Okay, Something Needs to be Clarified

[Sbriggs]

its the coach no its the lack of stars, no it was the injuries, wait must have been the reg season travel, hmmm the refs? No definitely the coho trade. Wait i know its gotta be the fans.

we are a good team all this is silly we got beat by the last 2 stanley cup champs who were with out a doubt just plain better when it counted. Our time will come though.

[hockeywoot]

I agree and disagree with your post.

First, Yes we do have problems scoring in the play off's.

But no it's not all strategy. Yes, part of it is size. The Sedin's have been outplayed in the key series we lost, notably against Chicago and Boston. And a key problem was SIZE. They loaded huge players on the Twins / Burr to nullify them. A big forward would do wonders, so would a depth defensive horse who was 230 lbs and could clear the net. But also yes, our 2knd and 3rd lines had trouble picking up the slack when teams loaded their top guys on our first line.

So here is a Stratagem . Play Twins / Burr in key offensive situations and the PP. But also break them into these lines;

Danny/ Kes/Booth This would have a top 5 in the world passing winger, size, speed and 3 potential 40 goal snipers.

Burrows / Hank / Kassian Hank gets everybody going, anybody think playing 2knd tier match ups would not allow Kassian to get going and Burr and Danny to dangle and pick apart teams to oblivion??? Also, nobody is going to be be bigger, faster or better than those two lines! AV should mix it up, because on status quo we are predictable and teams can play match up against us. I agree with the OP, change with strategy is perhaps the biggest needed change.

Plus we can bring in Kassian and Jensen into bigger roles, and then size is a smaller factor. So size can be handled internally.

Last but most important; we miss having (Erhoff), specifically a puck rushing defenseman. While I suggested we need size (we do), our biggest need is still a defender who can break pressure by hauling the puck out of our end. Schultz would have been soooo attractive, oh well... For all the skill we have on D, THAT is our biggest need.

Bjugstad is about 4 or 5 years from now when Hank is gone. Lou may not bring us our biggest need either unless something else changes.

So we need a pow wow with AV and MG. MG; you have to deliver a puck rushing defender. And AV also has to deliver lines that match up better.

And hey, flame me for this, maybe AV can also pair Ballard with Garrison, and Ballard could then be free to roam and be our puck hauling saviour?

[ridehard1212]

i hate that CDC always point to the twins as none playoff players!! Look at there stats last three runs.. henrik 42GP 41Pts... Daniel 39GP 36Pts... what more do you want from them?? 60Pts in 40 games??? Crosby 68GP 90Pts.. imagine if they had a 2nd line that was more consistent to take pressure off them?

[Canuck Surfer]

All the time, for extended periods of time?

Too productive to mess with functioning parts is my thought. They do not function only when teams load large physical match ups against them (see Nashville) that successfully break their cycle. Combined with Burrows they average 185 lbs, which has its vulnerabilities. I had three purposes in cycling the Twins on alternate lines.

1) Break an opposing coaches ability to control match ups. With Twins combined with big physical and fast players on two separate lines > First teams can't load their matchups and 2knd combining a Twin with elite athleticism means they could not be nullified by physical match ups anyway!

2) The world class magic the Sedins have to offer can also be used to elevate the play of secondary players. Does anybody not believe Hank could make virtually any decent forward (u pick; Jensen, Higgins, Bitz, Kassian, Raymond, Burrows (LOL), Booth, Hansen even Lapierre) a 25 to 35 goal scorer?

3) It lets them play in more situations. They are sheltered in offensive situations partly because of their vulnerabilities. Do you want Hank jousting with Thornton in the defensive zone? But complimented properly, I have no doubt we could take advantage of their special hockey sense and passing to break players out in 3 zones. It makes us a faster more dangerous team.

And look how much better a player Burrows is now after playing with Hank and Danny?

Detroit has the model down; playing Zetterburg and Datsyuk together in the right situations, and pairing them with match up breakers as needed. They do this a lot on the road, and to muck with opposing coaches at home; then out they pop together against an exhausted match up after an icing call...

I agree with parts.

The Sedins' style of play, does not match well for playoff hockey.

They've been consistently our best performers, but haven't been able to 'elevate' their play.

I for one, would like to see the Sedins split up...for an EXTENDED period of time.

Most people dismiss it, and FLAME the suggestion.

The regular season is really just prep for the playoffs.

The Sedins are elite level players, but it doesn't mean they can't improve aspects of their game.

They're excellent puck possession players. Their playmaking is unbelievable.

What they don't do is play a dynamic, uptempo, attacking game.

Forcing them to split up, would hopefully elevate their game without each other.

If they could play well without each other, it would give teams a harder time with

matchups. Its better to have more options than less. To be unpredictable.

Its not like they're suddenly going to regress at their puck possession game.

Daniel is almost as good a playmaker as Henrik.

I think lines of

Sedin Kesler Booth

Burrows Sedin Kassian

would be interesting to see. It would be worth a shot at least.

[thehamburglar]

We just need to change our mindset of the playoffs. We're way to causal in how we play.

[Watermelons]

I agree with the OP. And for those that are arguing about the 2010-2011 season, remember this - we had Ehrhoff.

You can argue all you want about the defensive mistakes he made in the defensive zone, but you cannot dismiss the fact that Ehrhoff had a very good first pass, and could also move into the defensive zone very very fast. Opposing defenders would simply have to cover Ehrhoff, because his speed and ability to pass the puck made him very dangerous and gave the Canucks a variety of ways to break into the offensive zone.

This way, on the PP (and on even strength) our forwards (Sedins, Kesler, Burrows etc.) had more space to move and make the plays they need because players needed to cover Ehrhoff. Now, I'm not saying Edler and Salo couldn't do this, but as we all saw in the playoffs, the only play we had to break into the offensive zone was the drop pass - which was a huge failure.

Now, once the players are inside the offensive zone, I noticed that a lot of the time the forwards would pass back to the d-men so they could make the big shot and possibly create a rebound. The problem here, is that Edler and Salo's shots were fast, but not always accurate. Many times, the opposing defenders would easily block the shots and clear it out of the zone, or the puck would just miss the net. This, in my opinion, is the reason why the Canucks began to pass and pass and pass for the entire powerplay because they needed to set up the perfect shot or the opposing team would take possesion of the puck.

In 2010-2011 however, I noticed that Ehrhoff (and Samuelsson) were good a shot on goal, that would create a frenzy in front of the goalie. Their ability to get the put on goal, IMO, was very underrated and probably the reason for our success up to the finals. As we saw in the finals, our PP went cold and just stopped scoring. Why? Well, besides the obvious reason that AV can't adapt when his strategies are solved, I think that it was because Ehrhoff injured his shoulder, limiting his ability to make that important shot on net to make a rebound.

IMO, our team shouldn't have let Ehrhoff go, but I understand that although his new contract has a nice cap hit, it isn't worth paying him 18 million in a season or two.......

[PONCHE]

I think people underestimate the impact that our division has on us.

We dont have to play well down the stretch, home ice is pretty much locked up for us as of regular season game #1.

Our division sucks, whereas we do not. All we need to get a top three spot is for one of the other NW teams to have a bad/mediocre stretch.

By the time the playoffs role around the Canucks have not had to fight tooth and nail for a very long time.

[RonMexico]

Canucks need a coaching change. A new voice in the locker room would do wonders IMO. I think the message is getting a bit stale.

[canucksnihilist]

imho: injuries got us. again.

the team, healthy, would have given the kings a run for their money (d. sedin and kesler were hobbled or out, bieksa too? can't remember...). could have easily won if healthy. might have won the cup or gone to finals again. but not with ds and rk out, we had no chance, everyone knew it going in.

2nd line hole was noticeable though... m. raymond was still a good player, almost 2nd line material, not a perimeter player anyways when we went to the finals. he was not last year though, noticeable against the kings for the wrong reasons.

so, getting tougher long-term seems to be the plan. right away, we need that 2nd line player who can step in and shine, ideally who brings toughness. everyone wants that player though.

options:

1. raymond returns to form, finds the middle of the ice and the tough areas again.

2. doan comes and completes the 2nd line

3. young player from the nucks makes the team cause we can't send him down. schroeder? maybe...

4. return for rl or cs

oh, and malholtra getting back to even 75% of what he once was would really gel everything nicely wouldn't it? unfortunately, a player on the 3rd line needs to be going at 100% to really make a diff, so not sure if it can happen. if he is anything like last year i wouldn't be surprised to see him bought out.

oh, and btw: the only thing that is going to get kesler back to form is a lockout until jan or so... (remember selanne, bad knee, declining, a lockout did him wonders). also, a lockout and shortened season seems like the only way the team can actually stay healthy come playoffs!!!!! lol

[cIutch]

stupid thread

[Konman]

I kinda agree with you where you say that we need to fix how we play our game.

I believe with all sports, mixing it up ultimately keeps the opposition on it's toes.

Forming and keeping our lines the same translates into other teams figuring you out.

As with the twins, hit Hank & Dank up a little too much and they pretty well shut down

& don't know what to do. They get frustrated and do nothing.

Every once in a while I would like to see them separated. They are both incredible players

and as good as they are together, they are just as good alone as well.

Time to repair both the 1st and 2nd lines. Separating the twins is a good start.

[Hockey Fever]

The players can't let little thing get to them in the playoffs, just go in with focus and killer instinct. Don't get thrown off their game by anything, even the refs. Play every game like it's an elimination game.

[TotesMagotes]

AV has been out coached in the playoffs more often than not. I do like AV, he is a good coach, i don't think they should let him go just yet, mainly because there is no one else out there who is better.

I just think, no matter how good of a coach he might be, that getting a new message across to the players, maybe a few changes could help freshen the team up a bit, give them a new focus. Just my opinion. You don't have to agree with it.

[Bodee]

While I don't really care for AV's style of coaching, this statement you made is complete nonsense. There is absolutely no way anyone even knows this to be true unless you are part of the team. This team isn't winning despite AV, they are winning because he pulls decisions out of his rear end that always seem to work...until the playoffs. Nashville has done a lot of losing in the past and Barry Trotz has never been canned. Why is that? He is a good coach. So is AV. As a coach, you can only prepare your players so much and make the right calls at the right time. If the team doesn't perform when the chips are down, no amount of coaching will help. A coach cannot make a team win, they only provide the guidance to be successful. This team wins more than it loses. The coach is doing everything he can and doing it well.

[Sensemaker]

Canucks need a coaching change. A new voice in the locker room would do wonders IMO. I think the message is getting a bit stale.

[hockeywoot]

All the time, for extended periods of time?

Too productive to mess with functioning parts is my thought. They do not function only when teams load large physical match ups against them (see Nashville) that successfully break their cycle. Combined with Burrows they average 185 lbs, which has its vulnerabilities. I had three purposes in cycling the Twins on alternate lines.

1) Break an opposing coaches ability to control match ups. With Twins combined with big physical and fast players on two separate lines > First teams can't load their matchups and 2knd combining a Twin with elite athleticism means they could not be nullified by physical match ups anyway!

2) The world class magic the Sedins have to offer can also be used to elevate the play of secondary players. Does anybody not believe Hank could make virtually any decent forward (u pick; Jensen, Higgins, Bitz, Kassian, Raymond, Burrows (LOL), Booth, Hansen even Lapierre) a 25 to 35 goal scorer?

3) It lets them play in more situations. They are sheltered in offensive situations partly because of their vulnerabilities. Do you want Hank jousting with Thornton in the defensive zone? But complimented properly, I have no doubt we could take advantage of their special hockey sense and passing to break players out in 3 zones. It makes us a faster more dangerous team.

And look how much better a player Burrows is now after playing with Hank and Danny?

Detroit has the model down; playing Zetterburg and Datsyuk together in the right situations, and pairing them with match up breakers as needed. They do this a lot on the road, and to muck with opposing coaches at home; then out they pop together against an exhausted match up after an icing call...

[Gollumpus]

"If we can play a game where the puck is most often in the opponent's side of the rink, then there are zero questions to be raised about the defense or the goaltending."

Oh, yeah...brilliant analyses. Like saying if we always score more goals than the other team we'll never lose.

[Ugli Fruit]

I'm not sure that needed to be clarified, but hey, I'll go ahead and call AV to let him know anyway...

"Hey AV, we have good players, but we need to have them play better.

...

Uh huh, that's what the guy who created a thread on CDC said.

...

Basically. Sounds easy right?

...

Cool, now tell Aquilini to get on Bettman about how stupid they're being and get this CBA sorted.

...

He tried that, eh?

...

OK, you get the point, I'll call you later."

While we lacked goal production, there were certainly times where we weren't good enough defensively or just had mental lapses that cost us. I'd say most of our players didn't adjust to overcome the other team's play in the cases where we lost, and failed to drive possession better - something LA was very good at coming into the playoffs. Capitalizing on our chances would have just been icing on the cake.

[Dogbyte]

I agree somewhat with the ideas behind the OP but disagree that adding skill is not the answer. In my opinion adding a bonifide threat to the second line opens up everything. In the playoffs you see guys score by making hockey plays, beating others to the front of the net, putting shots on net, making big hits, etc. It's not often you are going to see the skilled guy break through and score on a breakaway (unless it against the Canucks shorthanded) but it's that threat that allows others, everyday pluggers like Hansen and Higgins an extra step to beat a guy one on one with heart and score big goals. This would also make it hard for teams to match lines against so easily.

During the regular season guys get too tired of playing their hearts out individually to chase the Sedins around so their cute little plays work great, however, in the playoffs no one quits on that stuff. That's when you need to go Redwings style, shoot the puck off the half boards, go for rebounds, play hard assed D, and get in front of the net. As was mentioned this is not AV's style, he doesn't seem to be able to get the team to swtich styles. I'm sick of watching the Sedins pass the puck around and us getting no good shots on net. It's hard for the rest of the team to adapt to playoff hockey when they stick with their old tricks.

What also hurts is that our two skill guys, the Sedins can't play on different lines so it makes us very one dimensional, it's like playing against the Flames. They try hard but they have nothing that really worries you.

[thad]

We need killer instinct every game in the playoffs.