Why Vigneault chose Lapierre over Schroeder to center the third line with Kesler out.

[406281dylan]

The reason AV looked to Maxim Lapierre to center the 3rd line with Kesler out is because he is one of the most responsible players on the team. Schroeder is still young and can use a bit more time to develope. I think that by playing Lapierre who is like are new defensive specialist on a line with David Booth and Zach Kassian, it gives us a very physical and big third line who will generate scoring chances and begin to finish. Also in Schroeders situation, their are so many players in this league who get demoted and promoted and then sent down and called back up but truth is what it is like to be a youngster in the NHL now of days. You will see next season Schroeder will be much improved. but for the remainder of this season i would not mind seeing lappy on the 3rd with a chippy center on the 4th.

http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2013/03/05/vigneault-compte-sur-lapierre

VANCOUVER | Attack of the Canucks took the lead in the wing when it was confirmed last week that the center player number 2 team, Ryan Kesler, will miss the game for a period of six weeks because of a broken right foot.

Kesler had started the season late because it took more time than expected to recover from shoulder surgery suffered last year. He participated in only seven games, scoring one goal and four assists.

Mason Raymond Alain Vigneault uses the center of the second line of attack with Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen.

Maxim Lapierre is also called upon to perform tasks incumbent on Kesler.

"Maxim sometimes plays as a good player third line center, but other nights, it behaves as a fourth line center, said Vigneault. We would like the game to be a little more consistent, even if the effort is there.

"We're counting on him to help offset the loss of Kesler. It raises the question whether there is a third player in the center that can do the job ... "

Lapierre formed a third line last night with David Booth and Zack Kassian. Booth missed the first 14 games of the season due to a groin injury suffered during training camp.

Very competitive in the West

Approaching the Cape of mid-season and Vigneault is that his Canucks are like the other teams in the Western Conference.

"There is the Blackhawks and Ducks who are playing away from the peloton dramatically, said Vigneault. All games are tight and the thin line between victory and defeat. It is very competitive in the West.

"I said last year that any of the eight teams participating in the playoffs in the West could hope to win the Stanley Cup and we saw what happened.

"The Kings have eliminated in the first round and they have only suffered four defeats on the way to the cup."

• Vigneault welcomes the success of Michel Therrien, "one of the best coaches I know," he said.

Former Canadians happy

VANCOUVER | Two former Canadiens players, Maxim Lapierre and Chris Higgins are in their third season with the Canucks and they say as happy as kings.

"This is a first class organization that is the Stanley Cup every year, told Lapierre. Was again the team to go far in the playoffs this spring.

"I like a lot in Vancouver, he added. This is a great place to play hockey.

"It's raining just a little too often for my liking during the winter season. It has been almost a shock seeing the sun for a few hours on Monday! "

Lapierre is seen especially given a defensive role, being called upon to play shorthanded and to take part in important faceoff in the defensive zone.

It would, however, produce more in the attack, who had a goal and three assists in 21 games with a +1.

Product Higgins

Higgins, for its part, is productive in scoring with 6 goals and 4 assists.

"It is easy to produce with the Canucks, as the team put on several talented forwards," said Higgins, author of 18 goals and 25 assists for last season.

"I was welcomed with open arms here and I was able to revive my career. The Canucks are an organization that listens to its players. This was not the case in other cities where I played ... "

• Maxim Lapierre was impressed by the attitude displayed by Roberto Luongo. "This is a really good team player. He accepts his role and it does not create waves in the locker room. The Canucks are fortunate to be able to count on two guards leading Cory Schneider and Roberto. The competition is good between them. "

[Burlinbert]

Max is a beast, that opposing players need to watch out for

Schroeder is a defensibly aware, play-making center

[wendythirteenthrashers]

Is that translated from French maybe.... Weird to read...

[Ossi Vaananen]

Why were the articles written so poorly? I can't believe these clowns get paid to write this.

[MayRayDown]

"Maxim sometimes plays as a good player third line center, but other nights, it behaves as a fourth line center" lapierre is an "it"?

Also think it's because AV trusts Lapierre with face offs more than Schroeder. Think lapierre took about 80% of our defensive draws

[oldnews]

Interesting read despite the translation.

Love Higgins - gives a kudo to the Canucks - can't believe so many people propose throwing this guy into deals as an afterthought.

I like the fact AV is giving Schroeder the opportunity to stay with the team and play a fourth line defensive role. He's probably not ready to handle second line minutes and matchups - but the fact he's gotten the nod while Ebbett is being scratched is also part vote of confidence imo - and Raymond has looked outstanding playing with Higgins and Hansen, so it's not like there's a void to fill and he's being overlooked. I think it's simply a matter of Lapierre being able to handle the minutes - the rookie will get his minutes in due course.

[Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw]

I can't access the original translation. It'd be nice if you provided a quote of what was originally being said.

I do appreciate French articles about the Canucks, though. Fun to read.

[timberz21]

i dont care that lapierre goes to 3rd line. What I dont like is Schroeder isn't give a shot at 2nd line center with offensive players like Booth, Burrows or Raymond, with real top 6 minutes

[Steve Carell]

"Schroeder is young and could still use more time to develop".

Yeah, that's not going to happen on the 4th line.

[DIBdaQUIB]

ALl those saying Schroeder has to learn his defensive game by playing rth line minutes...Is there a reason he can't learn how to play defence on the 2nd line? Partnered with defensive responsible wingers, what rationale is there to say he won't learn defence? He has already shown he is very defensively responsible, how much more will he learn onteh 4th line where the role is radicallly different than a top 2 line player, which, if he is to stay in the NHL is where he will have to play.

There are lots of offensively gifted smaller players that come into the NHL(Pat Kane, Gallagher, Gionta, St Louis etc) in an offensive role and contribute immediately in that regard. Are they as defensively responsible as a coach like AV woudl demand...not likely, but they also contribute to the success of the team by providing valuable offensive production. For a team that has struggled to score consistently and adequately since the SCF run, having a fast, smart and talented set-up forward playing 4th line minutes makes little sense.

WIth arguably one of the best Defensive line-ups and goalie tandems in the league, why does every single forward have to be a defensive star at the expense of creating offence?

WIth Kesler out of the lineup, you are not going to offset his defensive skill with anyone on this roster but you could increase offensive production to offset that lost defensive strength. At teh same time, you would be adding anotehr weapon to use when gol scoring is needed.

AV's approach is to circle the wagons and try harder to prevent any goals so that this team - if our goalies can keep the GA to 1 - can win 2-1 every night.

It's the same mind-set that see us protecting leads halfway though the 2nd periods and/or giving up leads.

AV's comfort zone is defrence. He wants the team to score but gets off on preventing goals. IMHO he has taken this to the point where our forward group are so D-focused, they lack the offensive hunger teams like the Hawks, Tampa, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Philly and even Toronto (this year) show. It holds them back from pushing for that tieing or go-ahead goal late in games because they are terrified of giving up a goal.

AV coaches to not lose versus to win and he is consistent in trying to develop players along that mindset. CoHo was not going to fit that mold ane while he may never be as defensively capable as Hansen or other Nucks, if he puts up 30-40 goals per year, his new team likely won't care much.

[ChuckNORRIS4Cup]

Give it half way through the next game and, all the lines will be differen't anyways.

[Vansicle]

It makes zero sense to me to put Schroeder with Weise and Sestito. Like making a silk purses out of a sow's ear, if you ask me.

If it were me

twins/kass

higgins/raymond/hansen

booth/schroeder/burr

sestito/lappierre/weise

Has this happened yet? Because it should. I'd be fine with leaving Kass with Booth and Burr with the twins, too. But essentially, putting Schroeder with the two grinders does nothing to improve his game.

[CANUCK-EXPRESS]

Put Schroeder as 2nd line centre AV!

[LeanBeef]

If he's one of the most responsible players on the team shouldn't he be playing with Weise and Sestito? They were on for a couple of goals against these past few games.

[wshdrvvn]

sedins-burrows

higgins-ray-hansen

booth-schroeder-kassian

sestito-lapierre-weise

those are the logical lines to most people at this point right?

[Ossi Vaananen]

sedins-burrows

higgins-ray-hansen

booth-schroeder-kassian

sestito-lapierre-weise

those are the logical lines to most people at this point right?

[DIBdaQUIB]

Yes, now it's time to stick this lineup to the pack of gum he's always effing around with, there's no way he can ignore that!

[Erik Karlsson]

Oh yes he can!! and he will.

I'm increasingly convinced AV knows his system is a fail so...to keep his job, he has to convince MG and Aquilini that a lack of success comes from the personnel he has to work with. Constantly making line choices (stupid ones) is his way of doing that.

The only constant with AV is his "system" where he gives the Sedins (who he will not separate no matter what) 80% of the offensive zone starts. That is his entire offensive strategy. Absolutely brilliant!

[WL Canuck Fan]

"Maxim sometimes plays as a good player third line center, but other nights, it behaves as a fourth line center" lapierre is an "it"?

Also think it's because AV trusts Lapierre with face offs more than Schroeder. Think lapierre took about 80% of our defensive draws

[Ghostdivision]

Everyone knows why, I agreed with another poster why av was doing this in last nights post game before this was posted, but first of all lapierre has looked slow and brutal defensively. If you ask me JS has been coming back much more to help the D then he is. Lapierre is also incredibly slow with the extra muscle.

Its really about av and his trust, even if recent games say differently, av see's a booth schroeder kassian line as to risky, he doesnt know them well enough, and even though schroeder is good defensively av does not seem to know this. Lapierre has been on the team for awhile and he has his trust, despite av himself calling him out this year already for making bad plays and taking bad penalties.

Eventually av needs to take a chance on something and leave his security blanket at home, because lapierre is not working. I am not saying JS is going to fix all of our problems or is even a good long term 3c solution, but I truely believe his skill set as a good passer, as well as a fast skater compliments booth and kassian as wingers much more then lapierre does, he is also defensively aware, its just to bad if you have av's trust from past season you have priority for the rest of your time on the canucks even if its not working and your not playing well.