A Response To Cam Cole: AV, really, is who to blame for the fall of the Canucks.

[sting]

AV is not the problem. It is a combination of several problems none of which have a significant sway on the Canucks total failures.

[RL.]

I don't think AV puts players in a position to succeed.

First it was Grabner, Hodgson, and Shirokov. Young players that were showing signs of great play but quickly demoted for any small mistake. They move on to other places and show what type of players they will be near future, and they all fit a need for the canucks right now (maybe not Shirokov).

Next was Ballard, who has been misused since his first day here. AV never put him in a spot to succeed, but rather just threw him to wolves, saw his struggles and said "there, that's why he is up in the press box."

After that was Kassian, who has shown signs of being a power forward, but any little mistake got him down to the fourth line. How about some coaching and guidance??

Lastly, we can look at Schneider on Sunday night. No way was he put in a position to succeed. Going in cold into game 3 when your down 2-0 and on the road in the toughest building in the league? All this when your other star goalie kept you in the first two games when you were being bombarded.

Simply put, AV needs to go.

[DarthNinja]

Coach V gets his cars at PrestonGM...and you should too.

[jigsaw99]

AV sucks

Bieska and Edler for 3 games? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!

Mad crushes on journy mans that don't belong in the NHL

Dresses Ebbett for no reason and has the 4th line play 3 min a game!

Picked Ebbett over Schroeder this year

Can't make up his minds about lines and keep juggling them to the point the team has no chemistry and identity.

Never gave Grabner/Shirokov a chance and is way too impatient with Hodgson and Kassian. Rather go with plugs that won't get signed next year.

It's just stupid things and i am sick of saying "i told you so" to his stupid lineup decisions.

[DownUndaCanuck]

It's the coach's job to get the most out of his players - right now no one is playing to their full potential - coach's fault.

It's the coach's job to adjust to the other team - he did in Game 2, but then San Jose re-adjusted and whooped us in Game 3.

It's the coach's job to design good special teams - except for a powerplay goal, we're getting killed on the PP/PK.

It's the coach's job to calm his players and keep them mentaly focussed - we discombobulated in Game 3 and lost it.

It's the coach's job to learn from past mistakes, change his systems and move on - 2 seasons in a row down 0-3 to a worse team.

It's the coach's job to adjust his system to beat the opponents system - 4th game in and the San Jose's 2-man forecheck is still causing our defencemen problems and resulting in turnovers

It's the coach's job to chose the right goalie for the game - threw in a cold goalie over a clutch, hot goalie and got ventilated.

Quite simply, AV and his staff have done a terrible job this playoffs. He did a great job during the regular season, but quite frankly is not a playoff coach. During the 2011 he barely had to coach - never had to adjust the team or system because of how strong they were, but this lead to our downfall in the Cup finals as he was too stubborn to change anything and Julien did a fantastic job of adjusting to beat our system with toughness, size and speed.

AV doesn't necessarily have to go - he can either change his systems and learn to adapt or get out. The playoffs is essentially like evolution - adapt to your opponents to survive. AV has never been able to do this, and this is why we're not surviving.

[Bodee]

Let's not let AV's irrational coaching take our eye of MG's eccentric style of GM-ing.

They are a pair. I'm not wanting the new coach's first season screwed up by the guy who was the architect of our previous failures.

Half of our players are vastly over rated (hard to take I know) but most of them are the ones we are over-paying on NTCs. That is not AV's doing that's Gillis.

I never understood why a top cap Club like Vancouver felt it necessary to hand out so many long contracts on NTC's. Surely after we became such a well facilitated Club (thanks to MG, praise where praise is due) we would always be front runners for the best players.

There is no harm in paying top dollar for game changers and if a salary cap ethos which says virtually no one is on top dollar but almost everyone else is getting more than they are worth then it seems obvious to me you end up as also rans.

My theory, expressed on another thread is that MG is uncomfortable on the other side of the table. He seems incapable of evaluating a player's worth when he is dealing with the other side.

So naturally a man in that position is easier to deal with and more likely to overpay AND hand out NTC's like they were going out of style........it means he has to do less of what he feels uncomfortable with.

[Coconuts]

It's time for a change whether he's to blame or not. He's had success with the team, coached them at their peak. But the sad thing is we could have done much more with a coach who knew how to get the most out of his guys. This isn't to say he's not a good coach, he can do good things with a team. He's just not the right coach for the group of guys we've got. He'd do well coaching a defensive minded team, but that's not what we should be given the talent we've got on this team.

Regardless of the success we've had, it seems the guys have tuned him out and things have gotten stale. I'm looking forward to a coaching change. This team needs a spark, and it's easier to change the coaching staff than it is to change the players.

[Bodee]

"AV doesn't necessarily have to go - he can either change his systems and learn to adapt or get out. The playoffs is essentially like evolution - adapt to your opponents to survive. AV has never been able to do this, and this is why we're not surviving."

Well you miss out the biggest aspect of adapting..........something other teams do all the time. It's called changing personnel. AV doesn't change the personnel that is MG's function. This is not like soccer where the coach/manager chooses the players he wants and they are bought.

And yes AV does have to go now and so does Gillis because another disastrous fail next year will set the Club back a decade...................and I'm not getting any younger!

[CanAus8]

Wouldn't it be better to have a team known as the "big, bad Canucks" rather than the "diving, whining Canucks". Who is responsible for the physical make-up of the team - is it the coach who has to deal with what he is given or the GM? I am not an AV fan and I think his "use by" date is past but Gillis has to be held accountable for the team that he gave AV to coach. This is a team that has very little heart and grit but lots of small, semi-speedy fringe players that disappear when the going gets tough. Someone in the management of this team needs to give their head a shake and figure out what is necessary to build a team that can compete in the screwed up, modern NHL.

[CowtownCanuck]

Have they tuned AV out or are they listening too closely?

We sit on 1 goal leads and attempt to defend ties in the playoffs.

No one shoots on the Powerplay

Our D spends more time worrying about skating back into our zone than keeping a play alive in the other end

These all seem like defence first game plans, and bone headed AV coaching

On the other hand, I don't think he coaches the twins he just controls their ice time.

[TheCammer]

Get Brian Burke and Lindy Ruff in here and lets start a dynasty.

[Baggins]

Who ruined the relationship with Cody Hodgson? Probably the guy who told the media that Cody was a faker.

[Henrik Kesler]

I think the issue with AV is that part of his system doesn't make sense. A defensive minded system that has active pinching defensemen? Seems a bit backward to me.

In addition, asking the forwards to play deeper in their zone, especially the Sedins, makes no sense when they're offensive players who need a transition game. If the forwards can't blow the zone and run a transition game, you essentially eliminate a good portion of offensive chances based on the system. This team is built for run and gun with a transition game, not the current system AV is using.

[rdickins]

I have said since before Boston beat the Canucks that they needed toughness, they are too soft. Kassian should play with the twins cause he can defend them. Also they are whiners and that is why the refs are so hard on them. We need some mental toughness on this team like Kessler displayed the other night. You can be tough without takin a penalty.

AV's time is up, he has run his course and the players aren't listening to him anymore. MG should be gone as he has failed to address this teams major weakness. Teams should be afraid to come into our barn, but they relish coming here as they have nothing to fear.

I have been a Canucks fan for years, before this as a kid in the days of six teams I was a leaf fan. Iam getting tired of wishing and hoping for Vancouver to be able to win a cup. The owner has to smarten up. The Leafs were pansies, now they are not, to me it couldn't be more obvious as to what has to happen.

Have a great day and go Nucks, let's win tonight if not for yourselves and your pride, win for us your fans......

[hockeywoot]

While I wouldn't be against AV leaving, I hardly think he's "the one to blame"

People are so emotional.

There are clearly many things that factor into a result.

Its on the players first and foremost.

Coaching and Management as well.

[TheTruthHurts]

He is no longer part of the solution, which makes him part of the problem.

[TheTruthHurts]

It's the coach's job to get the most out of his players - right now no one is playing to their full potential - coach's fault.

It's the coach's job to adjust to the other team - he did in Game 2, but then San Jose re-adjusted and whooped us in Game 3.

It's the coach's job to design good special teams - except for a powerplay goal, we're getting killed on the PP/PK.

It's the coach's job to calm his players and keep them mentaly focussed - we discombobulated in Game 3 and lost it.

It's the coach's job to learn from past mistakes, change his systems and move on - 2 seasons in a row down 0-3 to a worse team.

It's the coach's job to adjust his system to beat the opponents system - 4th game in and the San Jose's 2-man forecheck is still causing our defencemen problems and resulting in turnovers

It's the coach's job to chose the right goalie for the game - threw in a cold goalie over a clutch, hot goalie and got ventilated.

Quite simply, AV and his staff have done a terrible job this playoffs. He did a great job during the regular season, but quite frankly is not a playoff coach. During the 2011 he barely had to coach - never had to adjust the team or system because of how strong they were, but this lead to our downfall in the Cup finals as he was too stubborn to change anything and Julien did a fantastic job of adjusting to beat our system with toughness, size and speed.

AV doesn't necessarily have to go - he can either change his systems and learn to adapt or get out. The playoffs is essentially like evolution - adapt to your opponents to survive. AV has never been able to do this, and this is why we're not surviving.

[skyfall]

I think the issue with AV is that part of his system doesn't make sense. A defensive minded system that has active pinching defensemen? Seems a bit backward to me.

In addition, asking the forwards to play deeper in their zone, especially the Sedins, makes no sense when they're offensive players who need a transition game. If the forwards can't blow the zone and run a transition game, you essentially eliminate a good portion of offensive chances based on the system. This team is built for run and gun with a transition game, not the current system AV is using.

[xereau]

The Emperor has no clothes!

[Iron_Gland]

Aaron Rome. Tanner Glass. Dale Weise. Andrew Ebbert.

That's also why I want AV gone. His love for these type of fringe players has kept better players on the sidelines