Easy to make cuts after this game. Announcer kept making the point that many King players were fighting for spots - maybe someone should have given that message to some of the Canuck hopefuls. Very sluggish effort by most everyone outside of Hughes
Good
Hughes - just so much to like. Sees the ice so well and so quick and smart with the puck. Plays like this and he's an immediate Calder consideration.
Bad
Edler - looked like Edler of a couple of years ago. Always the worry that he put out hard last year for the contract and now will revert back to the more lethargic player of the past. Did not work very well with Myers
Pettersson - not having a good pre-season. Went to the ice far too easily and got tied in traffic all game. Did little with offensive chances.
Boeser - without good service can be a no show and was one in this game
Gaudette - despite getting the two "being in the right place and the right time" goals, he really laboured. Again chasing the play in his end and totally unable to break up the LA cycle. Coverage on the PK was poor and at one point left a player open to walk right into the lower part of the circle for goal. Had tunnel vision on his passing which led to bad turnovers. Gaudette is not, presently, an NHL center.
Virtanen - did nothing. Everything he does is a one off. So little flow in his play. Trade bait????
Cuts (rather than say Ugly just say Cuts)
Sautner - given a chance and crapped the bed. No longer a prospect. Hopefully helps Utica
Boucher - whole lot of nothing. Skating isn't good enough. Nor does he have any defensive game. Sinking below the water line for the third or fourth or fifth time or who knows how many times. NHL dream is kaput.
MacEwen - amazing how he never can get on the right side of the +/- ledger. Only time he looks good is when he just tries to blow thru the other team with speed and dangles. Can work at the AHL level but no here. Hasn't got the skill to play controlled or systematic hockey. Too bad b/c the Canucks could use his toughness.
Goldobin - put a big fork in him. Terrible effort in this game. Does not appear to have the right mentality for this level of hockey. Some other team might be doing the Canucks a favour if they pick him off waivers.
Chatfield - had some decent moments and, overall, has done himself some good this pre-season. But whenever, he tries to step up his game, he ends up making the bad pinch or the bad over-commit and puck ends up in his net.
McIntyre - got ventilated in this one. Looked like there was lots of room on lots of the goals
Bachman - Very weak. Goalies in this game highlighted how important good goaltending, or bad goaltending, is.
Others
Sutter - floated thru another one. OK on the PK.
Levio - at times has you pulling your hair out with his attempt to dangle thru traffic at his blue line (and, of course gives up a massive chance) or when he passes to someone who is already in traffic. But then he makes a play, like his goal in this game, and you think there is something there. Overall, Levio is probably a liability but just as probably he isn't the liability some of the other players are.
Pearson - my advice would be not to use Pearson on the PK. Doubt we are seeing the same things we were seeing late last year with this player.
Myers - pairing of him and Edler still a work in progress. Uneven effort by Myers in this game.
Graovac - actually showed good speed on his goal and had as many good shifts as bad.
Time to get this team together and get organized.