*Buzzsaw*

Kuzmenko should be on the 1st unit... Tocchet's discipline thing is irrelevant to odd man situations.

Larger sample size, and his goal not withstanding, I think McWard needs time in the AHL.

I think if MacEwan had a coach like Tocchet instead of Green, he would have developed into a better player. As it is, he is finding a spot on multiple teams... he is an NHL player.

Garland is such a tough little F*cker.

Boeser definitely has more jump. I think he's lost a couple pounds. Face looks thinner too.

Sorry... I know a lot of people like the King's shiny helmets... personally I think they are tacky.

I normally never am an advocate for tanking. But this year, and the Canucks bad luck made it a real opportunity... for a group of prospects who are elite. In just about any normal draft year either of Fantilli, Michkov or Carlsson would be a #1 pick... but we have the phenom Bedard. Basically the choices in the top 5 for 2023 are #1AAAA, #1AAA, #1AA, #1A and #1.

Yes, there was a lot of bad luck, your 'comedy of errors'. But good management should have recognized the season was a washout... that they might as well go with the flow... and let Boudreau helm the collapse for another 10 games till the team was cemented in the basement. If they wanted to hire Tocchet and give him a chance to work with the team... then they could have made the change those10 games later... and Tocchet would still have had time to bring in his system... the team started playing better after only 5 games under him.... they would still have had a little run at the end of the season. Then next training camp, they have another two weeks to get the system set. Instead with the current situation, we have the team making a futile run as though they have a chance at a playoff spot... when in fact that was essentially impossible from the point Tocchet took over. Just so much wasted motion... meanwhile Bedard, Fantilli, Michkov, Carlsson, Benson and Smith are all going to other teams... unless the Canucks have incredible luck, and win the 1 in one hundred chance they have.

The difference is infinitesimally small now between moving up and moving down. And overall the chance of a move up is almost zero. And compared to the chance of moving up in the three draws when we were sitting at 6th overall... no comparison. We had a decent odds placed there. Now we have to depend on absolute stupid dumb luck... or that another team's scouts screw up and they pick the wrong guy, leaving someone decent for us. But now with 6 picks between us and the top 5... lot less of a chance someone will overlook the raw gem. I come back to my point: If ownership had waited another 10 games before replacing Boudreau, the slide would have taken the team down to 4th or 5th place... or possibly even lower. Then when the replacement happened, Tocchet would still have had enough games to put his imprint on the team... without sacrificing the chance of acquiring a real asset for the team in the draft.

I am seeing a little more quickness from Boeser lately... I think perhaps he has shed some pounds and leaned down. At his season starting weight, he was not fat, but he did have extra weight which was unnecessary. He is a solid player on his feet anyway, and if he drops down to 200 lbs, he would still be a force in the corners and on the forecheck while gaining that extra quickness which would allow him to win more of the foot races which he tends to lose now. He understands the game well, he knows how to pass and use his linemates, and his defensive positioning has improved, he has a good eye for deflections and his shot is decent, if not to the level it used to be. If he can just get a little more jump, then he could come back to being a reliable 65 point forward who can put 25 goals up.

Canucks should lose this one... Kings are a better team with a lot more motivation to win. But you never know... and in any case, the next few games after this one are against real bottom feeders so likely the exercise in futility will continue as the Canucks move further and further away from a decent draft choice with every win. Most probably they will move up another two positions ahead of the Wings and Blues and end up drafting 11th... with next to zero chance of moving up in the lottery... and a much better chance of moving down. But this owner had to have his wins and more sales of tickets... he had to replace Boudreau at a point when it was impossible to make the playoffs, but possible to ruin any chance of a good pick. Could have waited another 10 games and cemented a chance at a really good pick... but NO. So the team has moved up from drafting 6th, with a good chance at 5th, to their current 9th... and as said by their current trending results... likely ending up 11th. When you consider how good the top five prospects are, and what any one of those could have done to help the team in the future, replacing Boudreau at the point in the season when they did has been a disaster for the long term development of this team.

Not just Bedard... its all the others in the draft... this is a really deep group of prospects in the top 5 or 6. If Canucks finished lower down, they would have had an excellent chance of moving up. But now... not much of a chance.

This was the season which saw the team have bad luck... with Demko injured and fill in netminders falling on their faces. There was a chance to let the team drop and real pick high... get a really good piece. All of that went into the toilet because of the early replacement of Boudreau... they could have let him coach another 10 games and a good pick would have been guaranteed. But no, Owner needs to have some wins and some revenue... so the opportunity of a good pick disappears. Sorry, but this is not a Cup Contender team... it needs a couple more really good pieces... which are unlikely to be in the cards this draft. Next year the team willl make the playoffs and probably for the next few years after that... the picks will be mediocre, and basically what we have now will be what you get... I.e. mid level team with some good players, but not a Cup Contender.

F*ck... Panthers score late.... 1:00 to go. Canucks are going to pass Washington... almost guaranteed. Caps have the worst schedule.... by far... F*ck F*ck F*ck. Canuck pick goes into the toilet. Bye Bye

What we need is a competitive loss... lots of points and goals by Pettersson. Combine that with a win by Washington and we avoid passing them in the Snail Derby and dropping further away from a chance at the top 5.

Not such a great result... but a happier bunch out there than last game. I have the bad feeling Canucks will pass Philly... the Flyers are on a serious slide.

Having Hughes fight is not a good idea... very easy to get a pulled muscle or a separated shoulder in a fight against a bigger opponent.

Hughes showing his frustration with the season as a whole. What happened there is exactly why you need a big guy playing as D partner with Hughes. In the playoffs, the opposition will be taking runs at Hughes constantly. Only way to stop that is to have someone who can put a stop to that instantly with the threat of physical punishment.

Speaking of Colour Commentators... John the Cheech man is giving another quiet but inspired performance tonight. From picking Garland to mention... (playing really well tonight) plus all the goaltending knowledge... and he has better eyes than 90% of the analysts out there... he see's what's happening in a play better than just about anyone. In my opinion he is still better than most of the colour guys out there... I believe he is being sidelined for political reasons by the Eastern Mafia.

Garland is playing to stay on the team and not be traded. Gotta like his compete.

Kuzzy the Wolf is HUNGRY, HUNGRY around the net.

Talking about Akito Hirose... looking down the list of D who have played for Canucks this year... the list is nearly as long as the forwards! I agree Hirose is playing well... however, he is not what this team needs. We already have a lot of smaller D who handle the puck well. We have Hughes, we have Hronek. We need big D... you cannot win in the playoffs unless you can clear the front of the net and break up the cycle along the boards... you do that with size and reach. Not to mention when things get nasty and the other team starts to take runs at Hughes and Hronek, you need a big guy on the ice who will lay down the law and beat on whoever takes liberties. If we can get a couple big guys for the top 4, and re-sign Schenn for the 5/6, then you have the size and intimidation.

Another key guy for the first two Hawk Cups was Marian Hossa.... another beast. Not to mention Keith, Seabrooke, Byflugien.... that team was deep.

He will be in HHOF. The first couple years of the Hawks upward move to the first Cup Toews was the better overall player. Kane was good offensively in the playoffs and regular season but Toews was a beast... scoring, defensive and physical play.... complete player in those years. He won Conn Smythe first Cup.

As much as Toews deserves to be hated by Van fans, there is no question he is a Star, and a great player. 3 Cups, key roles in 2010 Olympic victory, and lots of other accomplishments... Yes he is vocal... like JT... that's because he cares