Post-Game Talk: GAME #44 | Canucks 1 @ Stars 5

[me2]

lol 9 days ago the Kings lost to the Stars exactly how we did. Up 1-0 tied 1-1 heading into the 3rd period and they go on to give up 4 straight in the 3rd.

that rules LA out as anything more than playoff fodder.

 

[StIllmatic]

WTF was that? Man oh man oh man.

Interesting stat from this game: when the Canucks got clear possession of the puck in their own zone they successfully cleared the zone 37 times. They either turned the puck over or failed to clear 46 times. This is since I started keeping track at about halfway through the 1st period, and doesn't include Dallas line changes when there no forecheckers. Oi.

++ Kassian. Best game from him in a long time. Actually looked into the play.

-- Raymond, Ebbett. Okay, we've accepted that Ebbett's not much of a hockey player. Raymond on the other hand...more should be expected from him. I think he had one good shift tonight. *sigh* Well, he's rounding into playoff form early.

++ Alberts, Garrison. Best defensive efforts by far.

-------------- Barker. Dear holy ****ing ****, get this lump off the team. I'm actually missing Aaron Rome tonight. WTF, Gillis...

-- Burrows. WTF was that back pass to Ballard? Did nothing offensively, took stupid penalty. Deserves minuses all on his own.

-- Sedins. This team really needs some blood + guts leadership and fortitude, and I'm sorry, I love Hank and Danny as much as anyone, but they just aren't it. Too easily smothered and frustrated.

+ Kesler, Roy, Hansen line. We get a centre at the deadline, and AV decides to make him a winger. Uh-huh. Makes perfect sense. Well, at least they were okay together. Maybe they can develop some good chemistry on a line just in time for it to be ruined when Higgins comes back.

-- 4th line. Do we have one? Barely noticed.

-- Edler. Too many times he's been slow, soft and confused. I'm really starting to worry if the back injury has ruined him as an elite dman. Granted, he was paired with Barker, so every shift was an adventure, but still. If he's a good dman, he should provide at least some stabilizing influence back there, shouldn't he? Repeatedly turnstiled, repeated turnovers, and this isn't a new development.

+/- Ballard. Showed good along with the bad.

+++ Schneider. Had every right to be pissed at his team.

Unless a dramatic turnaround is made, this team is going to be meat for any pro hockey team that actually has its **** together in the playoffs.

I thought Edler played well, he didn't make mistakes and was covering for Barker all night. Its hard to play defense when your partner has horrible gap control and decision making. I feel bad for Edler this season, he's been playing with Juice and now Barker for majority of the season. Sure Edler hasn't been great this season, but he still has had to cover for his partners majority of the season.

 

[Canucks LB]

I am a bad gambler. I made a few bets today which won me 25.67, then I used that money to play blackjack, I put down 5, won 10, so I am at 35.67.

So then im like **** it, im on fire.

So I went 10, lost, went 10 again, lost, went 5, lost, went 5, lost.

down to 5$, then i say screw it, play 3 1$ games, won all 3. up to 8+, then i tried another 5, lost. Down to 3$ use it in slots, lost all money eventually.

gg (oh this story is more relevant then THAT canucks game I missed)

 

[deadinthewater]

You'd never know because that was a team that kept their composure throughout. They kept the pedal to the metal. I do know that when they were up 3 games to none in the final against New Jersey and then lost two straight, they didn't fold in Game 6 at home. In fact, they won 6-1.

I do get what you're saying, though. It didn't seem like much of a bumpy ride for the Kings last year. That doesn't mean there weren't points in their run when they separated themselves from a pretender.

What do you mean by "separated themselves from a pretender?" Us? Sure.

 

[NuxFan09]

What do you mean by "separated themselves from a pretender?" Us? Sure.

What I mean is there are certain points in a big game - whether it's a key penalty kill or an opportunity on the PP to tie up the game or go ahead etc. - and it's in these moments where the contenders are separated from the pretenders.

My point was, as breezy as the Kings' run to the Cup seemed, it obviously wasn't in the bag for them in the get go. There were moments when they had to step up and they did.

 

[deadinthewater]

What I mean is there are certain points in a big game - whether it's a key penalty kill or an opportunity on the PP to tie up the game or go ahead etc. - and it's in these moments where the contenders are separated from the pretenders.

My point was, as breezy as the Kings' run to the Cup seemed, it obviously wasn't in the bag for them in the get go. There were moments when they had to step up and they did.

Okay, fair enough.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I am a bad gambler.

OT: I indulge in a lot of things, one might say I am a hedonist. One thing I can't wrap my head around is gambling. I love texas hold'em, making small wagers but I just can't wrap my around the fact people have lost their homes over this. There needs to be a cost-benefit system for me to understand it.

disclaimer - I still would like to win a lottery, damn it. I have never spent money on a ticket though.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Absolute no show in the third but at the end of road trips you get these kinds of games. That said this nothing like a great team right now. Just way too much baggage.

The Good

Garrison - another solid effort. Has become a our best defenseman. Who would have thought with his start.

Burrows - good on the pk and did some solid work in the offensive end. Probably our best forward. Thought he was one player with some jump

Alberts - showed some urgency and moved the puck out his zone well. Thought his coverage was good. Saddled with bad partners and did his best to cover up.

The Bad

Mason Raymond - has not looked good since returning from injury. Really a heartless effort. On the first goal if slides into the path of the guy with the puck he stops the pass. Instead he waves haplessly at the puck . Sort of typifies his effort.

The Ugly

Ballard - coverage was dreadful - chasing the play - got beat one on one off the rush and out of the corner consistently. Only time he looks half decent is when he has open ice. Soon as he get in traffic looks confused and disoriented. Buy out can't come soon enough

Ebbett - ridiculous that the Canucks even conceived he could play at this level. Puts their whole pro scouting and player assessment abilities into complete doubt. You might get the odd play out of him but has no where near the talent to compete in the grind of the NHL on any sustained basis.

The Beyond Ugly

Barker - again ridiculous that he is even played. Has looked awful all season and was just the same in this game. Really you have to question even if he is trying to compete. Certainly doesn't look like it. Just looks to be going thru the motions. There is no use cataloging all his deficiencies. He is among the worst players to ever wear a Canuck uniform. Is incomprehensible why he is played. I think any defenseman on the Wolves would give a better effort. That the Canucks put any reliance on Barker again raises huge questions about management.

Other Thoughts

Kesler has to be a lot better than this to allow the team to compete in the playoffs. Started ok but seemed to run out of gas. Stamina has to be questioned.

Kassain looked dangerous at times but again it was mostly individual stuff and he still seems out of sync with whoever he plays with. However, still shows enough to give you hope. But in the short term I see him as more of negative than a positive.

Canucks just have too many fringe players. Pinnizotto is a mid level AHL player, Ebbett can't play at this level, Barker is a known washout in the League, Sestito is useless, Kassian is not ready, Ballard very fringe, Alberts a 7 or 8 guy, Weise marginal. That's too many bad or fringe players

Roussel again looked decent - you wonder why the Canucks passed over this guy when they had him in the organization for some of the trash they did sign. Another poor assessment of a player.

Nice goal by Roy but he is making a lot of turnovers. Probably needs to play center. They need to try to establish Roy on some sort of line rather than switching him all over the place. Thought that was the idea here. Trying to use Ebbett makes no sense.

One good thing is that price on Raymond is going down

Also you have wonder if the team can win without Bieksa

Maybe too easy to get on the team after a game like this but polly-annish anot to recognize the obvious problems with the team as the playoffs loom.

Disagree on Burrows and Ballard. Not that Ballard was really good or anything, but yeah. Our pro scouting worries me greatly as well. And our amateur scouting, and our junior scouting...well, everyone who's not Gradin.

Other than that, right on.

1040 - does NOT criticize the canucks at all. Oh typical canucks. we've seen this before. nothing to worry about. lack of goals does not matter. defense wins championships.

Problem #1 right there.

Pretty much called this when we signed him.

The way he butchered that 2-on-2 tonight to somehow turn it into a partial breakaway was a Picasso of ineptitude. Sort of play you shouldn't see from a defender in the BCHL.

This deserves to be quoted ad infinitum. That play was seared on my brain for an hour afterwards. Can't wait for Barker to be long gone. Where are those "low risk, high reward signing" guys now?

I thought Edler played well, he didn't make mistakes and was covering for Barker all night. Its hard to play defense when your partner has horrible gap control and decision making. I feel bad for Edler this season, he's been playing with Juice and now Barker for majority of the season. Sure Edler hasn't been great this season, but he still has had to cover for his partners majority of the season.

Tonight I actually made a point of keeping track of the turnovers in their own zone as you saw, and Edler was right up there. Granted, he's been shackled to Bieksa at his worst and to Barker at his normal, but Edler still found enough time and space to **** up plays all on his own, believe me. In St Louis, I saw encouraging flashes of the old, dominant Edler. That guy vanished tonight.

 

[Canucks LB]

OT: I indulge in a lot of things, one might say I am a hedonist. One thing I can't wrap my head around is gambling. I love texas hold'em, making small wagers but I just can't wrap my around the fact people have lost their homes over this. There needs to be a cost-benefit system for me to understand it.

disclaimer - I still would like to win a lottery, damn it. I have never spent money on a ticket though.

That might be a problem

I don't gamble often, very very rarely, but I had a hot streak this week, i blew it. Should have cashed out

 

[opendoor]

Pretty much called this when we signed him.

The way he butchered that 2-on-2 tonight to somehow turn it into a partial breakaway was a Picasso of ineptitude. Sort of play you shouldn't see from a defender in the BCHL.

Yeah, people were saying stuff like "oh, if the #8 guy is playing then the team is screwed anyway" or "if he plays poorly he'll just get sent to the AHL" but what's transpired since should be a pretty good indication of why some people were blasting the signing at the time. It was a terrible move then and looks even more ridiculous now that he's thrust into top 4 minutes.

 

[NuxFan09]

What bothers me is this:

I know the Canucks are a team that encourages hard work by their prospects in the minors to earn their spots in the NHL, and I like it that way, but I still wish certain guys would get more opportunities now and then so the team could at least get a feel for where all their prospects are at, not just one or two of them.

Schroeder has had his look and it seems he's NHL ready. Jensen got two games and even that's enough for me. He got a look. So, what about calling Blomstrand up? How about Archibald? It wouldn't surprise me in the least if a guy like Blomstrand ended up looking fantastic in the bottom 6, the way someone like Clifford pleasantly surprised the Kings or Andrew Shaw the Blackhawks. I wish the Canucks didn't wait until preseason to give these guys a look. The best way to judge a prospect is to bring them up out of the blue and stick them in the lineup and see how they fare. I don't honestly think you get the best indication in the preseason.

 

[Johnny Canucker]

Have you seen are defense lately

I'll be surprised if Datsyuk doesn't score

......... A hatrick






FIXED

 

[deadinthewater]

On the topic of Raymond, is he still injured or what? I honestly haven't even heard his name being called once during the last 3-4 games.

 

[Johnny Canucker]

Whens the last time we dominated a team?

Lets face it, our team blows.

Hated by other teams in the league, and feared by nobody. Pundits all agree we have no chance

 

[Johnny Canucker]

On the topic of Raymond, is he still injured or what? I honestly haven't even heard his name being called once during the last 3-4 games.

Yeah i havent seen him playing in the last 10 games. He must still be out with an injury.

 

[me2]

Whens the last time we dominated a team?

Lets face it, our team blows.

Hated by other teams in the league, and feared by nobody. Pundits all agree we have no chance

sweet no pressure then

 

[Win One Before I Die]

Canucks going out in the first round to Minnesota.

 

[Pip]

Whens the last time we dominated a team?

Lets face it, our team blows.

Hated by other teams in the league, and feared by nobody. Pundits all agree we have no chance

just beat Nashville 5-2 not too long ago, dunno what your standards are though.

cool to go in as an underdog, and who cares if we are hated?

 

[deadinthewater]

Canucks going out in the first round to Minnesota.

Well that would be pretty sad.

 

[Pip]

Canucks going out in the first round to Minnesota.

any reason why you would think that?

 

[m9]

On the topic of Raymond, is he still injured or what? I honestly haven't even heard his name being called once during the last 3-4 games.

He looks slow out there - no burst at all. Has to be hurt.

 

[LiveeviL]

Exhausted team vs a rested one, meh.

 

[BlackAces]

If this Kesler rumor is true then Management should be gone after the playoffs. AV has an interesting coaching style but it appears that the Sedins' style of leadership combined with a hands off approach by the coach has created a room with little accountability among the players. I have been a big fan of Gillis and AV so far but with the way we have been playing considering the caliber of players we have, it wouldn't be the worst thing to see a bit of a shake up. (at least new coaching staff)

Also, how many players has Gillis brought in as "reclemation projects" or "low risk high reward" players that have actually worked out? This is a genuine question as I haven't kept track. Higgins, Lapierre, and Samuelsson? (can't remember how we got him).

 

[Golden Boy]

If this Kesler rumor is true then Management should be gone after the playoffs. AV has an interesting coaching style but it appears that the Sedins' style of leadership combined with a hands off approach by the coach has created a room with little accountability among the players. I have been a big fan of Gillis and AV so far but with the way we have been playing considering the caliber of players we have, it wouldn't be the worst thing to see a bit of a shake up. (at least new coaching staff)

Also, how many players has Gillis brought in as "reclemation projects" or "low risk high reward" players that have actually worked out? This is a genuine question as I haven't kept track. Higgins, Lapierre, and Samuelsson? (can't remember how we got him).

what rumor?

 

[Johnny Canucker]

If this Kesler rumor is true then Management should be gone after the playoffs. AV has an interesting coaching style but it appears that the Sedins' style of leadership combined with a hands off approach by the coach has created a room with little accountability among the players. I have been a big fan of Gillis and AV so far but with the way we have been playing considering the caliber of players we have, it wouldn't be the worst thing to see a bit of a shake up. (at least new coaching staff)

Also, how many players has Gillis brought in as "reclemation projects" or "low risk high reward" players that have actually worked out? This is a genuine question as I haven't kept track. Higgins, Lapierre, and Samuelsson? (can't remember how we got him).

What Kesler rumour?