Before you bash the team, consider this.

[GreyHatnDart]

The Canucks are a massive corporation and it needs a high level of success in order for ownership to continuously invest to the max..

When players are overpaid and under performing they are monitored and then given notice.

If the player has been a great employee he may catch a break but at $40-$50k payment per game ownership and management have already compensated them and must manage their assets.

Some fans might choose to mindlessly cheer for professional sports teams but the players,coaches and managers all have to perform or their lavish lifestyle and dream gig is up.

Nobody cheers a losing team and to expect mediocrity and suffer happily is not even realistic.

r

On the other hand, you have Edmonton who consistently has a poor team and consistently has a huge following. I've never been on their boards personally to see what their fans have to say but the fans are always there.

We have a lot of fringe, fickle Canuck fans here. I don't think the OP is blindly following this team and cheering them on makes him mindless. Just loyal fans.

I critique this team constantly. It's part of being a fan. I think all dazzle is trying to say is stay the course and let all the bandwagoners jump off so we can say told you so in a couple seasons.

[SNACanuck]

There is nothing wrong with critiquing the team when they suck. But that's part of being a fan. The vast majority of us will remain die-hard fans and support the team. But, part of the frustration of not winning consistently comes out when fans vent. There is constructive venting and then there is just plain non-sense crap talking. Most of the time CDC'ers are pretty constructive in their critique. Nothing wrong with that.

[groovy]

To be fair, I think the club was surprising everyone with its early success. Is it possible that teams are now better prepared mentally and tactically to shut down the team that struggled to score last season? Obviously a 5 game slide sucks but still the club record was well beyond my expectations and maybe is starting to look more realistic. Hope they boys turn it back on course and don`t lose the gained confidence.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Fans will always be fanatical.

[-DLC-]

Some excellent points. And remember, a couple of weeks ago many called for Hansen's head. Edler. It changes regularly and if we got rid of players every time they struggle we'd be giving up on many prematurely. Handing them off just as they're working through stuff. Edler's had a solid year so far and is a beast in how he can stand guys up at the blue line. Hansen's been our hardest worker and an exciting player of late. But some had given up on them.

Bieksa's back in the badbooks. Burr. Doesn't mean they won't rebound (and I know some will bring in last year but Burr DID suffer some injuries that you have to consider).

The point being that bad spurts don't mean washed up or a lack of caring/trying. If we demand perseverance from the players through illness, injury, etc. and say they're "no excuse" shouldn't we, as fans, exercise that same patience and perseverance ourselves?

I am a homer, that's no secret. But I simply can't watch this game to abandon it at the first signs of trouble. Get "frustrated" and angry because that's my deal and I have only myself to blame and should shut the bloody thing off if it's invoking that sort of reaction. I know this is rough but I've been a fan all along and appreciate the effort, not just the result. And I had a team for years that I didn't expect to win.....people now expect nothing but. It isn't "easy".

My team came so close in '94. My Lions came back from an awful start in 2011 to win the GC. Many had abandoned them but I stuck it out and we were rewarded in the end. Defeat will make the success that much sweeter....sure, it's a bit of a rahrahrah thing to rally behind the team like this but the option is to be miserable. I choose not to be...for it IS a choice. Moaning and groaning isn't really how I like to use my leisure time....it isn't worth it if that's what I'm getting out of it. Yet that's all some here do.

Sure, I get the criticism and fully accept it's justified at times....but when it crosses over INTO misery, it's your problem not theirs. I have little in this life to "get excited" about...no holidays or new toys/gadgets to focus on so, beyond my lovely family, this is it. I make the best out of this situation and it works for me....and I know that there's always next game. Next year. Whatever.

The sense of entitlement in this city is something fairly new and some things have to be worked at/for. As long a they're trying, I can ask no more. And they are.

Still here to cheer Go Canucks Go.

[coastal.view]

we can sugar coat this all people want

i have watched the last number of games

and actively posted on the message boards

there is no doubt the team has become boring

the team system of play continually breaks down

and no longer seems to work

the flurry of mistakes is unsettling

this is not a team that is slowly trending downward

it seems to have driven off a cliff

and frankly there is nothing to indicate this will change

the team has had longer breaks recently to fix what is wrong

the coaching staff has had time to assess it's strategies for the team

the players have had rest and time to practice weak areas in their play

they are gettin worse

it's obvious players grips on their sticks is tightening

there is an eroding of confidence taking place

i feel that benning must make a move in the immediate future

a seasoned defenseman or left wing sniper is required

would be great to get both

but our cap space is limited

this team needs a boost

i do not see it really coming from the existing group

the present situation is eerily similar to last year

we have a new management group is in place

can we not do what the previous management group did

and watch and sit on its hands

i fell asleep during the game last night

from boredom

i will stop watching if this trend of boredom continues

hockey is entertainment and i am a canuck fan

but that could change if the entertainment vaporizes

[Patchoball Cannons]

Now is the time that all you so called "fans" have been waiting for. you've wanted to bash the team all year but haven't gotten a chance yet, now the months of build up that all you negative nellies have been storing up is going to spew out like Vesuvius! Only good thing about this losing streak for me is the emptying of the band wagon. good riddance! Go Canucks!

[RUPERTKBD]

Why were you "especially" frustrated with Bieksa? He was one of the better Canuck players last night.

Sure, he had a shot blocked that turned into an empty-netter, but I for one was more "frustrated" by no less than three Canucks who couldn't convert a breakaway. Couple that with A-1 chances for Vrbata, Hansen and Vey and I'd say the offense was far more "frustrating" than anyone on the defense.

[Angry Goose]

I'm the sentimental type, and as much as I love to see the Nucks do well, I think as a fan IMO what matters to me is that the players care and compete hard just like the OP stated. You know guys like Bieksa and Burr want to be solid contributors because that's what leaders on the team do!

For the first time in a long time, the entire organization is full of solid, character individuals. Kind of like a big family. Really want to see them get out of this little bit of adversity

[cbdoubleu]

Everyone needs to chill... this team has early playoff exit written all over them.

That's the goal this season. Benning never said anything more than "playoff team"

[Fred65]

Well one poster by mistake summed up the situation they said they had cheered the "Nucks for every game this season, that's not a long time frankly 1 season 3 seasons. But some posters have been supporting the team but seeing the same results for 30-40 years and heard all the same excuses ad nausea. The fact is the team hasn't won the Cup for 43 years.

While many have been treating Benning, Linden and WD like divas of some sort just like any other job or profession you have to be analytical of the job their doing not simply cheer leaders.

Has the Miller signing been a good one, would we have done just as well with Lack and Markstrom and free up $6 million. is Sbisa a top 4 D, why Weber rather than Corrado, and last but not least please please try the some thing other than the backdoor play....every one in the entire league knows what's coming

[Stelar]

Team has had a good start but we have obvious holes. I wasn't expecting much this year. I like the 1st line, 2nd line is weak (Higgins and Burrows), like the 3rd line and the 4th line. D is not strong or deep. KB is not a top 3 D man. Love his leadership though.

We are still 2nd line forwards and 2 top 4 D away from competing.

[spook007]

Applause... well said

[BurrsArrows]

Even Daniel Sedin (softly) slammed his stick on the ice out of frustration during the Superskills Competition

JUST CHILL DANIEL MY GOODNESS

[StarGirl]

People need to calm down. Honestly though...I personally think that---

If your mind bashes the team, yet your heart says: "Go Canucks Go!", then you're okay.

As long as you're planning to stay forever and go down with this ship, then everything is fine.

[darkpoet]

You're paid big bucks. You make much more per game than someone makes in a week, full-time.

Let's put this into proper, accurate perspective.

Average salary in the NHL is a bit over $3 Million year / 82 games = approx $40,000.... consider that your average player is only on the ice for "work that day" for about 12 minutes...

I bet if we did a poll here, the results would be heavily tilted in one direction if we were all asked if we'd like to make $40,000 every 12 minutes

Now, with regards to performance lately. It's obvious this team hit a wall during that trip and does not have the mental fortitude to recover from it, at least not with the injuries to Kassian and Hamhuis.

5 losses in a row is not just a bump in the road, it's an indication of a serious problem.

Benning is going to right the ship but it might take a while. I think he may wait until we are healthy again before deciding on more additions/subtractions, but knowing him, he's got a box of darts on his desk right now and is putting holes in his wall while the gears in his brain race.

[Heretic]

Well said Dazzle...well said indeed.

[Dazzle]

Why were you "especially" frustrated with Bieksa? He was one of the better Canuck players last night.

Sure, he had a shot blocked that turned into an empty-netter, but I for one was more "frustrated" by no less than three Canucks who couldn't convert a breakaway. Couple that with A-1 chances for Vrbata, Hansen and Vey and I'd say the offense was far more "frustrating" than anyone on the defense.

He had a number of giveaways in the defensive zone. At the end, his slow speed never helped him recover the puck, in which Roussell took it away and flew past him.

He wasn't one of the better Canuck players last night. Edler, Sbisa, Horvat, Hansen, Higgins, Weber all had better games than he did, in no particular order. But I really don't want to make this into a Bieksa bash. I could tell that he was trying and the fact that he looked angry at himself is fine. He is probably more critical about himself, so it's not like he's complacent. The game's not quite as easy as us following the puck with our eyes.

As posters have said, there are lots of heart and soul guys on this team. It's not like they're complacent about themselves. We just gotta believe in them.

Some fans booed after the game too. Awful.

[Chalky]

I am guilty of taking it too seriously. I have been avoiding this site for the last few games because I don't want to fuel my rage. Dazzle, you make some great points and I think it's fair to say that as fans, we need to make sure we are supporting the team first, and if that means giving a player a break during a losing skid, then so be it. Saying who is "at fault" will do nothing for the overall health of the team or fan base. I think it's enough to say the team needs to play better..and perhaps GM Notgillis needs to make a move to fortify our defensive depth. Look at Edmonton fans, how many of you would be here if the Canucks were the Oilers? We've had it good for a while. I'm not prepared to lower my expectations, but I am prepared to cut the team some slack...for now.

[RUPERTKBD]

He had a number of giveaways in the defensive zone.

He wasn't one of the better Canuck players last night. Edler, Sbisa, Horvat, Hansen, Higgins, Weber all had better games than he did, in no particular order. But I really don't want to make this into a Bieksa bash. I could tell that he was trying and the fact that he looked angry at himself is fine. He is probably more critical about himself, so it's not like he's complacent. The game's not quite as easy as us following the puck with our eyes.

I think your first sentence is a case of you seeing what you want to see. You're critical of Bieksa, so you see things slanted towards that end.

A quick perusal of the boxscore shows Bieksa with one giveaway. In fact, I remember the play vividly. Juice was behind the net and attempted to stickhandle past two forecheckers. He lost the puck to one of them who fed a player in the slot, resulting in a shot that Lack stopped without any trouble.

I'd say these other giveaways that you claim to have seen likely happened in your mind.

As far as your claim that he wasn't one of the better Canucks last night, we'll have to agree to disagree on that. However, the same perusal of last night's boxscore shows Bieksa with three hits, (second only to his defense partner, Stanton) and five shot blocks, which was more than twice what any other Canuck managed.

I saw a very solid game from him last night, as did the statistician, apparently...