[PGT] Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks | Oct. 21, 2021

['NucK™]

11 hours ago, -Vintage Canuck- said:

 

"Not a lot of mistakes made by our group".... uh, what? Your C made two on one shift if I remember right... Demko stoned at least 3 grade A chances in the first period alone that happened due to mistakes.. we sure aren't getting far if Green believes that was a close to mistake-free game..

[Nucker 67]

CHI's liberties with Hoglander. In steps Burroughs to TCB. After that it seemed that CHI had no bite. Canucks might be a tougher team than previous years. Not the pushovers they used to be.

 

It's been a weird start. Team seems out of sync, like they haven't bonded yet.  But once they do (mid-season?) I feel they will be a very difficult team to beat. 

[JM_]

1 minute ago, 'NucK™ said:

"Not a lot of mistakes made by our group".... uh, what? Your C made two on one shift if I remember right... Demko stoned at least 3 grade A chances in the first period alone that happened due to mistakes.. we sure aren't getting far if Green believes that was a close to mistake-free game..

I found that a little annoying as well. For two seasons in a row the team wasn't ready to start the year.

[spook007]

1 hour ago, kloubek said:

While I agree the trade appears lop-sided initially, keep in mind we now have a player on the wrong side of 30 with 6 years to go. Long after the luster of getting rid of 3 bad, 1-year contracts wear off, and as his cost/production ratio creeps ever higher, the deal won't be looking quite as fantastic. 

True, but maybe wait with those concerns until his play actually wears off?

[CanucksJay]

1 hour ago, IBatch said:

I think we should view a six game road trip over .500 as a success to start the season, given BB was out, QHs and EP held out and missed time, and all the new faces for sure.   Motte and Sutter also hurt.    Even .500 is probably just fine.     

 

Id much rather have some struggles early then fire out of the gate and end up going through all the November stuff which became the norm during the rebuild anyways.    There is just as many new bodies as there was a year ago really, this time however, OEL and Garland have been some of our best (if not our best) players.    Schmidt was awful at the start last year, as was everyone else lol...you can see things aren't that bad.   We should have beat EDM in regulation, quick whistles and Smith denied us that - coming back and getting a point was enough though.   Detroit for sure got away with one.   We've had one bad game so far, otherwise nothing to complain about expect maybe EP not earning his deal i suppose.   But i'm not worried about that either.   It will come in time.   Lots to be positive about ... OEL and Garland wow.   Demko is a number one.   

 

If we can have a winning road record we make the playoffs. 

I'm a huge fan of this team. 

I don't see what the hockey world sees. I see this as a playoff team and anything else is an under achievement. 

We watch this team more closely than any other NHL analyst as they have to watch all 30+ teams. 

100% of our focus is on this team. 

Based on the Canucks teams that have played in Vancouver in the many years I have watched, I can say this is a good team. Not the best but it has one of the deepest group of forwards. (especially when Motte and Sutter return) 

On defence there was some concerns but Poolman, Rathbone and Burroughs have impressed. 

Once we add Hamonic back into the fold, again, one of the top defences we've had. 

 

I know some might laugh at me

 

Edler, Ehrhoff, Hamhuis Salo

Vs

OEL, Hughes , Hamonic, Myers 

 

Poolman and Rathbone > Rome and Ballard 

 

I think many people will now concede that OEL is very similar to Edler in his prime. 

Did you know Ehrhoff best season (our best puck moving D man and PP qb ) was 50 pts at the height of our success? Meanwhile Quinn put up 53 in a covid shortened season as a sophomore. 

His defence is coming along and there is no doubt he will be better than ehrhoff (if he isn't already) 

 

Hamhuis > Hamonic (conceded) 

Myers and Salo? Debatable. 

I love Salo. Ppl liked him for his cannon but I loved him because of his solid positioning on defence. Super smart player.  Myers lacks the structure that Salo has but has other assets like size, reach, speed. 

 

This team has all the pieces to be successful. Many core components are still very young. Sedins didn't get to the cup finals until their 11th pro season. 

 

We need our young core to develop and be elite in the next 2-3 years to take a run at the cup. 

Our long term window is good but the great mix of vets in their prime and youth is actually pretty narrow. 

By vets, I mean OEL, Myers Hamonic. 

 

That's why this year, the Canucks need to make the playoffs and they need to give themselves a legit shot in the next 1-3 years. 

This reminds me of 2009 Chicago Blackhawks except our vets are even older so window is closing fast on this team.

Afer next 2-3 seasons, we may need to replace our entire top 4D minus Hughes depending on how things go and how the vets are playing at their respective ages. 

[RakuRaku]

10 hours ago, yes we can nucks said:

Not that there's anything wrong with that! 

Absolutely nothing wrong.... but spare the details pls.... we would like to keep this thread Canucks-only content!

[Tyndall2]

The team doctor needs to give Miller an eye sight test.  He continues to make passes to the wrong coloured jerseys.  Notice how our second pp line seems to generate more havoc around the opposition net?  

 

[CanucksJay]

46 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

Some are already assuming they'll finish the road trip with a 3-2-1 record. Hold on a minute...

 

SEA is a pretty good team and they're going to want to win in front of their fans. Canucks might just be thinking about sleeping in their own beds after the game. Winning in SEA though, would be a great way to end the trip. 

LOL whos making the assumption?

The question was IF...

[-Vintage Canuck-]

 

[CanucksJay]

27 minutes ago, grumpyone said:

I don't fully agree with the bit about the forwards. 

What I see is that the other teams are keying on Bo's and Petey's lines and being extra tight in the checking of them and that is leaving our 3rd and 4th lines more space to generate something. As long as our bottom 6 keep holding their own, we'll be fine. The top 6 has shown in the past that they can figure it out and re-jig the offence. Plus the other teams can't always put out their shut down lines against us if we have 3 scoring lines, cause their stars will not see the ice enough. 

Getting home ice advantage and last change will help immensey as well

[Gurn]

Winning in Seattle does not mean the team is now fine. They are getting points, which are needed, but how those points are achieved is more important.

I wonder how that game would have gone if Brock did not score, on that 5 on 3? 

Hoping for the best, yet I'm sceptical this season, so far.

 

[gizmo2337]

I thought we played a pretty sloppy game. They need to clean that stuff up!
I say bag skate every time the other team gets more shots on net than us. Either hit the net, block a shot or sit in the press box. Defensive lapses are frightening at the moment.

[billabong]

10 hours ago, iceman64 said:

when has it not stopped? 

Side note, imo OEL and Rathbone both looked great, OEL as advertised, and Rathbone, looks like a seasoned pro out there.

OEL has been a stabilizer back there along with poolman

 

rathbone with the puck is dynamic, but without it he gets lost

 

we need another ugly, tough, puck eater on the blueline though to clear the front of the net 

[Gollumpus]

11 hours ago, Alflives said:

Makar is now a fat minus six.  He’s great attacking with puck on stick, but he struggles if he needs to slow the game down and think.  

Who cares? The comment to which I was responding was talking about a point plateau reached over a certain number of games. It was not discussing plus/minus, or any other stat which might put one player in a better light than another, therefore, in this instance your comment is not really relevant... and a more recent search shows Makar is currently -9, which doesn't change his total of points in X games. 

 

                                                        regards,  G.

[CanucksJay]

3 minutes ago, gizmo2337 said:

I thought we played a pretty sloppy game. They need to clean that stuff up!
I say bag skate every time the other team gets more shots on net than us. Either hit the net, block a shot or sit in the press box. Defensive lapses are frightening at the moment.

lol

lets not go too crazy now

I dont want to cater to primmadonnas but that's just asking for everyone to request a trade.

 

I do think we gave up some high danger chances and was a bit sloppy in our end.

 

If I am the opposing coach, it's really a no brainer on how to beat the Canucks. HIgh pressure forecheck!

 

It led to numerous turnovers yesterday

 

Mtl feasted on us last year.

 

If Green isn't alarmed that CHicago freely sent in THREE guys on the forecheck, he really should be replaced.

WHen the staff sees 3 Chicago forwards deep on a forecheck, if you can't figure out a way to counter attack with an odd man advantage up ice, you really shouldn't be in this league...

 

 

[MeanSeanBean]

6 minutes ago, gurn said:

Winning in Seattle does not mean the team is now fine. They are getting points, which are needed, but how those points are achieved is more important.

I wonder how that game would have gone if Brock did not score, on that 5 on 3? 

Hoping for the best, yet I'm sceptical this season, so far.

 

If the team wins in Seattle I would consider it a great start. Going over 500 in a pretty rough road stint to start the season, all while missing 2/3 of the 4th line, our best penalty killers, and our 'best player' mostly invisible. 

 

I get what's your saying, but at the same time by your logic that Detroit game should have been an easy win if Greise doesn't stand on his head for 60 minutes. Doesn't matter how you get points on the road, only matters that you do.

 

The Buffalo game sucked. No ifs, ands, or buts (even though I was on a group dog walk and missed the last 2 periods, so I actually didn't see them lay the egg). But in the rest of the games I have felt that the effort has been there, and besides some brain farts here and there they have generally been well played games. Personally, I'm not concerned with this team being perfect. I'm primary concern is them giving it their very best every night.

[JM_]

8 minutes ago, gurn said:

Winning in Seattle does not mean the team is now fine. They are getting points, which are needed, but how those points are achieved is more important.

I wonder how that game would have gone if Brock did not score, on that 5 on 3? 

Hoping for the best, yet I'm sceptical this season, so far.

 

Me too. We've looked pretty bad in the offensive zone this year, if it wasn't for some great individual efforts moving the puck we'd be in big trouble. I just don't understand why Green can't seem to motivate this group on a consistent basis.

 

Its like the team has too much talent for Green to know what to do with.

[Gurn]

2 minutes ago, Shayster007 said:

Doesn't matter how you get points on the road, only matters that you do.

disagree, points are generally obtained by good play, getting "unearned" points is not a sound strategy.

Same for home games incidentally.

[Alflives]

Just now, gurn said:

disagree, points are generally obtained by good play, getting "unearned" points is not a sound strategy.

Same for home games incidentally.

We have been clearly the better team on four of the five nights.  When Quinn plays, and Demko is better than his matchup, we will win a lot more than we lose.  We now have depth, that we haven't had in a long time.  

[kanucks25]

3 hours ago, CanucksJay said:

The critics have become silent. 

OEL is a bonafide top pairing defensemen. His skills, hockey iq is evident. 

 

I hope you're right. But it's been 5 games.

 

3 hours ago, Alflives said:

I’m trying to think of any trade (league wide) where a team acquired a legit top pair D man, in his prime, for so little?  If we consider getting Garland cost us 9 OA, then OEL came for three cap dumps, and Arizona retained on his salary too.  Its actually insane how fantastic this deal was.  I think people forget at the time of the trade OEL was still only 29.  

He was cheap because he hadn't played like a top pairing guy in a few years and still had 6 years left on his contract @ big money. Not many teams wanted to touch that contract.

 

If he regains his top pair form consistently and long-term then it was a fantastic job by management/scouting to believe that he would flourish in a new environment.

 

Personally I'm not surprised that he's playing well but I would be surprised if he's back in the Norris conversation like he was in his prime.

 

We can enjoy it in the moment but it's very premature to call this yet, either way.