If I was Alain Vigneault Pt. 1

Great game tonight! I was fortunate to catch the highlights. Luongo looked good. He's struggling now in preseason but I've got no worries.

Based on the stats and what was mentioned on TSN after the game, I think Vigneault should keep Markus Naslund with the Sedin twins to start the season, especially after the 5 point performance they just had against Anaheim. It's a sign for good things to come. The Canucks will be hard pressed for scoring so loading up an excellent first line like this one will should be as effective as it was two years ago with Naslund, Bertuzzi, and Morrison. The question you have to ask is whether a second unit with Bulis and Morrison is strong enough? It's at least worth a try. As for the rest of the lineup I'm hoping this is what we'll be seeing come opening day:

Forwards- 1st Line: D. Sedin, H. Sedin, Naslund; 2nd Line: Pyatt, Morrison, Bulis; 3rd Line: Linden, Kesler, Cooke; 4th Line: B. Reid, Chouinard, Burrows; Alternate: J. Schultz

Defensemen- 1st Pairing: Ohlund, Salo; 2nd Pairing: Mitchell, Krajicek 3rd Pairing: Bourdon, Bieksa; Alternate: R. Fitzpatrick

Goalies- Starter: R. Luongo; Backup: W. Flaherty

Having 6'4 Taylor Pyatt alongside playmaker Brenden Morrison and emerging goalscore Jan Bulis just makes sense. They all bring different dimensions on the ice so there's loads of potential there.

Ryan Kesler may or may not move up to the 2nd line by the end of the season. This all depends on his production and Pyatt's. These two may see-saw back and forth depending on consistency.

Guys I liked in training camp and deserve a chance are Jesse Schultz and Brandon Reid. I've like Reid since his days in the QMJHL. He's a speedster that can score and create oppurtunities. Although his size has restricted him in the past, in the new NHL he has the potential to get between 25-40 pts as a 3rd/4th line winger. That would be good production compared to what Kesler, Linden, Burrows, Green, and Goren were putting up last year (Kesler had the most with 23 pts, followed by Linden with 16). The battle in my mind is with Schultz and Rick Rypien for that last spot. We got to see Rypien last year and he was decent checker with lots of intensity, but seeing is the Canucks need all the scoring they can get Schultzy is the man for the job. I know coaches like their 4th liners to be battlers and grinders but really with a potential checking line of Kesler/Linden/Cooke we already have enough guys that will annoy the crap out of the opposition's star players.

Overall, looking forward to a brand new Vancouver Canucks season.