Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

Why we won't win the cup with our "system"


Canuckler87

Recommended Posts

Hey folks, im a long time lurker & first time poster. I just want to bring an issue to the forefront many of you may never have thought of as an issue before. Im talking about AV's system of play which seems to take every player we've acquired a lot of time to adjust too.

It seems like an endless cycle. We don't win the cup, we look to address our weaknesses, we acquire an impact player (like garrison), he doesn't make an impact & we hear that he's still getting "assimilated with our system. At this rate we won't win the cup because everytime we fail, we'll look to address our weaknesses. We just can't afford to wait a year for every player we acquire to get used to our system of play.

Though AV's style of play has got us some success, I think we'll all agree that some just isn't enough. We want the cup. And if that means changing our system to make new players comfortable & contributing right away then so be it. In my opinion, I'd love a free-wheeling system like Philidelphia's. Everyone they acquire seems to come & have success right away. And with our goaltending compared to theirs, we'd be potentially lethal.

On an end note, I'm happy for Ballard who after almost 2years has finally got in sync with AV's system. That is all. Discuss.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I honestly don't think we have enough skill to run Philly's "free-wheeling system". Last year watching them in the playoffs their system did really well against Pittsburgh because they were excellent off of the rush because they had creative playmakers who knew what to do with the puck. Guys like Jagr, Giroux, Voracek, Briere, etc. Other than Schroeder and the Sedins who on our team honestly has soft hands and consistent playmaking ability off of the rush?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I agree with you that we don't have as much skill up front as they do. But we're not a long ways off. You forgot about Kesler & Booth both players to have exceeded 30 goals. And Higgins, a former 20 goal guy. Perhaps simplifying our system of play would be the best course of action. Wouldn't you agree that it's too complicated as it currently stands?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im going to have to agree in a way. It does seem to take players a full year to figure out how to play on our team which has proven alot of new players to be only partially effective, i.e. samuelsson, booth, sundin, garrison. Having said that when players do figure the system out they seem to play very well. I also think however, that our system can only go so far in the playoffs. When it works it works, but when it doesn't, it really doesnt. Teams seem to be able to figure out an answer and when they solve it, AV has no tricks up his sleeve, no variations. Remember when our whole PP drop pass thing was figured out? It worked all season but then other teams caught on and the canucks just kept trying it. Resulting in some fatal turn overs. sometimes I think our team is TOO system-based. If you have no improvisation then you are going to get stuck when teams figure out your routine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I completely agree with your point of us either hitting or missing in the playoffs. It seems we won't change how we play even if we're getting thoroughly outplayed in a series. More improvision on the part of AV is needed. Wouldn't it also keep our players more loose & less pressurized?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Are you suggesting that AV change the system each time a new player comes on the team? Cause I wouldn't support that at all. I think, if anything, Garrison's problem is that they can't find a defensive pair that supports his style of play (which is what I think Tanev has done for Ballard this season), Kassian is suffering from the pre-Naslund-Bertuzzi syndrome that a lot of young power forwards go through, and Booth just doesn't have what it takes anymore. I'm not sure how strict of a "system" AV has, but most coaches work within a certain philosophy of style, and AV's has earned him a coach of the year award, a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, and a lot of respect from his players so I can't say there's that much to change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get weary of the endless cycling and lack of results. It is the Sedin game and they are the best at it. It's their bread and butter and unlikely that they would ever change it. This doesn't mean the rest of the team has to do it. Perhaps their are other styles of play that would be more suited to the other lines.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No thanks.

Philly plays entertaining, chaotic, terrible hockey.

Defense first is the formula for winning consistently.

AV's system is fine - the last thing I'd like to see is that kind of system where the forwards are oblivious to supporting their back end. The Canucks blueline contributes a lot - precisely because the forwards must be responsible and backcheck or they wind up in the doghouse (and rightly so).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing I do think needs to change, and that's the special teams coaching. It seems to be stuck in two years ago when the Canucks relied on trickery and Salo. Now everyone has seen their moves and Salo is gone and no one can hit the net, and yet, the first unit still tries the same old tired plays. The second unit looks pretty decent, they drive the net and get shots from the circles, the first unit just keeps getting stood up at the blue line or foregoing the shot to continue passing until the power-play is over. The penalty killing is ok, but I keep seeing players able to walk the puck right to the front of the net. Some of that is a missing Kesler, but it's still embarrassing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im going to have to agree in a way. It does seem to take players a full year to figure out how to play on our team which has proven alot of new players to be only partially effective, i.e. samuelsson, booth, sundin, garrison. Having said that when players do figure the system out they seem to play very well. I also think however, that our system can only go so far in the playoffs. When it works it works, but when it doesn't, it really doesnt. Teams seem to be able to figure out an answer and when they solve it, AV has no tricks up his sleeve, no variations. Remember when our whole PP drop pass thing was figured out? It worked all season but then other teams caught on and the canucks just kept trying it. Resulting in some fatal turn overs. sometimes I think our team is TOO system-based. If you have no improvisation then you are going to get stuck when teams figure out your routine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let me get this straight, AV's system is to not win the cup, address weaknesses, acquire an impact player, let player get acclimated when he doesn't make an impact right away. Wash, rinse, repeat?

You didn't really explain why this is AV's system, who doesn't control the changes within our roster, or that this is anyone's system - apart from the fact that all teams do this if they aren't winning the cup every year and they hope the roster changes they make perform.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

C'mon people. Any fan knows our system would have won the cup if the majority of our starters weren't injured/suspended vs Boston. Kesler - groin

Edler - broken finger

Rome - suspended

Hamhuis - hip fracture

Bieksa - lacerated achilles tendon

Raymond - broken back

Samuelsson - groin injury

Higgins - broken toe

were all injured terribly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

C'mon people. Any fan knows our system would have won the cup if the majority of our starters weren't injured/suspended vs Boston. Kesler - groin

Edler - broken finger

Rome - suspended

Hamhuis - hip fracture

Bieksa - lacerated achilles tendon

Raymond - broken back

Samuelsson - groin injury

Higgins - broken toe

were all injured terribly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, then I guess it's not AV, or Gillis, or the players we've brought in. That solves it. C'mon everyone, let's just pack up and go home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The current system is failing because opposing teams are attacking us with the left wing lock. They're doing this because of the weakness we have with the right side of our defence. The result is difficulties in getting the puck out at our blue line on the right side boards. The way to combat this is to reverse the flow, which is what our d-men are trying, but the opposing high forward is doing a good job of cutting that lane off. This results in lots of turnovers in our own zone, lots of open ice in our zone, and scoring chances for the opposition.

Couple the above with our own forwards failing to cover for pinching d-men (always after a bad decision by the d-man, usually Edler or Bieksa to pinch), and we have a situation where we are relying way too much on our goalies. When our goalies are on, these breakdowns aren't so glaring, but when the tending is average, these deficiencies in our system are exposed.

Other elements that need addressing include: sluggish speed with which our d-men play with; forwards playing on the perimeter (and inability to take the puck hard to the net); sloppy turnovers in the neutral zone; and failure to close the gap on defensive coverage.

These aren't easy fixes...hopefully the team can get this sorted out in the next 20 games...thank goodness that we are in the NW division where we have the luxury of working these "systems" and execution issues out without worrying too much of losing a playoff spot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...