WD is out of his depth

[Nuxfanabroad]

 Virt and McCaan cannot be sent to Utica, it is either NHL or Juniors for them

Baertchi would have to clear waivers to go to Utica, good luck with that!

Yeah, we all have that down by now. But over the last 1~2 yrs lots of our youth have gained some great experience. This yr should be even more beneficial(younger entry in Utica).

[-DLC-]

There are teams playing their young guns that are below us and not having success - it isn't a foolproof formula to pass the baton and simply go with them.  It can make or break them but I do feel it's better to pace them and allow them to be involved but not rely on them to carry the load (yet).  That puts the wins/losses on them and if the mindset isn't one of full maturity, that can lead to doubt and loss of confidence.  I'd rather they feel they're "part" of the team than the whole deal.  Ego comes into play and must be kept in check.

 

You also don't know what kind of communication takes place on the bench and how things are being gauged. 

 

[homersexual]

McCann and Virt are sure being developed properly during the whole 5 mins they are playing. I take longer dumps than that. Why keep them up here, just send them back to jrs where they can play 20 mins/game.

[Maniwaki Canuck]

I've been critical of Willie and do find him stubborn and rigid at times, but to be fair, he has to balance several demands in a game like the one last night.  In the 3rd we weren't dealing with a surge from Detroit and he responded by continuing to play our "energy" guys and cutting back on the kids' ice time.  It didn't particularly work, but it wasn't a stupid idea:  do we really expect a kid line to turn a situation like that around, particularly when Baertschi and Virtanen are looking so tentative?  Personally, I'd like to see the kids getting about the same ice time as Dorsett and Prust at this stage.  One way to do that would be have those vets on different lines mixed in with younger players.  But then some will be unhappy about the instability of our lines.  There are times when a coach can't win.  That doesn't make WD above criticism like some of the cops on this board (GStank, Alf Stonker) insist, but it does mean that he's dealing with some challenges that don't have obvious solutions.  Finding the right lines with a team that's turned over so many players is going to take a while, but it actually makes it interesting to watch the games. 

[Warhippy]

Just logged in, saw 3 consecutive wtf is wrong with this team whose fault is it threads

 

I guess we lost again last night?

 

Maybe instead of blaming Willie or player x y z we just face the facts.

 

Our players are blowing coverage, our players are getting beat on the inside frequently as they keep pushing them outside, Mrazek and other goalies shine against us (as has always happened) and Miller loses the puck at about 14 inches up on his glove side more frequently than last year

Simply put.  This team is aging, this team has lost a step and throwing rookies at the problem like they're somehow the saviour we need is not the best idea.

 

I've been very critical of Willy D.  But the facts are...we're not the star any more and are getting by with what we have at the moment.

[Mackcanuck]

McCann and Virt are sure being developed properly during the whole 5 mins they are playing. I take longer dumps than that. Why keep them up here, just send them back to jrs where they can play 20 mins/game.

Both McCaan and Virt a being given an outstanding opportunity to make the team

Exactly the same with Hutton,

How many games have these guys played with a Canucks Jersey on, right from Shawnigan Lake to Kelowna young guns to all the pre-season games to show their stuff,

All 3 have earned their chance to get their 9 game look and are getting it!

Hutton has earned Willies trust by playing outstanding hockey, The Kid is just unbelieveable.

Virt and McCaan have not quite earned that trust, but, please don't say that Virt and McCaan aren't being given an opportunity.

Vey and Corrado were waived by management and an injury to Higgins gave these 3 their opportunity

It took Bo until December to earn Willies trust last season 

[literaphile]

McCann and Virt are sure being developed properly during the whole 5 mins they are playing. I take longer dumps than that. Why keep them up here, just send them back to jrs where they can play 20 mins/game.

McCann played 11:48 last night. In the six games he's played, he's had at least 10 minutes of ice team in four of them.

Virtanen has been hovering at around the 8-9 minute mark except for last night.

[Alflives]

McCann played 11:48 last night. In the six games he's played, he's had at least 10 minutes of ice team in four of them.

Virtanen has been hovering at around the 8-9 minute mark except for last night.

McCann should be playing even more.  Virtanen should be with the Twins.  Vrbata should be culled from the herd.

[Canucks Curse]

Botchford's provies perfectly encapsulate how I feel

just want to re-iterate that this whole kid line thing is messing up Hirvats development - he doesn't get regular linemates but gets shuffled up and down, no chance to build chemistry or familiarity with a particular role. Playing prust and Dorsette 7 min in the third while the youngsters play less than 2 min is not the wYvyo develop these guys. WD should nix the kid line for now and put the kids with vets and play them more. IMO it's been vets who have cost us the past few games.

Vrbata missed the breakaway pass that was Right On the tape from Bo. !!!!!!!Vrbata  made the horrific giveaway behind his net last game. Two egregious game costing errors, but somehow Willie 'trusts' him more

[Derp...]

McCann should be playing even more.  Virtanen should be with the Twins.  Vrbata should be culled from the herd.

lool

Virtanen should play with Sutter Hansen with Bo

 

[homersexual]

Both McCaan and Virt a being given an outstanding opportunity to make the team

Exactly the same with Hutton,

How many games have these guys played with a Canucks Jersey on, right from Shawnigan Lake to Kelowna young guns to all the pre-season games to show their stuff,

All 3 have earned their chance to get their 9 game look and are getting it!

Hutton has earned Willies trust by playing outstanding hockey, The Kid is just unbelieveable.

Virt and McCaan have not quite earned that trust, but, please don't say that Virt and McCaan aren't being given an opportunity.

Vey and Corrado were waived by management and an injury to Higgins gave these 3 their opportunity

It took Bo until December to earn Willies trust last season 

Hutton definitely earned his spot on the team but I am not so sure Virt 'earned' his spot. Only one reason he is still with the team is that he can't go to the AHL where is actually belongs. I would argue that Gaunce outplayed VIrt during the pre-season. I am not too sure what Benning has against the juniors but Virt needs to go back. My guess is that once Higgins returns, Virt is gone.

"He just isn't ready. Nice hair, though"

[Mackcanuck]

Hutton definitely earned his spot on the team but I am not so sure Virt 'earned' his spot. Only one reason he is still with the team is that he can't go to the AHL where is actually belongs. I would argue that Gaunce outplayed VIrt during the pre-season. I am not too sure what Benning has against the juniors but Virt needs to go back. My guess is that once Higgins returns, Virt is gone.

"He just isn't ready. Nice hair, though"

I agree, Virt goes back when Higgins comes back or his 9 games whichever comes first!

McCann has now played 6 games and Virtanen 5, meaning they have 3 and 4 left 

Watch this place blow up if McCaan also gets sent back to Junior and Vey is recalled! 

[SuperReverb2]

I really hope the kids stay. Seems kind of counterproductive to send them back to junior at this point of their development. Agree the scenario would be totally different if Virtanen and McCann could go to Utica, as I'm sure one if not both would most likely already be there. Not sure who we would replace them with if in fact they do go back to junior. Yeah, yeah. Higgins will get better and come back, but honestly, does he really make a difference night in and night out. Most nights he's invisible. Yes. He does score the odd goal, and I have heard he is great in the dressing room, but for most part he plays on the "outside" and takes up what I view as a valuable roster spot. Vey? Regardless of what he did this summer he is a lightweight in an NHL world of heavyweights and gets bumped off the puck by the slightest breeze. REALLY don't want to watch that all year again! Yes Gaunce is OK, but again, (at least for me) doesn't really do anything for me. He would be just "OK" in my books, but I really feel the kids are better, more dynamic, and have tons more potential.

I guess my bottom line is that I have seen the so called "vets" MANY times before. Decent season (at least last year) get beat in the playoffs by a younger, faster, more aggressive team. (i.e. Calgary last year) Yawn! Boring!!

This year is supposed to be about change. Where's the change if we send the kids back to junior and have Higgins and possibly Vey back on the team. Yes there is Gaunce, but he hasn't flattened anybody like Virtanen has or scored a couple of serious NHL caliber "wristers" like McCann. That's change to me and EXCITING change at that.

The kids should stay and should be turned loose to reek havoc in the third period or to use their speed to keep the momentum going. They should be used in the 3 on 3 overtime as well. STOP RELYING ON THE SEDINS FOR EVERYTHING!! They can't score like they used to, and they CERTAINLY can't keep up in 3 on 3 overtime. Yes, MAYBE put the Sedins out for the first shift of overtime, but if they don't score on their first shift, staple their collective asses to the bench and let the kids have at it! What have we got to loose (as we are already loosing) and we just might find a win or two in the process.

The only reason I watch Canucks hockey these days is to see the kids play. They're exciting for many reasons. If the kids are sent back I'm forced to watch another season of the same old same old. I for one am tired of the same old same old. If we are going to go down this year (and we may very well miss the playoffs) I would at least like the team to go down in a blaze of glory playing some exciting NEW hockey instead of simp0ly bowing out with the same OLD predictable crap we've been watching for the past three years or more.

[clutesi]

I don't think WD is out of his depth at all. The sad reality is that our prospects aren't NHL all stars like every one is making them out to be. WD sees these kids on a daily basis in practice and in all kinds of situations. McCann is performing like a promising top 6 NHL forward. He deserves to play and WD is rewarding him. Bo should probably play more and we could do with less Prust. But the others, well we're not a development league. We have those and that's where those who need seasoning should play. Stop pretending we're set to win the cup this year and start planning for the future and develop properly. As had been said a lot, Edmonton is a perfect example of why we don't want to develop players in the NHL to a great degree, as entertaining as that might be.

[clutesi]

McCann should be playing even more.  Virtanen should be with the Twins.  Vrbata should be culled from the herd.

I'm still waiting for the moment when it looks like Virtanen really belongs. Hutton and McCann, yes, Bo of course, but Virtanen, not yet. 

[Crabcakes]

I was surprised Willie kept the kid line together last night since he dismantled them against Washington in the last game.  That's rigid thinking.

Longer term, when Higgins comes back, Burrows moves back to the right side and Virtanen could be going to the Hitmen.  That's my feeling.  Virtanen is slowly becoming less effective as time goes on. 

McCann is outmatched physically but he is still finding ways to be effective.  He is still better than the alternative, Linden Vey.  I'm liking Cracknell at 4C against heavier teams. He'll make a good 13th forward.

In 2 weeks, the line up looks like this:

Sedin Sedin Vrbata

Higgins Sutter Burrows

Baertschi Horvat Hansen

Dorsett McCann Prust

Cracknell

[Junkyard Dog]

Horvat has been struggling offensively playing 16 minutes a game.

Virtanen and Baertschi haven't generated enough offense.  Virtanen has been getting 8 minutes a game and Baertschi 10.5 minutes a game

Only McCann and Hutton have been able to consistently generate offense and scoring chances each game while being smart in their own zone. They both definitely both deserve the ice time they're getting IMO.

More importantly the Sedins need to produce more. If they can't score at a solid pace we aren't a playoff team plain and simple. They have generated a lot of chances, especially with now being reunited with Vrbata but the execution is not there.

We've been fortunate with our other veterans supplying secondary scoring but it isn't enough to win games. 

 

Miller has been our best player and we are wasting his hot start.

[Canuck Surfer]

arugula

 

Tamarind is good for digestion after a game like this?

[Green Goblin]

Defensively we've been fairly good. Offensively, the chances are there. But I've noticed the opposing team's goalie plays more cautious when the Sedins are on the ice. Has Willie not heard of MODERATION? If he truly believes in running with all 4 lines, then he better play the rookies more. They need the experience.

EVERY team in the NHL studies the Sedin's tendencies before they play the Canucks. So why not utilize our other weapons, especially the new ones. 

AAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[NuckleheadFan]

I respect Willie to stick to his guns with his 44 years experience in hockey, and if he is going to be judged for his performance then I'd rather him use his experience for the benefit of the Team on the longer term than the immediate reaction. He may be called stubborn, but I think it's more his experience is guiding him.