GDT: WCSF | GM 3 | Vancouver Canucks @ Edmonton Oilers | Sunday, May 12th | 6:30PM PST | SPAC

[Mr. Canucklehead]

WHEN: Sunday, May 12th, 6:30PM PST
WHERE: Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB
TV: CBC/Sportsnet Pacific
RADIO: Sportsnet 650

Series
Series Tied 1-1

Canucks Line-Up:

Suter-Miller-Boeser
Hoglander-Pettersson-Mikheyev
Joshua-Lindholm-Garland
Di Giuseppe-Blueger-Lafferty

Hughes-Hronek
Soucy-Myers
Zadorov Cole

Silovs

Oilers Line-Up:

Foegele-McDavid-Hyman
RNH-Draisaitl-Kane
Holloway-McLeod-Perry
Janmark-Ryan-Brown

Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Ceci
Kulak-Desharnais

Skinner

Pre & Post-Game Coverage
Video
The Province
https://www.youtube.com/@TheProvince/videos

Sekeres & Price
https://www.youtube.com/@SekeresPrice/videos

Canucks Army
CanucksArmy

Rinkwide Vancouver
Rink Wide: Vancouver

Donnie & Dhali (/w John Garrett)
Donnie and Dhali

Brendan Morrison
https://www.youtube.com/@BrendanMorrisonHockey

Sportsnet 650
Halford & Brough
Drance
Satiar & Dan

Click to read more...

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

We need to be road warriors in this one. We’ve been excellent on the road so far, and this is going to be hostile territory.

Hope for a bounce back 60-minute effort.

 

[3rd Sedin]

It’ll be tougher when Edmonton has last change, but Vancouver has proven to be resilient and versatile on the road this playoffs.

Last night we made too many mistakes. If we can improve at D zone exits with quick short passes in succession I like our overall chances for this game.

Petey is starting to feel it, and you get the impression he’s due for a multi point night.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Why don’t the Canucks go back to Di Giuseppe with Miller & Boeser? That’s what they had when they hammered the Oilers in the regular season.

Regular season lines when we hammered Edmonton:


Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser
Kuzmeko-Pettersson-Garland
Joshua-Suter-Beauvillier
Hoglander-Lafferty-Studnicka

Hughes Hronek
Soucy Myers
Cole - Freidman/Hirose



The closest lineup would be:

Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser
Lindholm-Pettersson-Garland
Joshua-Suter-Blueger
Hoglander-Lafferty-Mikheyev

Lindholm replaces Kuzmenko (trade)
Blueger replaces Beauvillier (trade)
Mikheyev replaces Studnika (injury return)


A hybrid version to keep the 3rd line intact could be:

Di Giuseppe-Miller-Boeser
Sutter-Lindholm-Pettersson
Garland-Blueger-Joshua
Hoglander-Lafferty-Mikheyev


Why change what worked brilliantly?

Have Di Giuseppe on the Miller line

Play Hoglander on the 4th where he spent the majority of the regular season.

 

[Killer Orcas]

Sometimes the distraction of being home can be a hindrance. Hopefully team can concentrate more on the road and get back to their winning ways. Forget the last game move on it's a long series can't dwell.

 

[Bobby9]

Hoping for a split in Edmonton.

Hronek, EP, JT and the bottom line all need to be better.

Cole, I don’t know what to say.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Hoping for a split in Edmonton.

Hronek, EP, JT and the bottom line all need to be better.

Cole, I don’t know what to say.

I can’t see Cole getting scratched. Just have to hope he gets out of his funk and manages his minutes in the meantime.

I’d really like to see Petey with some different line mates. Hoglander and Mikheyev aren’t it. I think both are moving their feet decently enough, but they are both offensive black holes at the moment. Whether you move up Lafferty, Blueger or PDG, or dress someone like Podkolzin, something else needs to be tried there.

We’ve played 6 (and a bit) periods of hockey, and have been the better team for 4-5 of them. That’s encouraging stuff and we just need the boys to knuckle down and play good road games. A split here would be huge.

 

[BigTruzz]

Can't back down and puck watch when the McDavid line is out there. Gotta play aggressive and attack them. Stop giving them so much respect.

 

[aquaweenie]

Can't back down and puck watch when the McDavid line is out there. Gotta play aggressive and attack them. Stop giving them so much respect.

Hmm it’s hard to “play above” McDavid and be aggressive against him.

I agree they were far to passive last game but they need to figure out what they want to do with him. You’re either aggressive or play more zone Defence above him. Hard to do both

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

I doubt it finally happens but we desperately need to try something with Pettersson while it's still early in the series. I'd like a proper deployment of the Lotto line instead of this useless one shift approach Tocchet keeps doing for no real reason but anything is better than another game with Hoglander and Mikheyev both on his wing.

 

[theguardianII]

No need to change too much.
The Oilers needed to over play McD and Dreadnought just to get to OT. And then get a gift goal to win.
In a way you can say they still haven't scored 4 goals against the Canucks this year because Cole put that last one in like he was at the other end of the ice. What a tough way to end the game he must feel like dog cr@p.

The Canucks will have a much harder time with the Oiler being able to get McD and Dreadnought out against Hughes, worse will be if they put the Kane line out against him. Hughes is showing the effects of being target of interest.

They were never going to win this series in four games, I was concerned the Oilers might sweep.

They have to be harder on the forecheck, hit with a purpose and concentrate down low on the PK, maybe let Bouchard have his slapper.

Which goalie will play? The 3rd stringer? I guess Edmonton doesn't have a choice they have to go with Skinner. Odd the Canucks goalies are still better than Edmonton's 3rd stringer well at least he is or would be on the Canuck roster.

They don't need to win two games in Edmonton, if they do well what an accomplishment, if they spit, what an accomplishment if they don't, just being in this 2 nd rnd series, what an accomplishment.

Edmonton has last change and the refs will find it harder to ignore Vancouver penalties but much easier to hear every penalty that fans want called.

Every game played so far has just been practice for another game like they will need to play

They can do it, if not this one then the next.

 

[EpochLink]

Ain't f***ing around now

 

[credulous]

I doubt it finally happens but we desperately need to try something with Pettersson while it's still early in the series. I'd like a proper deployment of the Lotto line instead of this useless one shift approach Tocchet keeps doing for no real reason but anything is better than another game with Hoglander and Mikheyev both on his wing.

try swapping miller and pettersson imo. maybe miller gets hoglander and mikheyev going or maybe pettersson finds his groove with suter and boeser. better than running back the same tired lines night after night

 

[EpochLink]

Hoglander needs to do something besides cardio out there.

 

[CanuckleBerry]

I know Tocchet is a lovable sort of stubborn, but I'd really like to see him switch something up and adapt to the new environment. If it is even remotely possible to contain McDrai, I think you need to optimize for it. Given what we've seen, this Edmonton team is riddled with vulnerability when McDrai isn't on the ice. Miller and Boeser need to be unleashed, they need to have possession and make plays, but they simply won't if McDavid is skating like the wind and Draisaitl is going unpressured.

Load up a skilled shutdown line. As much as Petey is struggling, he's playing pretty good defence and fundamentals. Lindholm has brought a surprising amount of intensity and he and Petey will provide dual faceoff options. Add in Mikheyev for his speed. He can't shoot worth a turd, but he's been good on defence, might as well use him for what he's worth.

Mikheyev-Pettersson-Lindholm, might stand a chance at mitigating McDrai enough to make a difference. That frees up Suter-Miller-Boeser, and Joshua-Blueger-Garland to do their best to turn the ice when McDrai are on the bench.

Problem - Oilers now have home ice and line change advantage. Well, fack.

 

[Vector]

 

[theguardianII]

try swapping miller and pettersson imo. maybe miller gets hoglander and mikheyev going or maybe pettersson finds his groove with suter and boeser. better than running back the same tired lines night after night

Edmonton didn't win last game, they got pure luck on the OT winner, even the first game they got an own goal.

Hoglander needs to do something besides cardio out there.

He is getting better every game and getting under their skin. Pettersson is improving. How Nurse didn't get 5 or at least 2 on that hit is, well real season reffing?
5 on 5 Hughes is not making an impact at all, they need to change the requirements for him. Use what he is good at and dumb his game down.
I saw they were going to have him shadow McD, as I posted two games ago, but Hughes left him to go back to playing D checking .... no one. I hope Tocchet points that out to him, on the PK McD is his only responsibility. PK - Hughes on McD, two defenders down low and one to check both Dmen or deep slot, let the shots come from out at the blue line just clear the front of the net and don't allow the bumper shot.

 

[Nick Lang]

I can’t see Cole getting scratched. Just have to hope he gets out of his funk and manages his minutes in the meantime.

I’d really like to see Petey with some different line mates. Hoglander and Mikheyev aren’t it. I think both are moving their feet decently enough, but they are both offensive black holes at the moment. Whether you move up Lafferty, Blueger or PDG, or dress someone like Podkolzin, something else needs to be tried there.

We’ve played 6 (and a bit) periods of hockey, and have been the better team for 4-5 of them. That’s encouraging stuff and we just need the boys to knuckle down and play good road games. A split here would be huge.

Yeah, I agree. Now that we lost RT can go to a different line-up. I would be shocked if he doesn't make a sub ... who knows though ... our depth is non-existent. Would he play Bains ... I wouldn't ... Podkolzin, he hasn't been great either. Maybe I wouldn't be shocked. We have zero depth.

We have held enough play to be confident though we can win if we keep it up, and score timely goals.

It'll be hard to scratch such a veteran in Cole. Sends a huge red flag up to the league. We'd rather go untrusted ho-hum rook than tried and tested Stanley Cup champ.

 

[theguardianII]

I know Tocchet is a lovable sort of stubborn, but I'd really like to see him switch something up and adapt to the new environment. If it is even remotely possible to contain McDrai, I think you need to optimize for it. Given what we've seen, this Edmonton team is riddled with vulnerability when McDrai isn't on the ice. Miller and Boeser need to be unleashed, they need to have possession and make plays, but they simply won't if McDavid is skating like the wind and Draisaitl is going unpressured.

Load up a skilled shutdown line. As much as Petey is struggling, he's playing pretty good defence and fundamentals. Lindholm has brought a surprising amount of intensity and he and Petey will provide dual faceoff options. Add in Mikheyev for his speed. He can't shoot worth a turd, but he's been good on defence, might as well use him for what he's worth.

Mikheyev-Pettersson-Lindholm, might stand a chance at mitigating McDrai enough to make a difference. That frees up Suter-Miller-Boeser, and Joshua-Blueger-Garland to do their best to turn the ice when McDrai are on the bench.

Problem - Oilers now have home ice and line change advantage. Well, fack.

Next couple of game Tocchet will have to put lines in a blender but defence is the system.

This may sound funny but the more they play McD and Dras and Hyman the less the rest will be engaged. It may have the opposite results for the rest of the team and hurt secondary scoring because it is so obvious the coach has no confidence in the rest of the team.

The Oilers have the last change and with that line al the Canuck lines will be facing the big guys no matter how Tocchet changes things. The only thing they can try is to match defenders and the Canucks already mix and match them all game.

 

[Baby Pettersson]

Let's hope I don't get beat up wearing my Bieksa jersey in Edmonton!

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

try swapping miller and pettersson imo. maybe miller gets hoglander and mikheyev going or maybe pettersson finds his groove with suter and boeser. better than running back the same tired lines night after night

I wouldn't breakup Miller and Boeser. Their chemistry together is unreal.

 

[Nopefully]

Hopefully that's the last we see of Sutherland.

 

[afrocentric]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, signing Hronek to anything above 6.25 AAV (I'll adjust this number to 5.5 now after seeing 1.25 rounds of playoff hockey) would be a massive mistake.

He is just so scrambly, makes horrible decisions with the puck when he is being pressured even the slightest whether its throwing a suicide pass to Hughes for him to get bodied, or launching the puck down the ice for an icing.

Zero poise in his own end and on the blue line. He just isn't thinking the game at a high level and that has me extremely worried for the longevity of the contract that he and his agent are seeking.

Its a scary thought to be saddled with 7.5 or whatever him and Walsh are demanding on a long term on the basis of half a season of play being glued to a Norris trophy finalist.

 

[EpochLink]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, signing Hronek to anything above 6.25 AAV (I'll adjust this number to 5.5 now after seeing 1.25 rounds of playoff hockey) would be a massive mistake.

He is just so scrambly, makes horrible decisions with the puck when he is being pressured even the slightest whether its throwing a suicide pass to Hughes for him to get bodied, or launching the puck down the ice for an icing.

Zero poise in his own end and on the blue line. He just isn't thinking the game at a high level and that has me extremely worried for the longevity of the contract that he and his agent are seeking.

Its a scary thought to be saddled with 7.5 or whatever him and Walsh are demanding on a long term on the basis of half a season of play being glued to a Norris trophy finalist.

Hronek ain’t getting that 8 million he’s seeking, playing with Hughes boosted his value. Sorta like Erhoff who signed long term to Buffalo after playing two stellar career years with the Sedins.

Man was sewer stank after he signed that long term contract.

 

[Rey]

This is a perfect type of series for Podz. Please play Podz.