With the last two games left against the Kings and the Avs do the Canucks rest a few bodies and give the likes of Davison, Vannanen, Hansen and Labarbera a couple of games? Or is the division and home ice that important that we go all out and push for the division while risking both fatigue and injury to a couple of our top guns, especially Roberto Luongo. With the Flames having their last two games against the Oilers, who will definatley be playing spoiler but will also be playing their backup goalie along with giving a couple of kids a shot in the last couple games, the Canucks need some help when it comes to the division titile.

So do we forfiet a division title and start on the road against the Blackhawks, who we may match up better against, or do we want to push for that division banner and face the Blue Jackets in the first round and maybe run into the hottest goalie in the league in Steve Mason. If we dont beat the Kings on Thursday I guarantee we see a couple new faces in the lineup for the season finale, but if it comes to that last game versus the Avs it will be a tough choice as all we may need is a win to clinch the division. Either way the next couple of days will be very interested and both fans and players will be keeping a close eye on the Battle of Alberta.

With the Vncouver 2010 Olympics less than a year away, most fans will be cheering for Canada to take home the gold, but their will also be some fans rooting for their "hometown" boys. With the tournament being held in thier backyard, there is a handfull of Canucks who are hoping to make an impact for thier respective countries while playing in front of many fans who cheer them night in and night out as Vancouver Canucks.

With the Canucks having a top tier goaltender in Roberto Luongo, it is basically a sure thing that we will have atleast one Canuck on Team Canada. But the rest of our team will be dispersed throughout the tournament, and obviously most of our talent will be with Team Sweden. Here is how each player breaks down for his country.

Well before the season began I wrote a blog about the 10 reasons the Canucks would make the playoffs this year. No I didnt predict the horrible January the team had, or Luongo being hurt, nor did I ever think Burrows and Kesler would play this well. I did however see a few things that occured this season, and here is my original list and a look how many of my predictions came true, or how wrong I actually was.

10. Young Talent Contributing

With the Canucks relying so heavily on this dynamic duo during the regular season, the team will look for them to be the  heart and soul of the team during the playoffs as well. With both of the forwards being very versatile, wach of them have seen time on all three forward lines, power play and on the penalty kill as well. Early on in the season they were both apart of one of the better checking lines in the Western Conference, and now they have both been split across the top two lines. Although they still have great chemistry together, which can be seen on the penalty kill, seperatley they still have been able to contribute with different linemates. No one would have predicted that both players would be 20+ goal scorers and not be playing together on a full time basis.

With both Kesler and Burrows playing so well in the regular season, most expect them to play equally as well during the playoffs. There playing styles are a perfect fit for the playoffs, they can bang, agitate, score, check and are very gritty players. But how much can a team rely on two players who only have a combined 12 games of playoff experience?

This past week management team decided to increase the price of tickets for next year. The increase isn't huge, only about 3% to a little over half the seats (55%) while the rest stay as is, but still in this economic climate an increase is still an increase. Yes most likely the increase is due to the poor ecomonmy and the owners are trying to put a little extra in their pockets, but also keep in mind that the demand for tickets is huge in this city and people will still buy them at an increased price point.

Is it only a matter of time before we see empty seats at a Cancuks Game?This practice of an increase isnt uncommon as the Toronto Maple Leafs have also increased ticket prices along with Buffalo and Washington as well, more so than in Vancouver, and the same is seen in other sports leauges across Canada and USA. With the increase only being a little over the 3% mark, dont expect the season ticket renewal rate of 95% drop dratically the next year, and if it does the 4000 or so fans on the waitlist will happily gobble the seats up quickly. Although in this tough economy even some corporations may have to rethink their season ticket renewal as well.

So i went to my second game of the season, and this one was better then the first one. First and foremost we won, so that was better then my first game of the season (loss to Chicago Blackhawks) and secondly it was a big win for the team, and brings them even closer to home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The game itself was not a barn burner by any means, there were long periods of time where the game was a bit boring and with not much action. Take away the first 10 minutes and last 10 minutes of the game and this game overall wasnt as exciting as some of the games of late. The quick two goal lead within the firts 6 minutes of the first period was a great way to get everyone in the game, and the crowd was very into the game, but as the game wore on and didnt keep the same pace, it was evident that the crowd also got out of the game for a bit. Personally, from where I was sitting, the crowd was very quiet and did not really get loud unless a goal was scored.

With the deadline over, and all the dust settled heres a look how each team faired at the NHL trade deadline.

Link

With all the trade rumours swirling around that Alex Burrows was on the trade block, those rumours can now be put to rest as the Canucks signed the winger to a four year extension. The extension will keep Burrows in a Canucks uniform through the 2012-13 season, although he did not get a no trade clause within his contract. With 18 goals and 17 assists in 63 games this season, Burrows has exceeded expectations and has even been given first line minutes along the Sedin twins.

Alex BurrowsIn his fourth NHL season, Burrows was a steal of a deal making under $500,000 and contributing in all aspects for the team. Now with him locked up for four more years at $2 million a piece this may take a bit more pressure of the winger, although many would argue the "big" contract will add more. Generally known for his checking and agitator style, Burrows is on pace to destroy his personal record for points as he has already passed his 31 point total from last year, and if he stays hot has a (long) shot at getting 50 points by the end of the season.

With the deadline only being about 48 hours away, many are looking at the Canucks to make a couple of moves to put this team over the top and make them a legitimate cup contender. But with Mike Gillis's refusal to give up high draft picks and young prospects for a rental player, don't look for the Canucks to land a big name, unless they have some contract left, or if they make a hockey move for a player that will stay on with the team past this season.

So with Gillis unwilling to part with prospects or high picks, here is a list of potential roster players that may be moved on their own or in a package come the March 4 deadline:

This past offseason has can be summed up by the phrase "bold moves" or lack thier of. That was the defining phrase that came out of the mouth of the Canucks new GM Mike Gillis when he was brought in to replace Dave Nonis last April. At his introductory press conference the big talk was about how he was going to make bold changes to this team, and how different this team would be from years past. In a cup crazy market this was a breath of fresh air for most fans since the team had just missed the playoffs and had a less than stellar season. Fast forward 4 months and the fans are still waiting for these so called "bold moves".

Yes new faces have been brought in and old faces have found new places to play (or retire in the case of Captain Canuck) however we still lack those bold moves, bringing in players such as Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Johnson and Jason Krog are far from bold moves. If anything these are just filler moves to sure up his bottom end of the lineup. However one thing Mr. Gillis can be credited with is trying to bring in another triplet for the Sedin twins. With the likes of Trent Klatt, Anson Cater, Taylor Pyatt not being the right fit, Gillis brought in a young and talented forward in the means of Steve Bernier. Not a blockbuster deal in any means, as he only gave up a couple of draft picks (that the Canucks would piss away anyways), but it was a good solid deal that solidifies one of his top lines.