rockford Ice Hogs the weekend of March 21, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
At the Abbotsford Heat game last night, I got some great shots (and some not so marvellous pictures, too, but that’s the way she goes). Here’s something a little different. Check out this pic of Brad Mills drawing a penalty shot in the second period. Then look below to see a shot by Heat photographer Clint Trahan of the exact same moment in the game — there’s me photobombing the shot behind Danny Taylor in the Abbotsford net.
Just a bit of proof that I do indeed take my own pictures. My shot of Brad Mills drawing a penalty shot during the second period against the Abbotsford Heat, and pro photog Clint Trahan’s shot of me… er, of Mills drawing the penalty shot.
In a time where anyone with an internet connection can spew forth an opinion on their favourite team onto social media or a blog, what can one more game preview really add to the discussion? Instead, Pucked in the Head takes you on a trip into the future! Here, complete with highlights, is a recap of this coming Saturday’s game, as it will most assuredly happen. (Probably. OK, possibly. Alright, fine, it’s hardly likely at all.) Continue reading The Game As It’s Possibly About To Happen: Houston 2-1 Vancouver→
Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing some of my photos from the 2012-13 Vancouver Giants season that didn’t wind up attached to a story. Here’s the first, capturing a penalty shot on March 1 — 15-year-old Alec Baer was awarded a penalty shot with 2:27 remaining in the third period that could have won the game for the home team. He was stopped by Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender Ty Rimmer, but the Giants went on to win in overtime. Read our original piece on Gordie Howe night here.
The Vancouver Giants used a couple of underage players at various times in the 2012-13 season. One of them, Alec Baer, was awarded this penalty shot against the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Gordie Howe night, March 1. He missed the attempt, but the Giants won the game 5-4 in overtime. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Alec Baer is largely regarded as one of the top high school-aged prospects out of Minnesota. As many American teens are not picked up in the bantam draft, it is not a big surprise that the Giants were able to sign him to a WHL Player Agreement (the junior equivalent to a free agent contract in the pro leagues). He was invited to the Giants rookie training camp at the beginning of the 2012-13 season, and left as the top scorer. He joined the Giants for six games late in the season, scoring once (March 8 vs the Victoria Royals) and adding an assist.
You don’t think two points in six games is anything to write home about? Well keep in mind this is a 15-year-old playing against 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds.
Baer was introduced to Hall of Famer, Stanley Cup Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Joe Sakic exactly one month before this picture was taken, by Giants part-owner and ambassador Pat Quinn. Quinn said, “Joe, this young man just may be the next you.”
That conversation is one of the main reasons Baer decided to sign with the Giants instead of taking any one of numerous standing offers to join NCAA college clubs south of the border.
As the month of June draws to a close, the Vancouver Whitecaps are already –somewhat sadly, in a way– sitting on their best month of the MLS era in terms of point production. The Caps’ previous best, eight points in each of March and July last season, was eclipsed when they beat bottom-of-the-West Chivas USA a week ago. Now, Vancouver looks to beat bottom-of-the-East DC United on Saturday. If they do, they’ll take 12 out of a possible 15 June points before heading in to a tough July schedule.
