Brook: Four minutes past the hour of high noon on a somewhat sunny, surprisingly Wednesday. Is this Wednesday already Ty? I wish it was Friday to tell you the truth. Brook Ward show Monday through Friday from Noon to 2:00pm here on the Team 1040. Tell a friend. Smack dab in the middle of the 62nd week in the long history of our program. The longest running noon to 2:00pm show of the sports Friday in the history of Vancouver. There isn't another noon to 2:00pm show in the history of Vancouver actually I don't think. Whatever. It's all the way you sell it. Hey thanks for being with us today. Lee Powell will be on the program today. Boog is back instigating with Lee Powell. Well talk with Lee Bird about some things going on in the national hockey league. Another Canuck win last night and know he's following some baseball action for you too. I know he is. Lee's going to be on the program today. Well, because he's pretty good. Also on the show today John Sandler, a buddy at ESPN in Las Vegas. We'll talk about what's going on. This guy's been all over baseball, the voice of the Las Vegas Stars, the Pacific Coast league for years, they're now known as the Las Vegas 51s. Johnny all over baseball, football, ESPN Vegas. We'll talk with him about what's going on in the baseball playoffs which could come to an end tonight. We'll open up the phone board for you after the first hour of the program today. And a bunch of things to talk about including on this Vancouver Canuck hockey club. Who's their best defenseman? I see Salo and Jovo there, up there both 10 points in the NHL standings, right up there in the league standings when it comes to points too but our 55 or 56, are they the best defensemen the Canucks have right now? We're going to talk about that because there's a guy that wears number 2, he wouldn't beg to differ but I might and that's no slight to Salo or Jovo. But boy has Matthias Ohlund been awesome for Vancouver. Held off the score sheet last night, but we're going to get your thoughts on Ohlund, who is the best defensemen and also who is the best twin? Now, after many a weekend I've asked the same question but it had nothing to do with Daniel or Henrick however in this case who's been Vancouver's best twin this year and I'm telling you it's not the guy wearing jersey number 22 and that's no slight to Daniel. And over the last five years who's been the best twin and again, it's not been number 22. More on that later on the program and we'll give you just a chance to gush over an 8-1-1 hockey club. The Canucks 3-1 over Minnesota last night due to Naslund and Henrick scoring the goals. In a decent game out of Minnesota, nothing huge but compared to what you used to see, assuming you saw it last night on Pay Per View, assuming what you used to see from games in Minnesota this was end to end compared to what they used to serve up. I'm thinking there were people who with dizzy spells in that rink in Minnesota because of the speed of that game and I'm not even telling you it was a very speedy game but compared to what they usually serve up. Anyway, there's the Canucks three times against Minnesota now. They've won two of the three and they get Minnesota next Wednesday, a week from tonight back in Vancouver. Have you seen enough of the Wild? One of the things we talked about in our program yesterday. The schedule, the National Hockey League and it is getting old already. Canucks have played ten games and I'm tired of seeing Minnesota whether it's home or road. I'm tired of seeing the Phoenix Coyotes. I won't see you again, mind you this year here at home and it's already not even the end of October and that's it for the two visits by the Coyotes. I'm not all psyched up about the game in Colorado. I just saw Colorado and did back to back jobs in Colorado. This reminds me of what it must have been like back in the original six in the National Hockey League where you only had five teams to play and in a 70 game schedule back then, whatever it was you just played Montreal played Toronto ten times, fifteen times a year. The Leafs Played the Rangers fifteen times a year, the Hawks played the Redwings fifteen times, oh yeah, then they'd get to the playoffs and they'd play these same, there's only five other teams in the league. So in effect, it's a step back in time because this is what it used to be like but there's 29 other teams in the NHL. I'm not digging this. I'll be on this for years. There's your warning shot. Meanwhile it will be a little interesting in Colorado tomorrow night at least for the reception, Bertuzzi will get on the ice from the fans in Colorado. Bertuzzi today in Minnesota did not skate with the Canucks. They say he's taking care, not necessarily nursing the sore back but he's just resting his back. So Bertuzzi did not skate today in Minnesota. Last night the brooding one 18 minutes and 44 seconds of ice time so he played his, sometimes they'll go over 20 but he played a healthy whack. Bertuzzi the beautiful pass to Naslund, the recovery by the way yesterday for the pass to Naslund after he fanned on the 2 on 1 break and Bertuzzi fans him on the first pass. Boy, the way he actually recovered. Most guys you fan 'em and they just sort of keep skating but the foot work of Bertuzzi just to recover and then still get the pass away through the legs of the defensemen. Maybe if he makes that pass as he had hoped to the defenseman might have blocked that pass. But he fans on it and then this miraculous recovery and find Naslund, beats Fernandez and the Canucks have their GWG. Bertuzzi chipping off the boards to start the play too. Pass to pinching defensemen for the Minnesota Wild was also brilliant. Not so brilliant later on when Bertuzzi was in alone in the second period on Fernandez, I mean, in alone and again, dished off the puck. Now if it had hit the tape of whoever he thought was open it might have been an empty net and that might have been the highlight real goal of the night right there. However, it shows me Bertuzzi is not that confident in shooting the puck and he has already said earlier this year hey, I was looking for Naslund a little too much; I'm trying not to always look for Markus. Well, I think it was Markus he was going for in front of the net. But from a confidence standpoint, literally, you can't get more alone right in front of the goal tender to try and pass it through a defenseman, maybe if he fanned on it the second pass would have got through. But that shows me that Bertuzzi is not very confident shooting the puck and his goals this year, one from behind the net and the other an empty net, he's getting his three shots a night still but he's got to shoot the puck more. But it's easy to lose your confidence when it comes to scoring goals and he's thinking pass before shoot and also with Bertuzzi this year, how many times have you seen him try and cut to the net, go wide and cut to the net? People say all season long he's unstoppable, they've been saying coming into this year. With the rule you're going to call the hook and hold, Bertuzzi's unstoppable or are you going to take two minutes? I can remember one time this year and it was within the last week where I've saw, I'm not saying it wasn't more than one but where he tried to cut to the net. So, he's got to do that more often. Get the puck, hang on to it. Every time he gets the puck he's thinking I've got to get rid of this. Anyway, last night the Canucks will take the 3-1 victory and the Henrick sitting goal is a beauty too and a nice little pass from Daniel to Henrick and what a deflection by Henrick to get it past Fernandez. It was beautiful. Canucks scored the first goal again last night. They are 7-0 this year when getting on the scoreboard first. And the three games in which they trailed one to nothing they have a win, a tie and a shootout loss. The 8-1-1 record so the Canucks getting on the scoreboard early. And, one other point for you. When it comes to drawing penalties as compared to taking them, in ten games the Canucks have had 82 power plays and they have been short handed only 55 times. They are a plus 27 when it comes to the amount of power plays compared to the penalty kill. A plus 27, just call it 30 in ten games, it's three times a game basically. They're averaging eight power plays a game and short handed five times. Draws into their puck possession game when you have the puck the other team's going to take the penalties so when you have the puck your team shouldn't take the penalty and the Canucks, I'd like to see time of possession broken down. The Canucks must have the puck 35 or 40 minutes a night. Even if it's 35 that means the other team's only got it 25 and that is paying off for Vancouver. Way more power plays than the opponents and a disciplined team and it's easier to be disciplined when you have the puck. We'll talk with Lee Powell about some of this stuff, instigating very shortly. Business as usual for the Houston Astros, torturing their fans. Down 3-0 in a series that easily could be 2-1 and maybe should be. I'm not even sure who has the 2-1 lead but boy do the Astros just seem, what did the fans ever do to the Houston Astros players to tick them off? Because they torture these guys, they keep dangling, ok, ok, this time we're coming back. We've got that 4-2 lead, game 2. Ooops, 6-4 the other way. We'll come right back, we're going to tie it up at 6, it's great. Ooops we lost 7-6. And, last night same thing. Oh, early lead, ooops, 5 run inning, down 5-4. Oh, came back to tie it, 5 all, let's go to, oh we had a chance to win it, too late with runners and ducks on the pond. That shot down the line when they trailed by a run 5-4 in the eighth inning I guess, that shot down the line fair ball, men at first and second, scored one to tie it at 5, of all the places that ball could squirt into the retaining wall down the left field line it has to hit the one area of padding that jets out right behind basically the ball boy. The one area it could possibly hit, it hits it in Houston and kicks back towards third base and only one run scored. So that ball goes down the line probably the runner scores from first and then they'll have a chance to break their hearts, the fan's hearts by blowing it in the top of the ninth. At least they could have taken a lead, it could have been a 6-5 game at the top of the ninth. But no, no that ball's got to hit that one little, was Steve Bartman around? Steve Bartman, the Cubs guy? It was Steve Bartman, wasn't it Ty? That Bartman guy anyway in Chicago, maybe he was the ball boy in Houston. He got out of the way, hit's that one little piece of padding, kicks back. Instead it's 5 all and through many opportunities in extra time in 14 you knew the Astros were going to lose it. This time they make their fans sit through 6 hours of gut wrenching must win mentality baseball only to abuse them again. This time in 14. And, sitting home and watching it is one thing but putting yourself in the position of maybe even a Canuck fan and you're watching the pivotal game 3 and your team is down 2 games to nothing and you gotta win game 3, you can't go down 3-0 and you're watching a Canuck game, it goes three overtime periods and you are sitting there in the stands with your gut turning for 6 hours. You'd probably lose weight at the game. And, then finally, oh, they did it to me again. The Astros remind me of Charlie Brown. They should be called the Houston Browns, not the Houston Astros. Charlie Brown Halloween special you may have seen it, it is that time of year when Lucy says this year Charlie we'll let you kick this ball, there it is, come on Charlie I wouldn't do it to you again. Charlie Brown comes up and misses the kick and lands flat on his back again. Lucy pulls the ball away. That reminds me of what the Astros are doing to their fans. They keep saying we got it, it's 6-4 late, Konerkonot hitting a slam. Oh yes he is. It's in time for the Halloween special of Charlie Brown, Lucy's pulled the ball and now Lucy's wearing the jersey of the Chicago White Sox. They keep jerking the ball away from the team that is called the Houston Astros but you really could call them the Houston Browns.
Series could end tonight. John Sandler, ESPN Vegas. We'll talk to baseball Lee Powell, Instigating with Lee Powell coming up too. Open up the phone lines after 1:00pm today. Your thoughts on baseball are welcome too. Lions getting ready to plan in Edmonton big game on Friday night. No shortage of things going on. But summer may officially end tonight in Houston. I'm Brook, he's Tyler. This is the Team 1040.
