Pre-Game Talk: 2019-20 Playoff Watch Thread

[Intangibos]

I hear you but I think this is short sighted. There are numerous direct benefits to the playoffs and also some ancillary benefits that aren’t discussed.
The obvious benefit is to the young core. They will be able to battle against the best players in the league when there is heightened intensity and physicality. If they come up short? It’s a learning experience and will help guide their off-season training.

Our team has been coming up short in the less intense/physical regular season anyway. Shouldn't they already be adjusting their off-season training if they can only achieve mediocrity when things are apparently easy?

There is also a benefit for management. which players can elevate their game? Which players are important to keep and who can they walk away from? They need to see the new core battle tested.

Indeed, there are benefits such as these. However, they're what I would refer to as high hanging fruit. These are the types of adjustments you make when you're finishing up your build, not somewhere you start. Even in a full playoff run the sample size is like 1/4 of a season. It's statistically irrelevant. Players can easily have the run of their lifetimes and never repeat again in the regular or post season, while star players disappear when they happen to hit an inevitable cold streak. I heavily caution against over-adjusting due to a small sample size like the playoffs.

there are also less talked about benefits. Extra revenue for the team (yes we hate Aquilini but hopefully some of the cash flow filters back into hockey ops). Local businesses will also benefit from extra hockey, specifically must watch playoff hockey. Lastly, playoffs are good for the Canucks brand. RFA’s and UFA’s will look upon the team more favourably if they can demonstrate the ability to be competitive and make the playoffs.

this is just a half assed short list of some indirect benefits as I need to get to the pub. But you get the idea

I've never argued about playoffs being meaningless to the brand or Aquilini's wallet. I'm arguing against the alleged massive impact it has on players already on the roster from playing a handful of playoff games.

 

[ChilliBilly]

No, I just think you're overrating the positive effect it would have on them.

It's nice for them to see them a bit but whether they do it now or next season doesn't really change much, imo.

Losing 4 straight games would be a bit of a learning experience, but the effect that you're implying? No.

If it were up to me, I'd rather just not make the playoffs and have a shot at a lottery pick than just get swept in the first round.

totally disagree. I want to make it so that there is no chance that 1st goes to TB as a lottery pick. If we lose EP and QH for a long stretch next year, we could end up bottom 6 in the league. So much has gone right this year. The reverse could happen next year.

 

[ziploc]

totally disagree. I want to make it so that there is no chance that 1st goes to TB as a lottery pick. If we lose EP and QH for a long stretch next year, we could end up bottom 6 in the league. So much has gone right this year. The reverse could happen next year.

Technical note but TB traded the pick to the Devils. So they clearly don’t rate the chances of it being a lottery pick very high.

 

[VanJack]

The sobering reality is that if all the Canucks get out of Demko is 'average goaltending, they won't make the playoffs. And people will blame him, but of course it won't be his fault at all.

Markstrom's acrobatics and outright brilliance at times, has masked a lot of this team's deep-seated flaws.

 

[Canucks1096]

The sobering reality is that if all the Canucks get out of Demko is 'average goaltending, they won't make the playoffs. And people will blame him, but of course it won't be his fault at all.

Markstrom's acrobatics and outright brilliance at times, has masked a lot of this team's deep-seated flaws.

It might not be all of Demko Fault but if he gives us average goaltending, he definitely deserves some blame for it

 

[Sneezy]

Last night's game was an embarrassment on many different levels. Demko is given an opportunity to show what he is made of and failing. Too many floaters who are not held accountable by TG unless your name is Virtanen, seems some of the players that TG loves can get away with crap games and never be held accountable. Fatenberg needs to sit the next game and put Benn in, his stupid pass up the middle led to a goal when EVERYONE knows to chip it off the boards is the safe option. The lack of back checking was in full evidence in the game with minimal effort.

But if the team was to do a stinker i prefer it to be against Ottawa and not Toronto.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Pettersson & Hughes play of late is just too soft, they’re picking up points but their compete level needs to be much better if this team wants to make some noise in the playoffs. They need to be feistier in tight checking games when there is no time and space; their battle level needs to be much better. If they can incorporate that grit into their game we’ll be much better as a team.

 

[Fire Benning]

This team will miss the playoffs, take it to the bank.

 

[DS7]

This team will miss the playoffs, take it to the bank.

The margin for error has shrunk, i remember we had a like an 8 point cushion from a wildcard team in December, but now, with the central teams heating up, the wildcard is only two points behind us. That's what hurts about yesterday's loss, those were supposed to be two of the 'easier' points.

There's no room for any losing streak. or if there is one, we need to go on a winning streak just to keep pace

 

[VanJack]

Demko and Domingue in back-to-backs in TO and Columbus. The end of this road-trip is looking ugly. They could come back to town squarely on the playoff bubble.

That's when the noose really starts to tighten and the choke signs show up everywhere. This team is playing like it's on egg-shells right now. Normally this is the time when your veterans come to fore....but with the Canucks, their 'veterans' are a big part of the problem.

 

[FreeMcdavid]

the composure level here is lacking.

Were going to lose some games we should win and weve won some games that we should have lost. its professional hockey, it happens.

Right now is pretty much playoff mind-set already, the boys need to be able to move on from Ls just as fast as they move on from Ws . In the playoffs you cant worry about losing the last game, gotta make sure we dont go on losing streaks and we will be fine. We have put ourselves in an outstanding position.

 

[Canucks LB]

The margin for error has shrunk, i remember we had a like an 8 point cushion from a wildcard team in December, but now, with the central teams heating up, the wildcard is only two points behind us. That's what hurts about yesterday's loss, those were supposed to be two of the 'easier' points.

There's no room for any losing streak. or if there is one, we need to go on a winning streak just to keep pace

Look at our games in hand, The margin shrunk because we were not playing and they were

 

[Fire Benning]

Stone injured for Vegas..inderminate amount of time

 

[I am toxic]

Stone injured for Vegas..

 

[Love]

Stone injured for Vegas..

Damn that sucks. Is it bad?

 

[Canucks1096]

This team will miss the playoffs, take it to the bank.

The Semi-Official "Holy crap how wrong I was about..." Thread

Don't forget to go on this thread when you are wrong. Thanks

 

[M2Beezy]

Damn that sucks. Is it bad?

Sounds like it could be, or maybe even not, either way it COULD change some things in the playoff race. Just nuts

 

[Jack Burton]

wins big!

They too have now officially entered the race.

Their 3 points back but we have a game in hand

 

[polarbearcub]

Vegas running away with the division now. Our best hope is getting the 2nd seed . Winning a round and then getting destroyed by Vegas in round 2

 

[Bleach Clean]

The Canucks are currently 92.1% to make the playoffs.

Relax people.

 

[clunk]

My hope is Vegas-Edmonton round 1. Gives Edmonton a shot with McDavid and Drai to beat Vegas, who the Canucks match up horribly with. Hoping for either AZ or Calgary for the Canucks.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Let Vegas win the division. Playing Edmonton or Calgary in the first round would be the best case scenario for this team.

A Calgary 2015 rematch would be great.
It would also be hilariously poetic if Ferland returned to the lineup only to suck ass and lose the series for us, effectively playing a big role for the Canucks getting eliminated in consecutive playoff berths.

 

[Jack Burton]

The Canucks are currently 92.1% to make the playoffs.

Relax people.

Whats Calgary’s % ?
And Edmonton's % ?

Their the only ones that can knock us out of 3rd in the division.

Now check Winnipeg % and Minnesota's %

Take your % a shove it straight (that's 100%) up you a** as it doesn't matter!



This is going to be one wicked race in the West.


If any team fighting for a playoff spot goes on a losing streak from here on out.........then they will miss the playoffs.

The season is ending and trying to pick up points this late never works.

 

[Jack Burton]

Vegas running away with the division now. Our best hope is getting the 2nd seed . Winning a round and then getting destroyed by Vegas in round 2

Look at you.

Get the 2nd seed AND winning a round?

You should hope Demko can actually perform like Markstrom and help this team.

 

[Hammer79]

Point Percentages (points/(Games played * 2))

Blues 108.5 pts 0.662
Avalanche 108.0 pts 0.659
Stars 102.5 pts 0.625
.............................................
Golden Knights 99.4 pts 0.606
Canucks 96.3 pts 0.587
Oilers 94.8 pts 0.578
.............................................
Predators 93.7 pts 0.571
Flames 92.1 pts 0.562
.............................................
Wild 91.0 pts 0.555
Jets 89.5 pts 0.545
Coyotes 87.0 pts 0.530
Blackhawks 82.0 pts 0.500
Ducks 76.9 pts 0.469
Sharks 74.3 pts 0.453
Kings 66.6 pts 0.406