snizzle_ Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 Is it confirmed he's playing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 Is it confirmed he's playing? According to sportsnet he is. http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/bo-horvat-debut-vancouver-canucks-vs-nashville-predators/ Not sure where they're getting their info from. Dan Murphy doesn't seem to know one way or the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watermelon Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 Having him center the fourth line would free up Vey to play on the second line. Sedin Sedin Vrbata Higgins Bonino Vey Matthias Richardson Kassian Dorsett Horvat Hansen Both Dorsett and Hansen play a pretty simple game, so it would be a good position for him to start at. I'd switch Horvat and Richardson, would be interesting if Kassian would benefit from it as Horvat is better offensively than Richardson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashian Kassian Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 No he looked good against Calgary and Edmonton - the former being last season's worst team in the NHL and the latter having only 1 NHL calibre center in RNH. Against a decent team like ARI, he was 40%. If his biggest strength in junior is not a strength at the pro level, it's concerning because that's his best asset that gives him the best chance to make this team. If Bo can be above 50%, he has a great chance of sticking. However if he doesn't, we already have a shutdown center in Richardson who is at least at this point still better than Bo in that position. Matthias brings size and speed that Horvat doesn't, and Vey brings offense that we badly need from the bottom 6 and the PP. At least among centers, Bo doesn't have a job. If we're talking sitting Hansen or Dorsett out, then perhaps, but I really like what Dorsett adds to our team as a tenacious forechecker along with Hansen on the 4th line. And it's not like they are defensive sieves. The point is, everyone has a defining characteristic that distinguish themselves and carves out a niche. So, Bo's being positionally sound and solid defensively just isn't enough to earn him a roster spot - to make the NHL, that's almost a given. Being slightly better in this regard is easily overlooked by other factors, such as offense, size, speed, physicality, faceoffs, etc. He needs something - anything - to stick out from the rest, distinguish himself on this team and carve out the need to keep him here. Bo doesn't have blinding speed, offensive touch, overwhelming size like a power forward, or be good enough defensively to be called a specialist at this point in his career. So he needs something to make a name for himself, and that's his faceoff prowess IMO. Obviously faceoffs isn't the only way Bo can make the team - for example, he could start producing. He just needs to show he can bring something different to this team that is valuable that makes the team want to keep him around. And I mentioned the linemate quality because you were responding to my claim that linemate quality is a garbage excuse for a young player not playing well, and you responded to that by saying there is quality difference between the AHL and NHL, to which I was saying that even if there is, good players still look good. Matthias doesn't have a distinguishing characteristic, he's big (we have other big players, Kassina & Sestito) and he has some speed (which Kassian also has). Even Horvat's speed is likely comparable, and ya he's not tall but he's strong, so he's a big guy. Bo just has to play to his strengths, he doesn't have to have a distinguishing characteristic (which faceoffs aren't anyways, Henrik & Richardson are both good LH faceoff guys). I just don't like the idea of determining what Horvat can & can't do in the NHL before we have seen him play a regular season game, that's where I am coming from on this, especially considering the injury. Its like someone else said, Horvat has missed a few open net chances, if he got those then he suddenly has 2 or more goals in 4 games, and there are no concerns about him. So I'm just going to wait and see how he does. (And hopefully he gets in tonight, but realistically even if he does, I'm not going to expect him to light the world on fire, hopefully he plays well and surprises but if he's just kind of average, doing nothing wrong but not standing out either I won't be too worried considering he's joining the team in the middle of back to back games) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Boudreau Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 I might watch if Horvat is in tonight. I'm guessing it will be sheltered minutes if he is probably his first 2 or 3 games will be on the 4th line. Then he might get an oppurtunity on the third line with a little more skill. If he plays I'm interested if he will be on the pk and how good he will be in the faceoff dot. Forget the points and offence. He can focus on that once he proves his skating is good enough to keep up with the pace and that he makes good safe plays defensively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 I'd switch Horvat and Richardson, would be interesting if Kassian would benefit from it as Horvat is better offensively than Richardson No way Richardson is getting moved down with the way he has been playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UticaHockey Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 (edited) Edited November 2, 2014 by UticaHockey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dasein Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Matthias doesn't have a distinguishing characteristic, he's big (we have other big players, Kassina & Sestito) and he has some speed (which Kassian also has). Even Horvat's speed is likely comparable, and ya he's not tall but he's strong, so he's a big guy. Bo just has to play to his strengths, he doesn't have to have a distinguishing characteristic (which faceoffs aren't anyways, Henrik & Richardson are both good LH faceoff guys). I just don't like the idea of determining what Horvat can & can't do in the NHL before we have seen him play a regular season game, that's where I am coming from on this, especially considering the injury. Its like someone else said, Horvat has missed a few open net chances, if he got those then he suddenly has 2 or more goals in 4 games, and there are no concerns about him. So I'm just going to wait and see how he does. (And hopefully he gets in tonight, but realistically even if he does, I'm not going to expect him to light the world on fire, hopefully he plays well and surprises but if he's just kind of average, doing nothing wrong but not standing out either I won't be too worried considering he's joining the team in the middle of back to back games) I'm not surprised that you think Kassian can skate like Matthias, given your display name. Last night was the 3rd game in a row where Shawn's been buzzing. Dorsett's been excellent. Hansen has 3 goals. Vey's offense is necessary. Richardson's our shutdown center and is producing right now. Literally everyone is playing well. Luckily for Bo, with the Burrows suspension, he has 2 games to knock somebody off their roster spot. Any one of Matthias, Dorsett or Hansen having a bad game means Bo lives to see another day. But if it's Bo having the bad game, hard to justify keeping him in since he doesn't give us the best chance to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyLow_ Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I'm not surprised that you think Kassian can skate like Matthias, given your display name. Last night was the 3rd game in a row where Shawn's been buzzing. Dorsett's been excellent. Hansen has 3 goals. Vey's offense is necessary. Richardson's our shutdown center and is producing right now. Literally everyone is playing well. Luckily for Bo, with the Burrows suspension, he has 2 games to knock somebody off their roster spot. Any one of Matthias, Dorsett or Hansen having a bad game means Bo lives to see another day. But if it's Bo having the bad game, hard to justify keeping him in since he doesn't give us the best chance to win. Agree completely. Matthias has been getting better and better and is much faster than Kassian, who was hands down the worst player in a Canucks jersey again last night. It's a good spot for Bo to be in because any line he plays on is going to have players that can make a play, the days of no names on our 4th line seem to be over for now. The tough part is he's going to have to play much better than he has at any point to take a roster spot, and he's going to have to do it in 2-3 games while on probably the hardest road trip in the NHL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFCanuck Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Cody was a completly different prospect with different traits.He has traits? I think Ted Nolan would like to know them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Boudreau Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 (edited) I think you can compare Horvat and his progression with the right linemates to a guy like Curtis Lazar on Ottawa. Same age,same draft class, same type of player, junior points etc. Lazar started out being used on the 4th line and he proved he could handle the defensive responsibilities of a center in the faceoff circle and the d-zone. Now he is getting an opportunity to play with more offensive players and contribute points wise. I think this same approach should be taken to Horvat these next few games whenever he gets in. Edited November 3, 2014 by Chip Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herberts Vasiljevs Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 He has traits? I think Ted Nolan would like to know them. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dasein Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Lazar and Horvat are very different type of players. Lazar has speed to burn, a really nice shot and throws his body around. Bo plays a slower but more cerebral game. Offensively, Bo will make passes Lazar would not entertain, and Lazar will score from areas where Bo would look to make a pass from. Defensively, Bo will read the play, position himself and use his stick better than Lazar, and Lazar will look to hit guys off the puck and if caught out of position, he can usually recover thanks to his skating. Lazar is a guy I'd love to see on Bo's wing because of his speed, skating and shooting compliments Bo who isn't the fastest guy and likes to hold onto pucks and make passes instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bure_Pavel Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Looks like sesito may be injured, bo primed to step in as fourth line center! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Boudreau Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Lazar and Horvat are very different type of players. Lazar has speed to burn, a really nice shot and throws his body around. Bo plays a slower but more cerebral game. Offensively, Bo will make passes Lazar would not entertain, and Lazar will score from areas where Bo would look to make a pass from. Defensively, Bo will read the play, position himself and use his stick better than Lazar, and Lazar will look to hit guys off the puck and if caught out of position, he can usually recover thanks to his skating. Lazar is a guy I'd love to see on Bo's wing because of his speed, skating and shooting compliments Bo who isn't the fastest guy and likes to hold onto pucks and make passes instead. So one is more a playmaker and the other is a sniper. I still think they are similar both being good 2 way guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Looks like Horvat will slot in, and possibly Stanton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZY_4_NAZZY Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Bo wont have to wait long for his debut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dasein Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 (edited) So one is more a playmaker and the other is a sniper. I still think they are similar both being good 2 way guys. Yeah I guess. I think what I wanted to say was that because Bo is more reliant on thinking the game (cerebral) whereas Lazar relies on his speed and instinct (raw talent), I don't think they will have a similar start to their careers. I find that guys that think the game tend to need a little more time figuring it out at the NHL level than guys who have speed to burn. I should have added that. I think Lazar has more success earlier in his career but Bo will have a longer career since he relies more on brains than his speed. It's also the reason why I think, if all goes well, Virtanen might be the first 19-year-old to make the Canucks out of camp since Nedved next year. A season where he scores a bunch and dominates at the WJC might lead to just that. Edited November 3, 2014 by Dasein 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dasein Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Gotta think that Bo makes his debut on Tuesday vs COL. I think we call Archibald up to sit in the box and Stanton returns to the lineup. Hopefully Juice is ready to go for the Cali games.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enterin Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 maybe they did fly him in yesterday without telling us. It bugs me to hell not knowing the motions with this team but in reality they dont have to tell us crap. Yeah your not paid to know duh! : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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