hockeygod77 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 (edited) as the games get tighter the team as a whole will get tested for being able to push back when teams try and expose canuck defence...certain teams will try to take advantage..the canucks will have to be aggressive in clearing the net and when the rough stuff starts they need to be smart about it...taking one for the team is hard but it could mean a win...but also the canucks will have to draw a line when they will have to drop the gloves to show teams they wont get pushed around...i think the forwards have show this already..the defence has too but other teams have to be let known the canucks wont put up with any cheap shots...smart hockey will be the key.. Edited January 31, 2020 by hockeygod77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rob_Zepp Posted January 31, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted January 31, 2020 I guess the hockeygod has spoken. Forwards and D will need to be ready for rough stuff down the stretch. I hope the coaching staff for the Canucks reads this board. 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Fanuck Posted January 31, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted January 31, 2020 Much more concerned about overall team durability (avoiding the insidious injury bug) rather than team toughness. Roussell, likely one of the grittiest players on the team, stated recently it would be a mistake for the club to pursue 'toughness' at the trade deadline - it's not their identity and you don't change the team identity at the TDL just to make the playoffs when you're already on your way there imo. 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB5 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Score more goals than the other team and you will win. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theo5789 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Fighting rarely happens in the playoffs. You want some guys that can take some hits and certainly dish them out as well to wear down the opponent. We have added size and speed in the offseason. I'd say we have reasonable grit throughout the lineup with Miller and recently Jake on the top line (plus a fiesty Petey). Pearson and Bo are no slouches and currently a 6'3 defensive winger who may not be physical, but is a big body. Roussel on the 3rd with Gaudette that won't shy away from the tough stuff and Boeser has been playing better along the boards of late. And of course the 4th line of Sutter, Beagle and Motte is going to be playoff ready. With depth like Schaller with Ferland and Leivo on the mend, that adds more toughness up front and we are giving guys like Bailey and MacEwen looks now. On defense, Hughes and Tanev may be the "softest" players, but they're also the smartest players back there. Everyone else can contribute. And while Stecher is small, he plays with a heart of a lion. We may be adding a Tryamkin that could replace Stecher and eliminate the size issue of Stecher. We don't play that hard hitting style, but we are playing a controlled style that on paper could handle the intensity uptick. But this remains to be seen until we make the playoffs and see who shines through, which is what we want to see to evaluate the team further. I don't see much of a need to add to the team, but if there's an opportunity to upgrade, then we should consider it. Otherwise we roll in with the team we have that is playing for each other right now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 19 minutes ago, Fanuck said: Much more concerned about overall team durability (avoiding the insidious injury bug) rather than team toughness. Roussell, likely one of the grittiest players on the team, stated recently it would be a mistake for the club to pursue 'toughness' at the trade deadline - it's not their identity and you don't change the team identity at the TDL just to make the playoffs when you're already on your way there imo. Q: was Beagle "tough" when he won the cup in WSH with his playing style? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Zepp Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 24 minutes ago, GarthButcher5 said: Score more goals than the other team and you will win. I gotta write some of this stuff down...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Zepp Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 7 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said: Q: was Beagle "tough" when he won the cup in WSH with his playing style? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillipBlunt Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I just hope that the team gives as much as they get in the playoffs. I do like that the team plays with a mental discipline that doesn't let them take unnecessary penalties. Just want to see the pack mentality that successful playoff teams have ingrained in this one. Essentially, take a run at my teammate, you're taking a run at me. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree2 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 24 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said: Q: was Beagle "tough" when he won the cup in WSH with his playing style? the Capitals had a few tough players on the team 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Neilsons Towel Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 1 hour ago, GarthButcher5 said: Score more goals than the other team and you will win. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theo5789 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 19 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said: I just hope that the team gives as much as they get in the playoffs. I do like that the team plays with a mental discipline that doesn't let them take unnecessary penalties. Just want to see the pack mentality that successful playoff teams have ingrained in this one. Essentially, take a run at my teammate, you're taking a run at me. While I agree with your stance, that simply isn't the style we have been playing and as Roussel has reiterated that we shouldn't be changing what has been successful for us of late. We shouldn't be playing to the opponents strengths and continue playing to ours. Of course the intensity will go up and I expect the after whistle scrums and such, but I'm not concerned about that. If we continue to play a game where we keep skating and using our speed to get behind the defense (there's a reason why we have one of the most penalties drawn this season), then we will be in a better position. Once we start breaking our system because we are chasing the opponents for retaliation, then we will be playing into their hands. This isn't playing "soft" as I've pointed out earlier that we have built a team that should hopefully withstand the physical intensity uptick, but it's playing with control and knowing what the end game is. There was a game earlier in the season when we were popping in crucial goals and the team wasn't too caught up in celebrations (not to say they're a bad thing), and to me it showed focus on the task at hand and getting the job done rather than being caught up in emotions. It's a natural instinct to want to go tit for tat, but you have to know when to engage or not or sometimes just give them a smile back which could irk them more (something noted from one of the Jake mic'ed up sessions). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaudette Celly Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 1 hour ago, GarthButcher5 said: Score more goals than the other team and you will win. Interesting take, Cotton. We'll have to see how that plays out for teams. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tas Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 if a deal was hypothetically possible to flip eriksson for backes, would you do it, assuming it didn't cost a significant asset? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 47 minutes ago, bree2 said: the Capitals had a few tough players on the team who also got suspended during the playoffs too. I think this team is built much more like the cup winning LA teams where its an overall difficult to play against unit vs. a Tom Wilson or Reaves killing people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillipBlunt Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 2 minutes ago, tas said: if a deal was hypothetically possible to flip eriksson for backes, would you do it, assuming it didn't cost a significant asset? Not sure who you're asking, but from my perspective......No. Eriksson has shown some chemistry with Horvat and Pearson. He's the better player, who'd probably fetch more in a trade, even now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldnews Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 1 hour ago, Fanuck said: Much more concerned about overall team durability (avoiding the insidious injury bug) rather than team toughness. Roussell, likely one of the grittiest players on the team, stated recently it would be a mistake for the club to pursue 'toughness' at the trade deadline - it's not their identity and you don't change the team identity at the TDL just to make the playoffs when you're already on your way there imo. I'd add to that - very few teams/opponents have a problematic amount of toughness in their lineup - that you'd run out chasing goalposts in order to counter them. Most teams now have 1 - if even 1 - guy that you might consider a 'heavyweight' - and almost all of those guys play by a relative measure of 'code' - they're not running around looking to injure, cheapshot, or fight lightweights or the talented 'stars' of the game. Team toughness is what is needed - and the Canucks may not be the 'toughest' team in that sense, but they do have guys like Ferland (albeit injured), MIller, Beagle, Schaller, Roussel, Myers, Virtanen...some size, pushback. But for me, more important than 'toughness' is being hard to play against - in other words - a talented, hard working team without the puck. I think they have correctly leaned towards prioritizing that in their build - ie a player like Motte may not be a face-puncher, but he is very hard to play against - I'd prefer to see the skilled aspect of the shutdown game moreso than just truculence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post PhillipBlunt Posted January 31, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted January 31, 2020 I don't think the team needs a face-puncher, more so an overall team response. For example, the game against San Jose in Vancouver. The way Sutter reached the point where enough was enough. That's what I'm talking about...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...I'm talking about BALLS! 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theo5789 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 5 minutes ago, tas said: if a deal was hypothetically possible to flip eriksson for backes, would you do it, assuming it didn't cost a significant asset? It's certainly an interesting idea because his contract ends a year earlier than LE. Problem is LE is playing a significant role right now and Backes might just be done. I certainly wouldn't add anything and I think at this point, I'd expect them to add. Too much shakeup to the chemistry of the team though for a trade deadline type move. Might explore this in the offseason though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldnews Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 (edited) 9 minutes ago, tas said: if a deal was hypothetically possible to flip eriksson for backes, would you do it, assuming it didn't cost a significant asset? that's a good question. on the matter of who is, all-things-considered more effective at this point, it would be an interesting calculation. I think the shutdown aspect of Horvat's line might take a hit with that deal, but they do have other players that could step up in a secondary scoring role and dedicate two Sutter and Beagle lines to shutdown....assuming they remain healthy. (sidenote - Motte is a serious loss to the team's shutdown effectiveness imo). But I would make that deal in a heartbeat - because Backes expires a year earlier (and I would value that cap hit in two years moreso than LE's possible on-ice impact) - so I would not be surprised if 'we' had to add to make that happen - that is unless Boston sees a viable role for LE in their lineup and would prefer live vs dead cap. Edited January 31, 2020 by oldnews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now