[GDT/PGT] Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers | February 23, 2021 | 7 p.m. PT | SN

[GritGrinder]

1 hour ago, IBatch said:

don't be obtuse.   Toews, Kane, Seabrook, Keith...they are rebuilding despite those guys but won't ever be able to be a serious contender with all that money tied up either.     Toews and Kane are 32...close to where the Sedins regressed - but not there yet.   Hard to rebuild when you have most of the old country club still together.    Good enough to make the playoffs maybe at best, not bad enough to get good picks. The rebuild word was mentioned and Toews lost it ... Debricant is a good young player ... who else do they have that comes close to replacing their aging core? 

Kane, Toews and Keith only have 2yrs each left after this season and Seabrook 3. Kane is still a top producer and the Hawks have a quite a few good to great young players. Why is their window any different than the Canucks..?

Edited February 24, 2021 by GritGrinder

[Mackcanuck]

Canucks best defensive pairing

 

[Tinky-Winky]

4 hours ago, D-Money said:

http://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm
 

Canucks odds of making the playoffs now just 10.8%. 3rd worst in the league, only ahead of Detroit and Ottawa.

 

we not making the playoffs, no way in hell ...so its really 0%

[NewbieCanuckFan]

4 hours ago, D-Money said:

http://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm
 

Canucks odds of making the playoffs now just 10.8%. 3rd worst in the league, only ahead of Detroit and Ottawa.

 

Time to raise another banner at Rogers!   “Beat the Ottawa Senators three times in one month” banner.

 

(in times like this, better to make jokes.  Even bad ones rather than get angry.  It’s a more healthy way of thinking)

[Jack Fig]

8 hours ago, garthsbutcher said:

Where’s the poster who said Jake was going to bust out tonight?

Sadly, I've become accustomed to seeing "Jake" and "bust" in the same sentence. 

[Boudrias]

29 minutes ago, IBatch said:

At this point he's also painted himself in a corner by backing up both the GM and the coach.   This was the worst loss so far, but sums up the season perfectly too.

 

Time to start looking at who's available this draft in the top ten.   Mostly D's like QHs draft, a couple C's too.    We need both.  

My take is that the Canucks got a couple of lucky goals early and then did not defend well enough to keep the win. Their defending has got a bit better over the past 3 weeks but is no where close to being competitive. The play of the game, unfortunately, was BB's attempt at a cross ice pass in the neutral zone with about 2 minutes left in the 1st period. They turn the puck and the Oilers go in to score. BB goes up the boards on his side as the safe play and maybe they exit the 1st up 3-0. The disappointing part is there does not seem to be a reflex mindset of when to take offensive chances. The top 6 and parts of the 3rd line make high risk plays on a regular basis. In the d-zone how many times did Vancouver lose possession. It appears obvious to me that the book on Vancouver is to forecheck them aggressively and turnovers will happen. 

 

Not as bad this game but players staying out on 2 minute shifts is an absolute no IMHO. I don't care if it is Hughes or any of the top 3 forwards. The messaging here smacks of desperation and is indirectly a put down to the rest of the roster. OK, on the PP with puck possession yes. 

 

This season was likely gone awhile back. High expectations for this group were overstated as Marky glossed over the stats. Fans are ignoring the d-side fire drills which were a regular feature of the regular season and during many playoff games. Offence will win many regular season games but it takes defense to win CUPs. My biggest disappointments of this season is on the d-side. IMHO the balance of this season should be focused on better defense and individual accountability. I am sure much of this already exists in the org but it is not translating well. Rotate prospects thru the lineup for development and evaluation. Move some vets at the trade deadline. Hard to move vets when you don't know what the prospects have to offer? 

 

Management: Benning has delivered a lot of talent to this roster over 5 years. He has tried to help their development by adding vets. Some wins and some losses.

Coaching: Been a fan of Green but the lack of d-side awareness bothers me. These struggles are not unique as I think of Colorado and the NYI. What I would prefer to see is a clearer approach towards better team defense.    

[Heretic]

We made the Hockey Memes!

 

[Hairy Kneel]

5 hours ago, aznmonk said:

Green coaching is below .500 We need above coaching 

 

Might be too late for that, I think were in tank mode but we don't even know it.

Let the kids play. Try a 11/7 line up. Try Petie with Mac. Try a big guy on net front presence on the PP. This could be a blessing in disguise,  like a prolonged pre season.  I'd like to see Graovac and Woo for a few games. 

[CaptKirk888]

9 hours ago, Trebreh said:

&^@#ing Miller with a dangerous blue line pass then we manage to get it back in the oil zone and cant win a board battle. TRADE HIM PLS

Last year’s hero, this year’s goat. My what a fickle bunch we are.

[CanucksJay]

Lol I don't understand this season. We've blown multiple 2 and 3 goal leads. I thought playoffs from last year was to gain experiencenas a young core (and even then during the most magnified pressure) we held our ground and played a much more structured defence without these gaffes. 

We're not playing badly but making crucial mistakes that cost us games. 

I think we use the season and finish the season with players who will be here next year and play the games like practice where we learn defensive structure and team tendancies. 

For example, I see Schmidt read the play and aggressively pinch with zero hesitation (which is what we want) but no one backs  him up. 

Maybe it does take more time for younger guys to understand where to be.... 

[Chris12345]

52 minutes ago, x00x said:

we not making the playoffs, no way in hell ...so its really 0%

0% is higher than I'd guess.

[GetFocht]

1 hour ago, Smashian Kassian said:

He doesn't want to pay people not to work.

 

Change will come in the offseason starting with the GM.

He's been paying Lou, Loui, Benning, Green and Virtanen. Those are facts. 

[GetFocht]

1 hour ago, Smashian Kassian said:

He doesn't want to pay people not to work.

 

Change will come in the offseason starting with the GM.

He's been paying Lou, Loui, Benning, Green and Virtanen. Those are facts. 

[EP Phone Home]

And did I just hear that Burrows was hired on the Habs coaching staff? Hmmm Manny and Burrows on the coaching staff, would’ve been nice.

Edited February 24, 2021 by EP Phone Home

[CanucksJay]

9 minutes ago, CaptKirk888 said:

Last year’s hero, this year’s goat. My what a fickle bunch we are.

LOL no kidding eh? 

We traded a first for him and were marveling about how great a trade it was. Now it's ship him out haha. 

 

[rekker]

Ugg. This reminds me of when we missed out on hiring Quenville by waiting too long. AV was great but.....I really think Gallant is a good fit and I'd love to see our coaches in the unemployment line with the Habs coaches. 

[IBatch]

22 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

My take is that the Canucks got a couple of lucky goals early and then did not defend well enough to keep the win. Their defending has got a bit better over the past 3 weeks but is no where close to being competitive. The play of the game, unfortunately, was BB's attempt at a cross ice pass in the neutral zone with about 2 minutes left in the 1st period. They turn the puck and the Oilers go in to score. BB goes up the boards on his side as the safe play and maybe they exit the 1st up 3-0. The disappointing part is there does not seem to be a reflex mindset of when to take offensive chances. The top 6 and parts of the 3rd line make high risk plays on a regular basis. In the d-zone how many times did Vancouver lose possession. It appears obvious to me that the book on Vancouver is to forecheck them aggressively and turnovers will happen. 

 

Not as bad this game but players staying out on 2 minute shifts is an absolute no IMHO. I don't care if it is Hughes or any of the top 3 forwards. The messaging here smacks of desperation and is indirectly a put down to the rest of the roster. OK, on the PP with puck possession yes. 

 

This season was likely gone awhile back. High expectations for this group were overstated as Marky glossed over the stats. Fans are ignoring the d-side fire drills which were a regular feature of the regular season and during many playoff games. Offence will win many regular season games but it takes defense to win CUPs. My biggest disappointments of this season is on the d-side. IMHO the balance of this season should be focused on better defense and individual accountability. I am sure much of this already exists in the org but it is not translating well. Rotate prospects thru the lineup for development and evaluation. Move some vets at the trade deadline. Hard to move vets when you don't know what the prospects have to offer? 

 

Management: Benning has delivered a lot of talent to this roster over 5 years. He has tried to help their development by adding vets. Some wins and some losses.

Coaching: Been a fan of Green but the lack of d-side awareness bothers me. These struggles are not unique as I think of Colorado and the NYI. What I would prefer to see is a clearer approach towards better team defense.    

Can't disagree with any of this good post.   One the bright side it wasn't that long ago that the team couldn't buy a goal... so many 1 or 2 or even 0 game performances, the team has gone a long way in that department.   Trotz IMO is the best D coach in the game.   What he did the year after he arrived is nothing sort of masterful.   Their drop in goals against was staggering.   To me there are only a handful of coaches that stand out in this league and right now he leads the pack by a fair margin.   Don't know who is out there that can replicate that but also know it would be a total fluke to get one - have to be an unknown at this point - and doubt the fanbase has the stomach for that.   And it probably doesn't even exist - Trotz mastered his craft over a long time in NSH, with some excellent d's to work with and learn from.   Losing a 3 goal lead is demoralizing for sure. 

 

We need a top level defensive defenseman, or 6 top four D's by committee and we aren't there yet for sure.   QHs without a defensive D stud, should be played as he is but with reduced minutes.   3rd pairing 5 x 5 ozone starts - and PP that's it.   His game needs development, and until it goes he won't be capable of doing anything other then outscoring his opponents.    Janis suggested we trade him for Ty Smith, Nolan Foote and a first and got flamed for it .... time will tell,  not that could actually be a good long term deal for the club. 

 

Anyways - this season for sure is a needed, our pool is starting to scrap the bottom and the team needs another D stud, a Horvat medium/long term replacement and a bottom six that can add to the scoreboard.   No complaints from the offense coming from the back end, it's so much better then it has been since the peak Sedin era.   

 

Don't know if JB is the right man for the job, but because he's created a new core within acceptable time frame (factually better then most teams - look at Detroit for example, or most other rebuilds the past two decades), but am coming around to the idea of a coaching change.   Don't think it's all on TG at all. And am pretty sure he will get other job offers. 

[ShawnAntoski]

7 hours ago, DefCon1 said:

At this point it wont matter since we wont make the playoffs. Best to just let Demko play and maybe bring in Rathbone and rafferty to play D. Sit Benn and Edler so a couple of our prospects can get NHL experience. 

Edler is one of the staffs sacred cow - he will never sit, even though he needs too. The gaffe on the second/third goal at the blue line should had been handled better but he handled it like a rookie and looked very slow on the recovery.  I understand that Edler carries a lot of respect (and he earned it, especially, among the fan base) but he is just slow now and his point shots are not even a threat; I hope the team moves on or he plays a lot less but with this staff he will still be deployed as a top 4/2 and teams are taking advantage of him.  He is a smart player but he is struggling to keep up...

[IBatch]

14 minutes ago, CaptKirk888 said:

Last year’s hero, this year’s goat. My what a fickle bunch we are.

No doubt.  We need more players like him not less.  Get the frustrations, but the macro view for me is at least the team is getting a chance not to end up like most vet teams, cycle of mediocre seasons.   Our cap shouldn't be cap heavy for 3-4 years ... this years picks work out, plus what's going to work out in our pool and we for sure have a chance.   Signing even one of the big three last off-season would have put us on that path.    The team we have right now, like the end of the Naslund era, start of the Sedin era - won't look anything like the same old at all.   Doesn't mean we won't still get stuck in that exact cycle, but we have a chance at something so much more.  

[BarnBurner]

22 minutes ago, Hairy Kneel said:

Might be too late for that, I think were in tank mode but we don't even know it.

Let the kids play. Try a 11/7 line up. Try Petie with Mac. Try a big guy on net front presence on the PP. This could be a blessing in disguise,  like a prolonged pre season.  I'd like to see Graovac and Woo for a few games. 

I agree with this, and it would be great to see what Lind can do as well. The problem is, Green is going to be coaching to save his life, which he's not doing a very good job of inspiring the team to greater heights. So I can't see him experimenting knowing very well his ass is on the hot seat.