For Whitecaps, one good test leads to another

Which version of the Vancouver Whitecaps will show up against Sporting Kansas City?
That’s the question that fans and media types will be asking tonight as the Caps host Sporting K.C. in the second of three MLS games this week. One good test leads to another after the Whitecaps blanked Western Conference-leading FC Dallas 3-0 at home on Saturday.
If the decisive win was any indication, the Whitecaps could be an even better squad against K.C. than they were while going scoreless in three games prior to Saturday.
“We’ve had a few bad results in the run in and we got together and met as players, and we decided that we need to change things around if we want to have a good season,” said Vancouver winger Kekuta Manneh.
He is also showing signs of a personal turnaround after leading the charge against Dallas. His cross into the box led to a Dallas own-goal that gave Vancouver the only goal it needed and then closed out the scoring in the second half with a shot through the legs of goalkeeper Chris Seitz following an overhead pass from Blas Perez moments after he came on a substitute.
“We just keep believing,” said Manneh. “We're creating chances. "If we weren't creating chances we would have been worried.
"We knew it was just going to be a matter of time."
The performance was promising after Manneh, now in his fourth season with Vancouver despite being only 21, had failed to score and struggled earlier in the season.
Defender Jordan Harvey showed that he might have an offensive knack again as he scored his second goal of the campaign off a Cristian Techera corner-kick in the 63rd minute. Harvey went without a goal in 2015 after scoring four in 2014.
Despite the offensive heroics, which resulted in Vancouver’s first goal of the season from the run of play, David Ousted was spectacular at times. Ousted, who wore the captain’s armband Saturday while Pedro Morales remained out with a hip injury, has displayed strong leadership while the Whitecaps go through roster adjustments that have led to the departure of veterans and changed their core over the past two seasons.
But Ousted is confident that the Caps have enough leadership to weather a difficult season.
“I’ve said in the past few weeks that we were just going through a rough patch and that’s the time when the leaders of this team step up,” he said. “It’s when especially the veterans of this team take responsibility and I think they have. You see a lot of guys stepping on the pitch (Saturday) wanting to take responsibility and take the ball. The young guys wanted the ball as well, and that’s what it takes.
“MLS is such a long season that you’ll go through patches where it’s going to be pretty tough once in a while, but that’s when the leadership steps up. We got a great locker-room and we’ve got everything we need in there to be a successful team. But once in a while, it takes the leaders on this team to step up a little bit more.”
This week will be one of those times as the Caps (3-4-1) host Sporting K.C. (4-4-0), a former MLS champion, and then visit New York FC on Saturday.
Consequently, tonight’s game will feature a revised Vancouver lineup, as coach Carl Robinson manages his players’ fatigue levels.
Which brings us back to our original question: Which version of the Whitecaps will show up against Kansas City?
The Whitecaps’ answer: Hopefully, one that keeps scoring.

Canucks players have their coach's back

Vancouver Canuck players showed Monday that they support coach Willie Desjardins.

 For months, Desjardins, who became an NHL head coach for the first time at the age of 57 and never played in the league, has faced speculation about his ability to get players to accept his message and his methods. But captain Henrik Sedin said he and his teammates believe that Desjardins is the right coach for the club.

“Absolutely. There’s never been a question about that from this team,” said Henrik Sedin. “We really like him as a coach and a person, so that’s never been a question from any of the players – since day one.”

The Canucks missed the playoffs, finishing 28th overall with a 31-38-13 record while battling several injuries and integrating many young players into the lineup. Media types and fans calling into radio talk shows have wondered publicly about the decision to keep Desjardins for next season, which was confirmed in March. Desjardins has been heavily criticized for everything from his dedication to juggling four lines to line combinations to the use of young players on the power play and in high-pressure situations.

Desjardins’ previous championships at the university, junior and minor-pro levels have quickly been forgotten as a result of the Canucks’ plight. But the coach drew praise from veteran players for his efforts this season.

“Last year, I think Bo (Horvat) was the only young guy coming in,” said winger Jannik Hansen. “It’s a lot easier to manage a team of older players that knows what is expected of them and knows how to play. This year, with so many young guys coming in, all of a sudden you’re back to teaching hockey again instead of worrying, maybe, about smaller finesses in the game. It’s always tough when there’s a big rotation in the lineup. It’s always tough to become an NHL player, and it takes experience and it takes games.”

Goalie Ryan Miller likes Desjardins’ approach to the game and how he wants his players to feel.

“ I like his outlook,” said Miller. “He’s always positive and when he has a group of guys, he wants that group to believe in themselves. I think there were a lot of things this year that were difficult to meet head-on, and he remained pretty much who he is throughout all that. Given the circumstances, he did the best he could.”

Meanwhile, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who have two years remaining on their contracts and, theoretically, fewer opportunities to win a Stanley Cup, are willing to stick with the Canucks as they continue to rebuild on the fly while still seeking to make the playoffs each year. Both expressed support for general manager Jim Benning and president of hockey operations Trevor Linden and their ability to execute a development plan which, critics contend, has not always been clear.

“For us, it’s important to see that there’s a place where they want to go and just to see that they follow through (on) that,” said Henrik Sedin. “We knew it was going to be a tough year. We could have fought for a playoff spot, for sure. That didn’t happen, but they’re not changing the way they think about this, and I’m totally confident we’re going to be in a better spot next year. Before we’re done, I’m sure we’re going to have another run at (the Stanley Cup). That’s the way we look at it.”

He said all players realize that the Canucks need to get younger before they get better, but the solution is not just to finish near the bottom of the overall standings to get a good draft pick.

“I think the difference this year from, maybe, two years ago is that now I think we’re on the way up again,” he said. “Two years ago, with (former coach John Tortorella) I thought, as a team, we were on the way down. Now, we’ve got (building) pieces, but it’s dangerous to keep, from year to year, thinking about getting a high draft pick. We’ve seen other teams not being successful. Now, we have pieces and we have to surround them, I feel, with good (veteran) players – because it’s not easy as a young player coming in.”

Daniel Sedin said injuries compounded the difficult season. The Canucks lost key veterans like centre Brandon Sutter, winger Radim Vrbata  and defencemen Alex Edler, Chris Tanev  and Luca Sbisa for extended stretches while other ailments sidelined several other players. But the Sedins have faith in  Benning and Linden’s effort to improve the club.

“We trust (Benning) and (Linden),” said Daniel Sedin. “They have a plan in place and they’re going to follow through with their plan. That’s all you could ask for. So there’s – for sure – 100 per cent buy-in.”

Higgins taking relaxed approach to uncertain future

Many are wondering whether Chris Higgins can remain in the NHL next season – but he isn’t.

The Vancouver Canucks winger adopted a let-things-be approach Monday after a season in which he battled injuries and a demotion to the minors.

“I’m not worried about this (season) being a wake-up call or really dwelling on anything,” said Higgins as Canuck players cleaned out their lockers after missing the playoffs. “It’s a good time of year. I’ll take some time off and relax. That’s what I’ll take it as.”

Higgins was recalled to the injury-riddled Canucks from Utica of the AHL in late March after he revived his game and the Canucks needed bodies as a result of several injuries. Both the demotion and promotion were unexpected, considering that Higgins had been a staple of the Canucks core since arriving in a trade from the Florida Panthers during Vancouver’s Stanley Cup final run in 2011.

“I believed I had a really good summer and I had a good camp, and then I got injured,” said Higgins. “(The injury) took its toll, physically as well as mentally, just because I trained so hard over the summer. Then I was playing catch-up the rest of the season. Obviously, it was disappointing to get sent down to Utica. But, as most people know, I had a lot of fun playing down there. It was a great group of guys. I was surprised to get the call back up here, but it’s certainly been nice to be part of this team again and spend time with my family.”

Higgins, who missed the last four games of Vancouver’s season with a reported knee injury, has a year remaining on his contract, but it appears the Canucks will attempt to buy him out after trade attempts  were unsuccessful. However, the 32-year-old Smithtown, N.Y., native, who recorded three goals and one assist in 33 with the Canucks this season, is confident that he can still compete in the NHL.

“For sure, I still believe in myself,” said Higgins.

Injuries helped Canucks get better, says coach

Vancouver Canucks coach Willie Desjardins usually keeps his emotions in check, but could not hide his frustration before Saturday’s season finale against the Edmonton Oilers.

“It’s frustrating for everybody,” said Desjardins after Vancouver’s morning skate. “It’s frustrating for the fans. It’s frustrating for management and everybody’s frustrated with it.”

The Canucks were officially eliminated from the playoffs in March, but had little hope of reaching the post-season much earlier.

"Losing is tough, losing is hard, it’s hard on everybody, but if you just lose and you’re not upset by it, then that’s not a very good sign," he added.

But Desjardins, who has management’s blessing to return next season, believes that the Canucks have plenty of talent in their dressing room. Injuries killed Vancouver’s playoffs hopes, along with inconsistency. Desjardins said the injuries, which resulted in the loss of key veterans Brandon Sutter and Chris Higgins among others, actually ended up helping the club, because young players received extensive playing time.

“We’re a different team without injuries. I think the injuries have made us better down the road,” said Desjardins. “We don’t want the injuries, but I think they’ve made us better for the future. There (are) lots of cases throughout the team. You look at (goaltender Jacob) Markstrom. Injuries to (Ryan) Miller have helped Markstrom, and you look at Tryamkin coming in. They are so many of them. (Jake Virtanen) and (Sven) Baertschi. Lots of guys are better because of that. So that’s the positive part out of it. But that doesn’t change how we feel every night when we play.”

Vancouver players could not hide their disappointment with the way things have gone, either.

“It’s disappointing, it’s frustrating, we wanted to get in the playoffs, we wanted to be a good team – and look where we are right now,” said winger Alex Burrows.

With a possible contract looming, Burrows realized that he might have suited up for his final game as a Canuck. Burrows became a star after going undrafted and beginning his career in the East Coast Hockey League before advancing to the AHL and then the NHL. But he was in no mood to reflect on his tenure in Vancouver before the game.

“I’m sure, once I’ve had time to reflect after the season, once I’ve had my year-end meetings with management and coaching staff, then you can reflect on the bigger picture,” he said.

Canucks refuse to tank in final week

Lose games on purpose?

No tanks, say the Vancouver Canucks.

As the Canucks play the final week of their 2015-16 NHL regular season, they are damned if they do win games and damned if they don’t. Wins could hurt their draft position, but losses could also leave a bad taste in fans’ mouths.

Long eliminated from the playoffs, the Canucks will take moral victories over reduced odds for the top overall pick, which is likely to be American forward Auston Matthews.

“We wanna win games,” said Canucks rookie Jake Virtanen. “That’s what we wanna do, and that’s what matters right now. We’re not gonna throw away games just to get a good draft pick. We wanna, obviously, end the year off with a bang here and build team character and team identity for next year.”

The Canucks had a Monday night date with the Los Angeles Kings at home, and then travel to Calgary and Edmonton for games Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, before closing out the season Saturday at home against the Oilers.

Defenceman Dan Hamhuis, a pending unrestricted free agent who might not return to the Canucks next season, said the goal is to play. He contended it’s “silly” that the Canucks should lose in order to get a better draft pick.

“Our job is to play hard and put a good product on the ice,” said Hamhuis. “We take a lot of pride as individuals and as a team in representing the Canucks, and losing games is just not something you ever want to do.  I think that’s a poor representation of the jersey.”

Hamhuis said it’s difficult to get up for games with nothing on the line, but the club had played better in the previous six or seven games.

“You don’t want to be put in a situation like this, when the games aren’t building towards the playoffs or anything, but I think you can say we are building towards next year a bit,” he said.

What’s captain Henrik Sedin’s message to fans as the Canucks complete the final week of their campaign.

“That we’re gonna finish the season off and play the best hockey that we can,” said Sedin.

Accordingly, fans can expect coach Willie Desjardins to ice the strongest he can each night, even as the the team continues to evaluate players for next season. But a high draft pick is few rungs down on his priority list.

“A good pick is something that you always want,” said Desjardins. “It’s something that can help you down the road, but I think the thing that’s most important, more than one player, is the culture you have on your team. I think the culture has to be that you play every game to win.”

Desjardins, who has been heavily criticized but is slated to return next season, would rather continue to build a winning culture rather than have a chance at a top young player who might or might not live up to his potential.

“If you ever lose that culture, you’re set back for years – and one player can’t even help you get out of it,” said Desjardins.

Whitecaps face up to adversity

The Vancouver Whitecaps showed that they can handle considerable adversity against one of the best teams in Major League Soccer on Saturday night.

The Whitecaps played most of the game with 10 men due to a controversial red card and lost two key players to injury in the first half – but still fought the vaunted Los Angeles Galaxy to a 0-0 draw at B.C. Place Stadium.

Vancouver (2-2-1) remained unbeaten in three games, while the Galaxy (2-1-1) have gone two games without a loss.

 “I thought the guys did very well,” said Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted, who stole the show with his fine play. “Tremendous work ethic. I think we showed a lot of character, especially being down (to) 10 men. It’s about being compact and being focused – and we showed that today.”

Bunkering down

The Whitecaps were forced to play a man down after midfielder Matias Laba was sent off in the 28th minute, receiving a direct red card for a tackle on L.A. midfielder Mike Magee. To make matters worse, Vancouver also lost midfielders Pedro Morales and Kekuta Manneh to injuries in the first 43 minutes.

Consequently, the Whitecaps spent most of the game building a defensive bunker, booting the ball into the Galaxy half of the pitch and letting them come back.

“We tried to get it up the field once in a while to see if we could make a goal, but it wasn’t to be today and the point is a good result,” said Ousted.

He made the save of the game in the 70th minute with an acrobatic stop on a shot from inside the Vancouver box by second-half substitute Gyasi Zardes. With what did Ousted get a piece of the ball?

“It was the face,” said Ousted. “So, whatever works.”

He and the Whitecaps faced up to a depleted, but still highly talented Galaxy squad. L.A. played without star striker Robbie Keane to a knee injury as well as goalkeeper Dan Kennedy and midfielders Jeff Larentowicz and Steven Gerrard, who were sidelined with leg injuries. But the Galaxy still had stars Jelle Van Damme, Ashley Cole and Nigel de Jong on the pitch, along with the always dangerous Magee and Zardes, who saw limited action after returning from international duty. They managed little against a Vancouver back line that featured stellar play by central defender Kendall Waston.

Red cards ruining games, says Galaxy coach

L.A. coach Bruce Arena called the result “fair” under the circumstances. Arena said he would have to review a replay of the infraction that led to Laba’s ejection. But in a rare move, Arena tacitly blasted referee Jair Marruto for the call.

“There’s just been too many red cards in this league,” said Arena, a former U.S. national men’s team coach. “It’s ruined the games. Those are difficult games. (The red-card increase) doesn’t make the games entertaining. I don’t think the fans like it.”

Vancouver coach Carl Robinson agreed with Arena’s comments and said he will appeal Laba’s ejection.  

“Yeah, there are too many red cards,” said Robinson. “Fans pay a lot of money to watch games of football and watch the best players on the field. Us as a group of coaches and the players in (the dressing room) are just unsure. We’ve got one of the top midfield players in the league. He’s made a tackle today and he’s been sent off, and I’m not sure why.”

MLS has introduced new foul interpretations this year designed to protect players. Whitecaps defender Tim Parker, who excelled upon his return to the Caps after toiling for the U.S. Under-23 squad that failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics, said players were advised that fouls would be called tighter. But they are having trouble recognizing the new rules.

Ousted believes the league’s desire to protect players from injury is “a good thing, but it’s misplaced once in a while.”

“And, I think it ruins games more than it actually benefits the players, and I think it’s something that needs to be looked at,” said Ousted.

He called on players to speak out more on the issue. However, L.A. coach Arena was not about to call out his players for a poor effort.

Morales and Manneh out for a while?

Arena thought his players were “deficient” in their “ability to create scoring chances,” but still felt his team played well. Vancouver’s best scoring chances came when Andrew Jacobson’s shot from distance forced goalkeeper Brian Rowe to make a rare save in first-half added time and midfielder de Jong booted the ball away from second-half substitute Blas Perez in the 85th minute. That chance resulted from a sensational heel pass by Cristian Techera.

“Technically, we could have been better in the last third of the field,” said Arena. “Obviously, we’re playing on (artificial) turf and, maybe, we’re not that comfortable on it, but that isn’t an excuse. On the other side, you could give Vancouver a lot of credit. They’re very disciplined and dropped their team back and got in good positions and did the job defensively.”

The draw bodes well for the Whitecaps as they try confirm their status as a legitimate MLS Cup contender. But they might be forced to play for an extended period without Morales, who only played 17 minutes before going down and pointing to soreness in his thigh area. Manneh, who has been troubled by an ankle injury suffered in the second leg of last year’s playoff loss to Portland, logged 43 minutes and was still limping after the game.

Robinson was not optimistic about the either player’s chances of returning soon.

“They don’t look good at the moment,” said Robinson.