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

Hitchcock sings high praises on Canucks


cuporbust

Recommended Posts

Good praise and well deserved. The Nucks are not pushovers this year; neither are they contenders. They are not lacking in heart/character, and that is so important come the playoffs. But -  Playoffs are a whole different story and the Nucks are not balanced enough and don't have enough depth in all the particular skill sets, in my opinion. Yet. I'd say the Nucks will be close in 2-3 years, probably taking a couple of the first playoff rounds, and then in 4 years will be true contenders for 2-4 years. That being said, I've been wrong lots before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, PunjabiCanucks said:

Lets be realistic, our defence will fall as will our goal tending, most nights we can't get more then 3 goals. It is a great start and I am excited, but come new year we will slump and end up not making the playoffs. It is in our best interest moving forward we get a top 5 pick

Benning s late picks have been just as good, if not better then his early ones. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, NUCKER67 said:

I really like that Green doesn't pick favourites, or feels he needs to give the Sedins heavy minutes and rely on them. I think Del Zotto, Vanek, Pouliot and Nilsson so far have been excellent additions. This team, just "feels" different, they're competing, fast, tenacious, getting a lot of shots, and I haven't seen anyone coast. Full effort from everyone, every shift. Looking forward to seeing what they can do with a healthy roster (if they can ever get that).

 

Green will bench anyone who coasts for a game, with no doubt. I would put money on it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, PunjabiCanucks said:

Lets be realistic, our defence will fall as will our goal tending, most nights we can't get more then 3 goals. It is a great start and I am excited, but come new year we will slump and end up not making the playoffs. It is in our best interest moving forward we get a top 5 pick

They are winning and not by hanging on. They have the ponies. But your allowed to be optimistic, wouldn't be right with out a few. But anyone who followed Boston seen how quick Benning helped turn them around. Now he has turned the Nucks around and hang on for the ride, because deep teams always beat two line teams, especially as play-offs continue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Green is a surprisingly good coach, I don't see Vancouver playing well now as a good thing long term though.  The biggest positive for me has been Boeser as he's constantly looked like the real deal when he plays.  I never hated on Willie as he was given total garbage to work with, but the games are a million times better to watch under Green's aggressive system.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, cory40 said:

They are winning and not by hanging on. They have the ponies. But your allowed to be optimistic, wouldn't be right with out a few. But anyone who followed Boston seen how quick Benning helped turn them around. Now he has turned the Nucks around and hang on for the ride, because deep teams always beat two line teams, especially as play-offs continue.

Yes, all we're missing is a Vezina winning goalie, a Selke winning C, a Norris winning D man and everyone outside of Dorsett, Gudbranson & Virtanen to suddenly become big & tough and we're just like Boston.  

 

Also, if assistant GM Benning turned Boston around shouldn't John Weisbrod be getting the credit for turning Vancouver around?  Wait, is Vancouver turned around now after 11 games?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, CanadianRugby said:

Green is a surprisingly good coach, I don't see Vancouver playing well now as a good thing long term though.

Well, at least you've stopped short of complaining about these recent victories costing them draft position next summer.

 

You guys just can't make your minds up whether to dwell on how bad the team is, or how bad it is for the team when it's not bad lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Canucks are definitely in the running for a playoff spot this year. My feeling is they will make it. They are not cup contenders however. Once we integrate the rest of our youth like Juolevi, Pettersson, Demko, hopefully Tryamkin, Dahlen, Gaudette and some others then I can see us in 2-3 years being a Cup contender.  Benning can also pick up a free agent or two like an Evander Kane with all of our future cap space coming up to further strengthen this team. 

 

I like our direction right now. I think we have good depth and prospects at all positions. The only real missing piece we don’t have in our system is a PMD. But if you are like me and have been following this team since the 80’s then you will know we’ve never really had a true PMD.  Paul Reinhart, Jyrki Lumme and Christian Erhoff are the closest we’ve ever gotten to having a PMD. Only Reinhart in his prime actually reached that level but unfortunately his back gave out before he hit 30. 

 

We have an owner that will spend the money, a President who loves to win and works hard, a GM who is a master drafter and now seems to be a very good trader as well, and now we have a head coach who loves to play fast exciting end to end hockey. A big win for the team and the fans. The future looks bright. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, oldnews said:

Well, at least you've stopped short of complaining about these recent victories costing them draft position next summer.

 

You guys just can't make your minds up whether to dwell on how bad the team is, or how bad it is for the team when it's not bad lol.

Not sure what you're talking about.  I didn't dwell on how bad the team was over that last two seasons, I wanted a tank.  I dwell on the lack of draft picks and that Vancouver was absolutely terrible despite the GM trying to make the playoffs.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, PuckFather said:

Like finishing 29 and pick 5th again?

 

8 hours ago, PunjabiCanucks said:

Its called security, yes it sucks we will fall spots but no more then 3.

 

8 hours ago, PuckFather said:

Hi about finishing 18th and drafting 1st?

 

7 hours ago, PunjabiCanucks said:

the statistical chance of doing so is way lower

 

so-youre-telling-me-theres-a-chance.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, PunjabiCanucks said:

Its called security, yes it sucks we will fall spots but no more then 3.

 

10 hours ago, PuckFather said:

Hi about finishing 18th and drafting 1st?

What about making the playoffs and getting a potential first line player like Boeser? Boeser's draft class was deep but 2018 is suppose to be deeper than 2017 where we got Pettersson 5th overall, another potential first liner. Nothing is secure or a sure thing with a lottery and an 18 year old draft.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, CanadianRugby said:

Green is a surprisingly good coach, I don't see Vancouver playing well now as a good thing long term though.  The biggest positive for me has been Boeser as he's constantly looked like the real deal when he plays.  I never hated on Willie as he was given total garbage to work with, but the games are a million times better to watch under Green's aggressive system.  

WD was renowned for a fast, aggressive style but as you point out a coach has to work with the hand he is dealt. Willie played the way he did in order to protect a young team and prevent their confidence from being destroyed. 

WD never lost the room and in fact the young players all seemed to play out of their skin for him. However he was denied Gudy, Dorsett, Hansen, Burr and Tanev for large parts of the season. By the way WD won 8 of the first 11 games.

 

Anyone trying to compare this year's team with last year's and consequently the coaches of the two teams needs stay of the juice.

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...