[GDT/PGT] Vancouver Canucks @ Toronto Maple Laffs | February 4, 2021 | 4 p.m. PT | SNP

[oldnews]

Similar symptoms.

 

In my eye, the principal problem at this point is that the team is essentially cheating - and failing as a result.  By cheating I mean, they are not moving the puck as units - they are endlessly hoping/attempting to stretch the ice - they are not supporting the puck - and it's leaving them in repeated situations where they are giving the puck away and facing odd man rushes.  I think things probably come too easily to this group at times, and they're suffering from undersimplifying the game - which is precisely not the way to get out of these kind of funks.  Not just EP (who I think has to get back to his game without the puck, which is what will revitalize him, not breaking out of scoring struggles - which can be half the solution, but leaving the fundamental lack of killer instinct at all times over 200ft behind.  Hughes - is too predictable = and the team is relying on him too much to carry the puck and to force transition when it just may not be there.

 

One of the things I love about Schmidt's game - is his first pass - and sometimes that is just a quick 10ft pass under pressure which creates that crack of space for the breakout/exit/transition.  That also requires puck support though - and it just seems (from a television viewpoint - which is hard to see the ice, but) it appears as though there is far too much leaking up ice looking to take too much repeatedly in transition.    Part of the reason the Beagle Motte line are looking like the team's best night in night out is because they take what is given, generally in small bites - they take care of exits before the rush - they generally don't cheat, on a hope or prayer that they're going to get space they havent' worked for (not sure how else to put that).

 

Part of me thinks it starts with the captain.  Horvat is not a pretty player - but he's committing 'soft' errors - like failing to get pucks in deep at the blueline - things you don't like to see out of a captain.  I still think he's probably too young a captain to handle situations like the present - he's not elevating his own game (by example) - and he's looking far too invisible when the team needs someone to step up.  At the same time Miller has not looked himself - so there's a dual effect in the top 6 - while I think Pearson has also been spotty at best.  For me the only two top 6 who are consitently playing 'the right way' are Boeser and Hoglander (and ironically, these are the guys that the supposed Toffoli 'solution' would have addressed).  And since we're not singling people out here, let's not leave out Roussel who has been downright hard to watch despite the odd moment - not just the braincramp penalties, but doesn't seem to have that sense necessary when it comes to moving the puck - whenever he doesn't simplify, it doesn't tend to turn out well (for me the additional irony is that people constantly question Virtanen's hockey intelligence, but he'd be nowhere near the first guy's 'hockey intelligence' that I'd question. 

 

Don't think the team can afford Roussel's inconsistency at the same time as Gaudette appears to be regressing closer to where he was last year as opposed to the opening nights of the season.  The team really needs two bottom six lines rolling right now in order to compete - imo Beagle's is, but Sutter's is suffering from highly inconsistent wing play - for me, MacEwen would be the mainstay relative to those two - and I don't like the team's chances of handling a couple lines like the Leafs have, with Sutter's line at a fraction.   Top line is vulnerable, second line needs more from Horvat (and Pearson), and the third line, Sutter needs more continuity on the wing.

 

Similar perhaps to the later stages of the playoffs - where they essentially had one - the 4th - line 'rolling' - and the team otherwise, overall, lacked intent moving the puck.

The blueline just isn't solid enough in present form - particularly with 7th/8th D in the lineup, to ground the rest of the team.... Benn has been good (but needless to say, he isn't a Tanev) and Chatfield has been very good.  Perhaps the most promising thing defensively is how well Chatfield is performing in spite of it being in the context of a fire drill (yet another likeness to Tanev).

 

Even the intermissions were awful.

I mean - Patrick Johnson = simply can't listen to the guy.  He doesn't believe himself - for good reason - so why would I believe in his perspective?

Pretty sure I heard Murph and him ask the question what the problem is -and then suggest that the personnel are 'the same'.... funny market this is.

One minute it's ermagerd, the team is lost without Markstrom, Tanev, Toffoli...the next the team's problems are inexplicable because the systems and the rosters are the same.   Half the blueline / half of every pairing - are new or replacement D....Their starting goaltender moved on (captain obvious point).  Another rookie in the top 6 (and line blender in effect because the team's best players - are not, in the present....). 

Anyhow if the choice is between Patrick Johnson and Satiar Shah, I think I'd have to take the latter - at least he appears to be making an effort to move from smarm towards thoughtul perspective.

 

Last point here - what an amateur performance by Pollock.   Typical, 'unpredictable' NHL zebras - they've been trigger happy thus far this year - and then tonight - complete 180, borderline threw the whistle away at times - htf is anyone supposed to know what to expect of these guys?  Bush league (there were a couple straight out of the 80s moments with Bogosian in particular running oldtime interference/clutch and grab on forecheckers....just had to laugh.  I'm critical of Roussel, but at the same time, all is fair where he's concerned, so it's not shocking he does stupid things in frustration -and in fairness to him, the one thing that annoyed me the most were his between the whistles antics, which he's largely eliminated and is simply playing the game (still need better decision making out of him, though - and if he's on one of Sutter's wings, I think the other winger needs to be the steadier element (which Gaudette is not).

 

(Make) better luck (for yourselves) next time, guys

 

 

2 hours ago, Pickly said:

@oldnews what do you make of this performance? 

Edited February 5, 2021 by oldnews

[luckylager]

1 minute ago, EmilyM said:

Yeah, the Benning era was missing that unified vision right off the bat and now we're left with a bunch of used bandaids in the tub.

10/10 metaphor.

[*Buzzsaw*]

17 minutes ago, kilgore said:

 

We miss Stecher more than most fans will admit.  He was one of our best defensive d-men.  One of our quickest at puck recovery and getting it or moving it out of the zone.  And was relied on for the PK. Paired with Edler last season and the playoffs, they had the best plus minuses on the team. He's exactly what we need more of.

 

The reason they didn't sign him is the extra 1.5 million was spent on Schmidt's 6 million per, instead of 4.5 mil per for Tanev.

[Junkyard Dog]

Just now, ilduce39 said:

That’s the part of this where I balk as well.  Toffoli’s biggest impact would just be that we don’t have to play him.  
 

We replaced Tanev with Schmidt who was a stud on a team better than us last year.  
 

I’m on the fence about the coaching issues - maybe that’s a piece of the puzzle. But it’s also largely mental - which means it can get worse and the team can keep imploding - or it can snap back and all of a sudden we’re scratching our heads as to why we sucked to bad to start the year.

 

(“Chemistry” they’ll say.)

We were giving up chances similar to this last year. Although a little watered down since this year is just god awful.

 

Last year we just had Marky to bail us out.

 

Remember games 4-7 vs Vegas. Only Demko deserved to go to 7 games.

 

Team D has been a problem for a while. It's worse this year and we don't have Marky anymore.

[luckylager]

Oh christ, ON just wrote a damn novel.

 

Dare I read it?

[1-d]

1 minute ago, VancouverHabitant said:

It's not just you....  our D is just roaming like crazy, our forwards aren't covering for them, everybody is committing turnovers, just a circus out there. 

If I wanted to watch a circus, I'd rather watch a monkey eating a fireball than this sh!tshow.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, WHL rocks said:

Team leadership, depth and team culture are vastly different with those two on the team and in the dressing room. 

 

Team plays more cohesively and as a unit instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

That's a weak team then....   Don't forget that we had Toffoli for a grand total of TEN regular season games.  

 

Quinn sucking can be attributed to Tanev, I'll give you that.  Quinn is supposed to be our best d-man, and he's not playing like one.  Myers is really sucking big time this year too. 

[Anna Anna]

Maybe is all intentional after they seen what bening and green ( I believe that he had something to say about who stays and who goes) did with there teem mates at the end of the season?

Why leave your hart and soul  at the rink ?

[Devron]

5 minutes ago, WHL rocks said:

Team leadership, depth and team culture are vastly different with those two on the team and in the dressing room. 

 

Team plays more cohesively and as a unit instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

The players need to wake up and stop sulking if that’s the case. 

[70seven]

Well, seeing this group play every team in the division now, I’m pretty confident in saying the Canucks still look like a rebuilding franchise, as its been exposed by playing vs a stronger division.

 

ive supported Benning, and still love what he’s done outside free agency....  but now that we have the young core, we need someone who can competently  take this group and build around it.

 

Fire Benning.  Tank.  Retool.  

[Rick_theRyper]

36 minutes ago, SILLY GOOSE said:

For all the grief Jake gets, he is much more sound overall than Gaudette.  Would rather see Zack in the line up over AG long term

Yup, 

[zimmy]

8 minutes ago, Jack Fig said:

A classic! 

That extra little swing to the right at the very end totally makes it. Acting!!!

[WHL rocks]

2 minutes ago, kilgore said:

 

This team, with the air starting to come out of the Sedin era balloon, should have had an experienced GM for that coming important transition.  And sure, hire Benning in charge of scouting if you like. I also think a President is important, and Linden working with a veteran GM where he could learn a lot would have been ideal for him. A veteran GM also may have valued more the talents of Gilman. Who knows.

We let go cap master Gilman and hired a potato Wisebroad. Horrible move.

 

Linden was hired to rebuild the teams reputation locally and league wide. He was more of a sales rep than a president imo. 

 

Aqua should call up Rutherford. He just quit in PIT. Very experienced 3 time Cup winning executive GM. Well respected league wide.

[Devron]

1 minute ago, luckylager said:

Oh christ, ON just wrote a damn novel.

 

Dare I read it?

Yeah I’m gonna circle back later haha

[rychicken]

37 minutes ago, kilgore said:

Listening to Green that the team "looks tired"

 

WTF?

What does he mean tired? 

Tired sleepy? Not getting enough sleep?

Tired mentally? They're not sharp enough? The other team is out thinking them?

Tired physically?  Green is bag skating them too much?

Tired of hockey, playing on a recently gutted team?

 

Just seems like a strange word to use to use as an excuse.  Only 14 games played ffs.

tired....

[EmilyM]

2 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said:

We were giving up chances similar to this last year. Although a little watered down since this year is just god awful.

 

Last year we just had Marky to bail us out.

 

Remember games 4-7 vs Vegas. Only Demko deserved to go to 7 games.

 

Team D has been a problem for a while. It's worse this year and we don't have Marky anymore.

And it's exacerbated by the fact that we rely heavily on our possession game to offset our defensive deficiencies. And when our top forwards aren't performing, it trickles down to D.

[TNucks1]

[Ballisticsports.]

4 minutes ago, debluvscanucks said:

Simmonds.  The big ugly goof.  They take runs at Quinn (x 2) in a 7-3 game.  Bunch of classless punks.

 

At a 183 ibs, is he really that big? Any Canucks should be able to stand up to him

[sassbs]

5 minutes ago, *Buzzsaw* said:

The reason they didn't sign him is the extra 1.5 million was spent on Schmidt's 6 million per, instead of 4.5 mil per for Tanev.

He shouldn’t have signed Jake then.   If that’s the case it came down to either Toffoli or Jake. 

[Junkyard Dog]

20 minutes ago, kilgore said:

 

We miss Stecher more than most fans will admit.  He was one of our best defensive d-men.  One of our quickest at puck recovery and getting it or moving it out of the zone.  And was relied on for the PK. Paired with Edler last season and the playoffs, they had the best plus minuses of every other d. He's exactly what we need more of.

 

He wasn't a PKer for us and only averaged 15:21 last year during the season and 16:20 in the playoffs.

 

He was a top 6 D for us at best.

 

We also sucked defensively last year. Gave up a lot of chances as well. There's a reason why Marky was our MVP.