Game helped illustrate how thin the team actually is. Had only four legitimate NHL defenseman and too many of the bottom forwards can't score. When the Big 4 (Hughes, Hronek, Pettersson and Miller) can't carry the team they have little else to turn to. Loss of Soucy has been critical.
You look at scoring from the bottom end and it isn't enough
Beauvillier - -2 goals
Garland - 2 goals
Joshua - 2 goals
Hoglander - 4 goals
Lafferty -3 goals
Di Guiseppe - 3 goals
Suter/Blueger - 4 goals
Kuzmenko - 3 goals
Could say, at times, these players have contribute some good defense, PK work and o-zone time but these players are not taking any of the pressure off the top few players offensively. Other teams simply focus on the top players and can pretty much disregard the rest.
Good
Myers - Up to the give away in the third was having an excellent game. Overall was physical and moving the puck up well.
Hronek - wasn't perfect but played his heart out to make up for bad plays by teammates and some of his own. Wish he'd get his shot on net a little more.
Hughes - again not up to his usual standards but he is being played to death. Keyed much of the offense the team was able to produce.
Pettersson - defensively he was very good. Given the weakness of others had to spend much of his time defending and thus not getting much chance offensivley.
Miller - played well enough although he couldn't carry the team in this game.
Bad
Juulsen - actually somewhat better than the last couple of games but still terrible. One of the biggest difference in this game was the way Kraken defended around their own net and the way the Canuck defense didn't . Juulsen tried to rough it up some but mostly just flailing
Hirose - always felt he would be too small and too slow to defend at the NHL level and this game more or less confirmed that. Another strange call up.
Kuzmenko - got to give the player a break coming off the injury but really his play in this game wasn't much different than it has been all season. Just nothing happening and damn bad in his own end. I'd say the biggest disappointment this season.
Blueger - didn't cover in his own end well and, while making small plays here and there (such as chipping the puck ahead), he showed little ability to carry the puck or set anything up. Another disappointment.
Others
Hoglander - seems like his motor works a lot faster than brain. Always rushing chances and missing opportunities. He is a player the team needs to score and out of the bottom line players he might be the most likely to do so. However, others are better in the neutral zone and defensively and you are giving up this to keep him in the lineup.
Boeser - Boeser chief skill now appears to his ability to make good passes and plays in the offensive zone. Often can pick out the right man to send the puck to which helps on the PP. But play in his own end remains suspect b/c of his slow movement and lack of anticipation. Other offensive player have the same problem across the League. Yet most of these use their smarts and savvy to shorten up distances and keep some pressure on the puck. Boeser, most of the time, just looks lost.
Right now the Canucks IMO lack
2 NHL defensemen
A top end scoring winger with speed who can play both ways
Scoring from the bottom lines
