Post-Game Talk: Canucks 1, Predators 0: Expo Ernie Conquers the Sunsphere

[Vankiller Whale]

Which Canucks don't have NTC's?

Schneider, Edler, Ballard, Tanev, Booth, Raymond, Higgins, Hansen, Kassian, Schroeder, Lapierre, Weise.

Everyone of note, I think.

 

[Tiranis]

Booth, Raymond, Burrows, Higgins, Hansen, Schroeder, Lapierre, Kassian, Weise, Volpatti, Ballard, Edler, Alberts, Tanev, Barker and Schneider.

(according to Capgeek)

Burrows and Edler are about to get one on their next contract. It's what happens when you get guys to take a discount. Not that I mind, I don't see the need to trade any of our guys with an NTC.

 

[Proto]

I think one thing to consider with Kesler's me-first offensive game is that it actually complements the Sedins' game really well. There are too many players on the Canucks that turn into Sedin-lite when the offensive game dries up. The reason Burrows and Kesler work so well offensively for the Canucks is they're never afraid to shoot and don't defer to the Sedins.

Burrows has beastly shot totals this year. If his shooting percentage normalizes to its usual elite territory, he's going to be crushing like Schmidt. He's a cobra in a basket. He just put his driving moccasins on.

 

[Tiranis]

I think one thing to consider with Kesler's me-first offensive game is that it actually complements the Sedins' game really well. There are too many players on the Canucks that turn into Sedin-lite when the offensive dries up. The reason Burrows and Kesler work so well offensively for the Canucks is they're never afraid to shoot and don't defer to the Sedins.

Burrows has beastly shot totals this year. If his shooting percentage normalizes to its usual elite territory, he's going to be crushing like Schmidt. He's a cobra in a basket. He just put his driving moccasins on.

Sedins are back to dominating the way they were in their two Art Ross years. I won't be surprised if they're up there at the end of the season now that the PP is also back to normal with Kesler on it. Their possession stats are ridiculous and Henrik has still only been on the ice for 4GA all year.

 

[Proto]

Sedins are back to dominating the way they were in their two Art Ross years. I won't be surprised if they're up there at the end of the season now that the PP is also back to normal with Kesler on it. Their possession stats are ridiculous and Henrik has still only been on the ice for 4GA all year.

Yes, and they're even better since Burrows got back on the line. When the PP clicks it allows them to tire teams defensemen out and dominate even harder at ES late in the game. They're spending ridiculous amounts of time in the offensive zone, and Henrik is even directing the puck weakly into the net lately, so there's that.

 

[Proto]

Burrows is shooting a lot more this year though, so I doubt he'll end up shooting 14-15% like usual. Still, this looks like 70 point Burrows to me, which could be 85 point Burrows now that he's learned to play on the PP.

 

[Jonesey]

I'm sure you guys will take this one, hopefully we can get ANOTHER loser point out of it. I always hate playing the Canucks, you guys seem to bring the worst out in us.

Anywho, good luck tonight hope it's a clean game with no injuries on either side.

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

I'm sure you guys will take this one, hopefully we can get ANOTHER loser point out of it. I always hate playing the Canucks, you guys seem to bring the worst out in us.

.....and when we sign Weber in the off season we'll be bringing the best out of you.

But tonight we lose 1-0 in the shootout.

 

[Jonesey]

.....and when we sign Weber in the off season we'll be bringing the best out of you.

But tonight we lose 1-0 in the shootout.

heh.. don't want to be confused here.. but you do know Weber is signed forever, right?

 

[Reign Nateo]

heh.. don't want to be confused here.. but you do know Weber is signed forever, right?

Must have meant the 2027 offseason...

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

heh.. don't want to be confused here.. but you do know Weber is signed forever, right?

Methinks EPC is just being funny.

(could be wrong... )

Hopefully the Canucks will have a bit of adrenaline running for the start of this one. We're going to need to be on our game and firing on all cylinders to get some goals here. Going from Nilsthorpe to Rinna is like going from wrestling with a toddler to grappling with Superman...

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

Methinks EPC is just being funny.

(could be wrong... )

Hopefully the Canucks will have a bit of adrenaline running for the start of this one. We're going to need to be on our game and firing on all cylinders to get some goals here. Going from Nilsthorpe to Rinna is like going from wrestling with a toddler to grappling with Superman...

No, just bitter and sarcastic.

I was sure he was going to be a Canuck.

We still lose 1-0.

 

[Alflives*]

Burrows and Edler are about to get one on their next contract. It's what happens when you get guys to take a discount. Not that I mind, I don't see the need to trade any of our guys with an NTC.

Most of the players without NTC's have no value in trade. Would any of them (excluding Schnieder and Kassian) return Chris Neal?

 

[Jonesey]

No, just bitter and sarcastic.

I was sure he was going to be a Canuck.

We still lose 1-0.

ok fair enough.. haha


You will win 3-2 in a SO.

 

[Hal 9000*]

Kesler is a little off pace right now, but I think that (like the Sedins), he is what he is and his wingers have to find a way of playing with him. Just as the coaches found Burrows to play with the Sedins, it's their job to find someone to compliment Kesler. I think that was what Booth was brought in for.

 

[Ozone]

3-1 Nucks.

As the Sunsphere seems a bit Freudian, it seems appropriate we win by a 'pair'...

 

[AmazingNuck]

^^

Agreed for the most part. I also would add, I don't think our organization has ever done a great job of finding ideal linemates for Kesler.

I might also add, Kesler is never going anywhere.

What does an "ideal linemate" even mean? Matching talents? Chemistry?

From what I've seen, Kesler is a willing passer when he believes that the person he's passing to isn't much worse than him offensively (like Hansen, Higgins, Raymond, Booth, Samuelsson, etc.). He's not a great decision maker with the puck and his handling isn't superb. He's fast and big, good passer when he wants to be, has a good shot, great defensively, and good on the draw.

If you want Kesler to produce offensively, you'll have to give him a linemate who is better offensively than he is- not because he's not talented, but because he doesn't have the respect for his linemates to pass the puck as often as he should.

He passes very often on the powerplay when he plays with the Sedins.. his ideal linemate is Daniel. They each cover each other's deficiencies and there is chemistry there... let Daniel be the playmaker and they'll feed off each other. Play Henrik with Booth and Burrows- both guys benefit from playing with a natural playmaker.

 

[AmazingNuck]

Kesler is a little off pace right now, but I think that (like the Sedins), he is what he is and his wingers have to find a way of playing with him. Just as the coaches found Burrows to play with the Sedins, it's their job to find someone to compliment Kesler. I think that was what Booth was brought in for.

The problem is attitude. Kesler doesn't want to pass- probably because every time he gives the puck to his linemates, they lose it. He was more willing to pass at ES before he played PP with the Sedins. Can't blame him- I'd be pissed too if my passes went from being handled by a Sedin to being handled by Higgins.

 

[Ozone]

Burrows is shooting a lot more this year though, so I doubt he'll end up shooting 14-15% like usual. Still, this looks like 70 point Burrows to me, which could be 85 point Burrows now that he's learned to play on the PP.

Plus, points aside, his net presence the past few games has been pivotal.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Zombo, great job. BUT the Sunsphere is in Knoxville...

wigsphere.

I wish beast mode Kesler would come out for this game.

be patient? lol what do you mean, i wasn't even referring to his play this season. hes been this player since he scored 40

went beast mode on nashville and became convinced he was 1990 messier meets 1999 jagr.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Plus, points aside, his net presence the past few games has been pivotal.

Indeed. He's kind of flown under the radar with some of the bigger news items over the last week (Hansen's suspension, Henrik's record) but Burrows has been playing excellent hockey. The "A" on his jersey is well deserved and somewhat overdue, IMO.

As for Kesler's passing (or lack thereof), I don't think it stems completely from a lack of willingness to use his linemates. He just so frequently ends up so far ahead of them by virtue of being a quicker skater, that if he were to drop it back, he'd end up offside. He does a lot of his work on the rush.

IIRC, Pavel Bure used to have the same problem. They eventually got him to circle back to his blueline as his teammates were skating through the neutral zone, and then have him launch up into the play so they all arrived in the attacking zone at the same time. Could be something worth trying with Kesler. His PP prowess shows that he is certainly an adept passer.

 

[luongo321]

Must have meant the 2027 offseason...

2027 weber will still be better than any nucks d-man that we have right now (besides Tanev).

 

[AmazingNuck]

Indeed. He's kind of flown under the radar with some of the bigger news items over the last week (Hansen's suspension, Henrik's record) but Burrows has been playing excellent hockey. The "A" on his jersey is well deserved and somewhat overdue, IMO.

As for Kesler's passing (or lack thereof), I don't think it stems completely from a lack of willingness to use his linemates. He just so frequently ends up so far ahead of them by virtue of being a quicker skater, that if he were to drop it back, he'd end up offside. He does a lot of his work on the rush.

IIRC, Pavel Bure used to have the same problem. They eventually got him to circle back to his blueline as his teammates were skating through the neutral zone, and then have him launch up into the play so they all arrived in the attacking zone at the same time. Could be something worth trying with Kesler. His PP prowess shows that he is certainly an adept passer.

Kesler's play reflects the mindset of "the person who best does the job on the ice does the job." His frequency of being ahead of his teammates is not a cause of his lack of passes, but rather, a result of his lack of trust in his (ES) linemates- although really you could argue his lack of trust is justified, but that's another discussion.

Kesler doesn't trust his wingers to score or handle the puck properly, which is why he doesn't pass as often as he should. He also doesn't trust the defensemen to skate the puck up the ice safely, which is why he skates the puck up the ice and is so frequently ahead of his linemates.

We see this all of the time on the powerplay. He's a very willing passer, and he's a great passer too. When Ehrhoff was on the team and the two played together, Ehrhoff rushed the puck up ice about as often, or even more often, than Kesler. Now, Kesler rushes the puck up the ice most frequently.

The root of his problem: He's the best player on our team when he's on the ice at ES at doing just about everything, so he feels like he's the one who should do everything. Personally, I think he's right, so I don't blame him.

 

[Tiranis]

The root of his problem: He's the best player on our team when he's on the ice at ES at doing just about everything, so he feels like he's the one who should do everything. Personally, I think he's right, so I don't blame him.

That sounds like complete ********. Sedins are more than happy to pass to Kassian, Burrows, etc. What makes Kesler so much better that he shouldn't? If that's what he truly thinks then he should get his head out of his ***.

 

[Ozone]

Indeed. He's kind of flown under the radar with some of the bigger news items over the last week (Hansen's suspension, Henrik's record) but Burrows has been playing excellent hockey. The "A" on his jersey is well deserved and somewhat overdue, IMO.

As for Kesler's passing (or lack thereof), I don't think it stems completely from a lack of willingness to use his linemates. He just so frequently ends up so far ahead of them by virtue of being a quicker skater, that if he were to drop it back, he'd end up offside. He does a lot of his work on the rush.

IIRC, Pavel Bure used to have the same problem. They eventually got him to circle back to his blueline as his teammates were skating through the neutral zone, and then have him launch up into the play so they all arrived in the attacking zone at the same time. Could be something worth trying with Kesler. His PP prowess shows that he is certainly an adept passer.

Completely agree. His work ethic, hockey sense, and net presence is completely underrated anywhere outside of B.C. and somewhat inside as well.

Regarding Kesler, I have full confidence he will work himself into form in the appropriate time. His PP time, alone, has once again brought some form of credibility to it.
The second line pieces, and his play, will fall into place.