Are Canucks Falling Apart?

[tocnhockey]

I honestly wonder why people would continue to watch/torture themselves if it's so bleak. I don't think you truly believe that if you continue to watch.

There's an old saying that goes "it ain't over till it's over". I like that mindset. It seems that there are some who have written off the season, the team, etc. But are still hanging in because ?

[DIBdaQUIB]

I honestly wonder why people would continue to watch/torture themselves if it's so bleak. I don't think you truly believe that if you continue to watch.

There's an old saying that goes "it ain't over till it's over". I like that mindset. It seems that there are some who have written off the season, the team, etc. But are still hanging in because ?

[TotesMagotes]

Any team can be dangerous when it is firing on all cylinders. The Nucks haven't been doing that since last February. They may yet find their mojo but so far, they look dissineterested and confused.

As for the 6 game stretch...good defence was not part of that as you stated earlier. That stretch of games was due almost entirely to fantastic goaltending. THe same story as the end of last year when the team played poor hockey but the goalies were outstanding.

My brother (played pro hockey) is very much like you in having a positive outlook and is not at the panic stage yet. Having said that, he acknowledges that some of the games where the Nucks have been dominated for long periods is cause for concern and something that should not be the case on a team with their supposed talent and experience.

A major conern I have is the continuing lack of a legitimate scoring threat outside the twins. This team will not go deep relying on them and the goalies to win them games. There has to be a secondary threat to open up space and to score more than 1 or 2 goals per game. I don't see the kind of talent on this team to do that, particularly in the playoffs.

RIght now we have a world class 1st line, a completely uncertain and makeshift 2nd line, a potentially speedy and possibly dangerous 3rd line (though it keeps geting broken up) and a 4th line of unprovens...Sestito, Pinnizotto).

Poor team play, new/different personnel coming and going from the roster, constant line juggling and no practise time in the next month creat a major chlallenge for this team to overcome.

I would bet pretty much every poster wants to see this team succeed and aren't interested in change for the sake of change. What many posters see is a repeating pattern of sub-par performance dating back over a year and a cast of characters that appears dissinterested for periods of time. Short-comings identified 2 years ago have yet to be addressed and the goalie situation looks like it won't be resolved in a manner that allows for those holes to be filled.

Lots to be concerned about and fans who are concerned shouldn't be dismissed so quickly by those who perhaps have a longer fuse.

[Snake Doctor]

Columbus is falling apart. We are doing fine.

[DIBdaQUIB]

Not sure if you misunderstood me at some point or you're putting words in my mouth because i don't remember saying our D wasn't a part of the 6 game streak, i think it definitely was. The entire squad was playing great team defense, mixed with good goaltending and our forwards were scoring -- That is the Canucks team we all know and love.

The problem with what you're saying is that pretty much every other team outside of Chicago at the moment, have had the same problems at some point in this young season, and other fans complain about the same thing. Having said that i don't believe MG is standing pat because he is content with how the team is playing. I believe that management is always looking to better the team in some way, the thing is... so is every other team, making it not so easy to make a trade that will make an immediate positive impact in the organization.

If the fans on this forum had their say on what this team should do or who they should trade and when someone should be fired....this team would be a disaster. Mike Gillis knows more about being a GM than any of us. We can criticize, argue and debate all we want but sometimes you just gotta take a step back and let the pro's do their job.

[VanNuck]

Jesus tits people. We're 10-5-4. That's one of our best starts to a season that I can remember. God damn do people need to calm their ****.

[-DLC-]

That's overly symplistic Deb and I think you know that.

We/they watch because they believe and hope the team can turn itself around and get on-track. If they stopped watching/commenting, that would be giving up on the team.

It hurts when your team does not play up to expectations or their ability. Having CDC as an outlet to vent that frustration and disappointment is a great thing just like it is great to have CDC for the "glass-half-full" fans to share their optimism.

The different out-look doesn't make either fan-class better or worse.

I didn't say it makes one fan class better/worse.

It's just some can't accept that teams slump. They have losing streaks where they drag a little. People start wanting to disassemble the team, fire the coach, burn down the building. It is simplistic - just hang in there and wait for them to turn things around. We have a team that always gives us hope and is capable of doing that. The team's set the bar fairly high, but they will be off at times.

You don't trade in your car because it needs gas.

[Power Fist]

I'm a little concerned.

• Ryan Kesler will be out again for weeks with a foot injury.

• Bieksa day-to-day with a groin injury.

• Volpatti has been snapped up by the Washington Capitals day after being put on waivers.

• Malhotra has been forced into early retirement.

• After strong start, Kassian has been put on 4th line and given less ice time. Doesn't seem happy.

• Schneider not too happy about having to share #1 spot and his performance is slipping.

• Luongo's performance might be slipping as well.

Have I missed anything?

All this adds up to a Canucks team that appears to be falling apart at the seams at a time when it should be getting it's sh*t together. The Playoffs are not that far away. Is team management getting sloppy? If so, who's to blame, Gillis or Vigneault?

Or do you think I'm overracting and that this is nothing out of the ordinary? After all, Canucks are still in the League Top 10 despite some dismal games.

[Bananas]

I honestly wonder why people would continue to watch/torture themselves if it's so bleak. I don't think you truly believe that if you continue to watch.

There's an old saying that goes "it ain't over till it's over". I like that mindset. It seems that there are some who have written off the season, the team, etc. But are still hanging in because ?

[-DLC-]

I keep watching until AV proves me wrong.

Or until he's fired. Whichever comes first.

The fact is, this roster has what it takes. Gillis has done a fine job. The reigns are in the hands of the coach, and he's not pulling hard enough. AV is coasting on an amazing roster, and two future HHOF'ers, possibly 3 considering Luongo's numbers, and barring perhaps a cup or two sometime in his career.

Look at the team from top to bottom. And last year's. And the year before that. The reasons we lose in the play-offs every year are the exact same, and it boils down to the coach every single time.

I keep watching because I do have hope. I have every right to get frustrated along the way, because that's what being a sports fan is.

Don't question the integrity of certain fans who have something to say just because you happen to disagree.

"The reigns are in the hands of the coach", except that that's only partly true. He doesn't lace them up and he can only act/react to what the players on the ice are doing or not doing. "It boils down to the coach every time"....really? Is this a proven fact? So injuries don't matter? Poor officiating-coaches control that? There are MANY things that factor in to losing in the playoffs...one of the biggest ones being that we didn't dish out what we were taking. However, in that, even if we'd HAD people in place to do that (Raffi tried), it came back to bite us because the refs were lopsided in how they applied penalties/punishment.

As a sports fan, I take a lot of heat for standing in support of the team/coach and people question that all the time. However, as a realist, I know this team is in a position of contending for the cup more consistently than ever before. With a lousy coach, that wouldn't be happening. So you can't have your cake and eat it too - you can't have a "roster (that) has what it takes" and then blame everything on the coach if things don't pan out. We have had a roster in place and, at any given time, some of the key pieces have been missing. Playing injured. Goaltenders also get hot/cold in playoffs - which is fairly significant too. Etc. So don't you think that all factors in?

Our hands were tied at times. You need only look at what happened with the Blackhawks to see that - no other goaltender would be run over as much as Lu was...there's supposed to be a call "goaltender interference"? Where'd that go? And, if/when we tried to respond, we sat in the box. Integrity gets calledout when the supporters state clear issues that have been problematic that aren't related to the team. We get called whiners. Homers. Rose coloured glass wearers. But if those slamming the coach are permitted to offer their ideas, then I/we should be entitled to the same?

Last night's team didn't look to be falling apart to me. Same coach.

The team's had the flu. Kes was playing hurt (again). The guys are slow starters and are shaking the rust off. Things look ok to me.

[Xur]

You don't trade in your car because it needs gas.

[-DLC-]

Go ahead, KF...just how I feel at times around here....

[TotesMagotes]

I don't recall much in the way of our forwards scoring. Seems to me, we had a streak of 6 gasmes where we gave up 1 goal per game and that was enough to win. Also seem to recall that it ook a pretty impressive performance byu our goalies to achieve that which woudl appear to indicatre team D wasn't quite as oggd as you are saying.

As for MG being more qualified than the rest of us, I absolutely agree. I honestly don't believe that moas tof what is suggested on these boards would be carried through on if those posters were actually in MG's shoes. CDC is somewhat of a fantasy world where fans can vent and suggest all kinds of ridiculous solutions to the Nucks problems. Realit seldom enters into the discussions here.

Still, there are some great dialogues and lots of fun sharing ideas and differing opinions on what we think we could do to make the team better.

[John.Tallhouse]

No.

[cc_devil]

Falling apart?

They've never recovered from the Boston cup finals and still have the same bonehead coach at the helm of the ship continuing down the same old path.

[Westcoasting]

You can't finish first overall two years in a row and not expect some kind of dip to follow. If we were in last in our division, there would be need to do something. If you finish in the top ten, you're doing good, top five, fantastic.

I think that most fans on here are new to the sport and just don't know any better!

[Gurn]

"You don't trade in your car because it needs gas."

So how long are you willing to wait for someone to gas up your team?

IMO it is not just a lack of fuel but also a few misfires and sputtering under the hood. Maybe time for a new mechanic or at the very least have some parts replaced.