Dear Travis,
I want to congratulate you on the team's success so far. You've done a good job getting them ready for games and juggling the lines, its been an exciting run up this point. But I'm writing this message to you, because things are not trending in a great direction. The Canucks have been outshot (often badly) in 13 of the 15 games they've played. So that is obviously not a sustainable situation for any team hoping to win the cup. The good news is, you can fix that.
But it might mean going out of your comfort zone. Let me explain ...
It's clear you have many talents as a coach (player development, line juggling, X and O's, etc) but taking a chance on a player and “trust” is maybe not one of them. I guess the first clue might have been watching you talk to the press over the last couple years. You have this look like you're sure one of them stole your lunch money. The second clue was the 'proving' process you've put every young player through, holding back Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser in the beginning till the fans were hollering at you.
But that's okay. I get it. You want the players to earn it, to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they deserve the ice time. Makes total sense during the regular season. But that lack of trust can be a killer in the playoffs, particularly when your team has played 3 heavy teams in a row, and are getting the crap kicked out of them. We saw how St. Louis and now Vegas have tilted the ice against the Canucks, and the shot differential has gotten ridiculous. But even though those bigger, tougher teams are grinding the Canucks down and outplaying our bottom 6, you continue to do nothing about it. Like you have no options.
But you do. Virtanen and Sutter are not really giving the team much in the bottom 6. They each had one decent game against the Blues, but for the rest of the playoffs, they haven't done much. They don't hit or score consistently. But you have 2 players that could provide that physical presence, that you brought into the bubble to provide depth and grit. Both Zack McEwen and Justin Bailey can play that heavy game, and they can also score. They both had great seasons for Utica. I know its not the NHL, but its pro hockey, and they know the Canuck system. So what do you have to lose? Even if they make a couple more mistakes than the other guys, they'll finish their checks in both zones, boost the forecheck, and that can start the tilt the ice back a bit in our favor, and effect the shot differential. Our goalies are facing 40 – 50 shots a game, so if the new guys make a couple mistakes, but reduce those shots by 10 a game, that's eight less quality chances against.
And McEwen is also a pretty good fighter, and can be a deterrent for Reeves with Vegas. It's pretty clear our players have been intimidated by him and Vegas hounding our skill players from game one. Our guys are trying to fight through it, but its understandable when we see players dodging checks and losing 50 /50 puck battles, after getting beat up so much. But if the players see the ice starting to tilt back a bit, and see that there's someone in the lineup who will take the bully on, then they might feel more confident, and for the skill players that means confidence to make plays.
So I'm requesting you dress those guys. Put the fresh legs in. Give it a try. I understand if it goes against the grain for you, but you didn't want to have to play Demko last game either, and look how well he did. If you'd dressed him in the second half of the back to back games, we might be leading the series 3 -2 now, and Markstrom might not have gotten injured, but that's in the past. Please give those guys a chance now.
And while we're on the subject, I would love to see Jolevi or Rafferty sub in for Edler, who is clearly out of gas. Edler's a good player, but he's a greybeard, and has been struggling with the heavy line minutes, and he's become a gaffe machine at this point. His penalties and giveaways are constant. Jolevi is about the same size as him so can bring that physical presence. But he's younger, fresher, and poised with the puck and we need that now. I don't think its any coincidence that the defense's best game of the playoffs so far, was when Edler was out. I think Edler can still be very effective playing 10 – 15 minutes a game, but he's been overused in the playoffs, and is baked. Everyone can see it.
So those are my humble requests, Travis. I urge you to give it a try. Take a chance. I think it will give the team fresh legs, a second wind, and maybe make you a better coach too. All the great Stanley cup coaches knew when to gamble on a player. If you can add that to your toolbox, then you and the team have a chance to grow together, and maybe go all the way – if not this year, then soon.
We've got nothing to lose at this point, this year. We won't get much further in the playoffs being outshot 2 or 3 – 1 in games. You can ask your goalies to steal a couple games for you, but asking them to do that every game is unrealistic.
So I hope you can see your way clear to bringing in the reinforcements.
Thanks for listening.
Fanzone