Pre-Game Talk: 2020 Qualifiers - Game 2 - Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild - Aug 4 - 7:30PM PST - SPAC

[docbenton]

I thought Pettersson competed really hard and won more than his fair share of battles, was sharp and making plays for the most part. As someone warns against overhyping him I thought he was very good in game 1.

Other criticized players:
Roussel was overall pretty good, was quick and looked to be a threat at times, wouldn't take him out based on Game 1. Against tight-checking teams speed is a huge factor and they need to use whatever they have in that department. Beagle and Motte were pretty good except for that one shift, were moving their feet and did fine at 5 on 5.

Leaving the top 6 alone out of necessity, the weak links were really Ferland and Gaudette. For game 2 if it were me I'd make a simple Ferland for Virtanen swap. I didn't think Ferland was particularly good with the puck and just isn't fast enough right now to get in on the forecheck consistently. I would also consider Gaudette for MacEwen if they want a bigger body in there; Sutter can play 3C; he had pretty decent chemistry with Jake previously, both straight line players so they kind of think similarly. Would win more draws and gives that line more speed.

 

[wonton15]

Would anyone be surprised if Green goes with the exact same roster and line combinations for game 2?

That's exactly what I'm expecting.

 

[ChuckNorris4Cup]

So all this talk about Green and having the players in game shape.... That's what you call game shape.... This coach better not be getting a free pass if that's what he calls game ready that was a joke to watch.

 

[bandwagonesque]

I objected to any members of the canucks organization putting any sort of responsibility on the younger players (talking mainly about ownership to be honest..Aquilini needs to stop tweeting). Meanwhile, the three best players on the ice for the canucks were Boeser, Pettersson and Hughes. The young guys nerves had very little to do with the loss and should not be brought up as any sort of major reason for the loss.

None of this happened. In his post game press conference Green specifically said the game was fairly even and hinged on PP chances and execution. He mentioned that the less experienced players may have been nervous and excited but actually praised their performance and never suggested they were responsible for the loss. Francesco Aqualini generically tweeted "Learning experience for our young guys," as he tends to do in some form after virtually any event. No one brought nerves up as a "major reason" for the loss.

I know the answer to what? I'm not the one saying "oh the nerves will be gone".

No one said this, myself included.

They might be or they might not be. But I'd wager again that their nerves have very little to do with a loss if they do lose again. Further I suspect the young players will once again be the best canucks on the ice win or lose.

No one has said anything that contradicts any of this.

 

[Hit the post]

Clearly need to play with more balls, man.

I didn't know Sutter was asian?

So all this talk about Green and having the players in game shape.... That's what you call game shape.... This coach better not be getting a free pass if that's what he calls game ready that was a joke to watch.

They weren't in mental shape. As such, battle was lost before it even began. Good news is, there's still a chance to turn it around (though obviously the next game now is a 'must win').

 

[ChuckNorris4Cup]

Pearson looked like trash last night as well, I would demote him 100%

 

[Johnny Canucker]

Have to laugh at Ferlunds $5,000 fine.
It’s 0.14% of his salary.

$71 for someone making 50k a year. Worth it to shishkabob someone. You get 3x that fine for speeding.

 

[m9]

Nerves might explain the slow start but it doesn't explain the complete lack of urgency in the 3rd period. No excuse for not turning it up for the final 20 minutes.

 

[Hit the post]

Nerves might explain the slow start but it doesn't explain the complete lack of urgency in the 3rd period. No excuse for not turning it up for the final 20 minutes.

Not mentally prepared. That's on the coach.

 

[Johnny Canucker]

Nerves might explain the slow start but it doesn't explain the complete lack of urgency in the 3rd period. No excuse for not turning it up for the final 20 minutes.

minny didn’t have nerves?

 

[Pennask]

My prediction is proving correct unfortunately. This team would struggle to score under Green in this Covid Cup..

Green has an anchor tied to the 3rd line. Drop Ferland. No time to wait a month for him to get in shape enough to keep up with Gaudette and Rous. Even with Jake not up to par, he is still much faster than Ferland and more likely to score. That line is a waste of time with Ferland on it.

Get Boeser back on the 1st PP unit and drop Tiffoli to the 2nd. He's been invisible and Boeser is looking fast and shooting often.

Scratch OF, dress OJ, put him on the 2nd PP unit and don't let Stetcher anywhere near a PP unit. OJ's breakout passes are needed more than what ever it is Fantenberg does.

Having your top 2 lines absent from the scoring sheet isnt something new in the playoffs especially against a team like the Wild. Having a 3rd line able to score is critical in this situation. A lot of the talk from hockey analysts was about the Canucks finding a gap in the Wild's armor because they could spread them too thin and score from 3 lines. Green would rather a checking line for the 3rd. If they are not scoring, what is the point? Gaudette sucks at face offs and isnt very good defensively... that line is not a defensive line and not a scoring line... so WTF is it then?

 

[tantalum]

No one has said anything that contradicts any of this.

Except in various threads on various boards it is being used as part of the reasoning for the loss (or alternatively a reason for why they’ll be better next game). It isn’t. And nerves shouldn’t have to be an issue. Playoff newbies play well all the time so there is more to it than a player playing a first playoff game.

I’d just really like to see this management and coaching staff consistently actually say what the issue was and call players out that deserve to be called out. You have a whole host of veterans that were useless but it’s always platitudes or deflections. I imagine Pearson will suit up tomorrow. If that was a young player with that game they’d be in the press box. And I gave some support to Virtanen loosing his spot as a proper consequence. What undermines that decision is the lack of consistency in applying the consequences.

I hope I’m wrong but I don’t see any lineup changes for game 2. Motte, Beagle and Sutter aren’t coming out as they actually had a game they didn’t actively harm the team every time they were on the ice. Ferland isn’t coming out after one poor game after winning a spot unless he’s hurt. Pearson I doubt comes out. Gaudette might come out but then how do they organize the lines? Sutter as center and pit McEwan on the 4th line? That’s the only change I see and I can’t see it actually helping.

 

[Hyzer]

Getting dismantled like that happens when half our roster is old, over the hill vets and bad defensive corps.

Imagine us without Tanev and Markstrom LOL

 

[bandwagonesque]

Except in various threads on various boards it is being used as part of the reasoning for the loss (or alternatively a reason for why they’ll be better next game). It isn’t. And nerves shouldn’t have to be an issue. Playoff newbies play well all the time so there is more to it than a player playing a first playoff game.

I assumed you were talking about this board. Expecting opinion to be correct and uniform absolutely everywhere is senseless.

I’d just really like to see this management and coaching staff consistently actually say what the issue was and call players out that deserve to be called out.

Virtually no front office or coaching staff in hockey ever does after the first game of a playoff series this except in exceptional circumstances. Many players were somewhat flat, none were lazy.

You have a whole host of veterans that were useless but it’s always platitudes or deflections.

Very little was said directly about any veteran, as is standard after one game of a series unless one plays terribly. Nothing this team's coaching staff or front office has done in this regard is unusual.

I imagine Pearson will suit up tomorrow.
If that was a young player with that game they’d be in the press box.

You're right, and given Pearson's performance this season this would almost certainly be the case on any other team regardless of who was coaching or managing it, and I don't think you actually believe otherwise. Established 2nd line forwards don't get bumped out of the lineup for one mediocre game. If they did, all of them would get scratched multiple times every season. Virtanen has been sent a message, and provided he's in shape to play -- I don't think we know whether he is or not but I doubt he's too far away from it -- he'll get back in this series, possibly as soon as tomorrow.

 

[m9]

I could see Roussel being the surprise scratch tomorrow. Ferland shifts over to LW and MacEwen in on RW next to Gaudette.

 

[supercanuck]

I assumed you were talking about this board. Expecting opinion to be correct and uniform absolutely everywhere is senseless.

Virtually no front office or coaching staff in hockey ever does after the first game of a playoff series this except in exceptional circumstances. Many players were somewhat flat, none were lazy.

Very little was said directly about any veteran, as is standard after one game of a series unless one plays terribly. Nothing this team's coaching staff or front office has done in this regard is unusual.

You're right, and given Pearson's performance this season this would almost certainly be the case on any other team regardless of who was coaching or managing it, and I don't think you actually believe otherwise. Established 2nd line forwards don't get bumped out of the lineup for one mediocre game. If they did, all of them would get scratched multiple times every season. Virtanen has been sent a message, and provided he's in shape to play -- I don't think we know whether he is or not but I doubt he's too far away from it -- he'll get back in this series, possibly as soon as tomorrow.

Except that there is a double standard then. Established 2nd line forwards don't get bumped after a mediocre playoff game, but an established 3rd line forward (2nd PP unit) gets bumped for a bad scrimmage? Not only that but bumped by a guy who played 14 horrible games for you all season and then followed up with a poor playoff game to boot (insert description another horrible bottom 6 player if you would like).

He pretty much called out Jake with his "best line up to win comment".

I wouldn't take out Pearson either but none of the other lackluster bottom 6 deserves any leeway if Jake didn't get any either.

 

[bandwagonesque]

Except that there is a double standard then. Established 2nd line forwards don't get bumped after a mediocre playoff game, but an established 3rd line forward (2nd PP unit) gets bumped for a bad scrimmage? Not only that but bumped by a guy who played 14 horrible games for you all season and then followed up with a poor playoff game to boot (insert description another horrible bottom 6 player if you would like).

He pretty much called out Jake with his "best line up to win comment".

I wouldn't take out Pearson either but none of the other lackluster bottom 6 deserves any leeway if Jake didn't get any either.

I think Jake really pissed a lot of people off somehow, including Green. The team's captain called him out as well, and didn't back off when questioned about it. I also think he'll be back in this series soon.

 

[SelltheTeamFrancesco]

2003 was 17 years ago but I very much see a comparison between both teams right now. Vancouver is built around a high octane offense that is very dangerous in transition. Their D sucks and will allow grade A chances. The only difference is the goalie now is lightyears better.

The Wild are the worst possible matchup as they defend well in transition and their entire system revolves around defense and a relentless forecheck. They keep you on the perimeter and have multiple guys committed to blocking shots. The Wild gameplan had been set and they are content on air tight hockey.

With offense neutralized...it will boil down to the back end to limit scoring chances. The Canucks are in deep trouble here.

Defence didn't give up a ton of high danger chances last night the one positive was the defensive effort after the first 10 mins was actually pretty good. Offensive was awful.

 

[CherryToke]

I think Jake really pissed a lot of people off somehow, including Green. The team's captain called him out as well, and didn't back off when questioned about it. I also think he'll be back in this series soon.

Yep and it just shows how terrible this teams leadership is. Captain invisible should try improving his game and leading by example instead of calling out teammates for petty reasons

 

[Bgav]

Myers is so f***ing garbage. Also rather have Benn in the line up instead of Fantenberg

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Myers is so f***ing garbage. Also rather have Benn in the line up instead of Fantenberg

I recall watching the Golden Knights-Jets series and Myers always stood out for the wrong reasons. He was buried under Byfuglien, Trouba, Chiarot and Morrissey for a reason...

 

[kcunac]

I know I am in the minority but I didn't think game 1 was the end of the world. Thought we were the better team through the first 2 periods. the 3rd period was embarrassing though. Clearly the strategy (lots of shots from outside + try to outhit + muck things up) didn't work and we need to adjust. The question is will we?

 

[Sneezy]

I just expect more from the team next game. You need someone like JV and Freeland who are instructed to do nothing but hit the opposing team players. Crash the net and cause some disturbance. Get the Minny players off their game.

If Green elects to go with same lineup and lines I will be disappointed.

 

[Fatass]

Just shaved the old head. This will bring our team luck. When we win game two (clearly because I shaved my head) someone else will need to step up on HF and shave their head. 19 shaved heads equals Bo raising the Cup.

 

[M2Beezy]

We just need to get some goals and make sure we have more then they do and we should be fine