Pre-Game Talk: Canucks @ Dallas Tuesday, 5:30PM, SNV.

[Canucks LB]

So Is kassian gonna show up any time soon or what?. Playing well is fine and dandy, he needs to score

 

[Nuckles]

So Is kassian gonna show up any time soon or what?. Playing well is fine and dandy, he needs to score

To be fair he hasn't exactly been playing with offensive juggernauts. Vey has struggled so far and Richardson isn't expected to provide much offensively. Also, Kassian hasn't been given an opportunity to play on either PP unit.

 

[Canucks LB]

To be fair he hasn't exactly been playing with offensive juggernauts. Vey has struggled so far and Richardson isn't expected to provide much offensively. Also, Kassian hasn't been given an opportunity to play on either PP unit.

Lots of players around the league are not given great opportunity, but find a way to score, which is how they move up.

 

[ddawg1950]

Lots of players around the league are not given great opportunity, but find a way to score, which is how they move up.

He has the same amount of goals and points as Chris Higgins. I'd wait a bit longer than 4 games in.

Having said that, we need more than the Sedin line to pitch in...and that's going to take some work by the coaching staff to work out the roles on this team.

 

[BobbyJazzLegs]

Should be a fun game really. Just want to try and keep them off the PP. Think we could take them at even strength with their defense.

 

[Get North]

Whenever we get the chance, I think we should load up Sedins, Vrbata, Edler and Tanev in the offensive zone for goals. Faceoffs will be key because once that top line of Dallas has the pucks, they have tons of skill and can score in any way.

Brenden Dillon is a beast though, I think he can shutdown the Sedins if he knows what to do, just pin one against the boards and hope your teammates can play tight defence.

https://twitter.com/ElliottPap/status/524238244687663104

I sure hope those 2 bottom centres get something going because we're not getting enough from 3 other lines.

 

[kanucks25]

Rather have Matthias center the 3rd line. We've seen he's much better in the middle, and has been playing well the last couple games.

I think the best way to go is have a checking line and a kid line in the bottom-6, and really shelter the kid line as much as possible:

Richardson - Matthias - Hansen
Horvat - Vey - Kassian

IMO, Vey doesn't fit on a line unless he's the center of an offensive line. He's not ready to play center (in his own zone) in the NHL but I feel like he's a square peg in a round hole everywhere else.

 

[kanucks25]

Nemeth out for at least the regular season for the Stars (lacerated tendons in his wrist).

He was playing well for them, too.

 

[Drop the Sopel]

So Is kassian gonna show up any time soon or what?. Playing well is fine and dandy, he needs to score

He's on a 20 goal pace from the 3rd line. Were you expecting more than 20 goals from Kassian this season?

Zack started the season coming off injury. Taking this into account, he's been fine. Not concerned about him in the slightest at this point.

 

[PM]

I might get roasted for this but at this point I don't like Vey on this team, at all. We can't have him, Henrik and Bonino as centres on our team unless we are fine with Henrik starting a lot of shifts in our end, which I am not fine with. Bonino is too slow to be used in a defensive role and Vey isn't even close to being ready for that responsibility. Which leaves Brad Richardson, a guy who has been great for us but really shouldn't be playing above the 4th line, as our only go-to defensive zone centre. The fact that Benning couldn't see this ahead of time is very troubling, especially when we already basically had Santorelli who would have fit this role perfectly and pissed him away for nothing.

 

[canucksfan]

He's on a 20 goal pace from the 3rd line. Were you expecting more than 20 goals from Kassian this season?

Zack started the season coming off injury. Taking this into account, he's been fine. Not concerned about him in the slightest at this point.

He's been the best bottom 9 forward on the team IMO.

 

[MS]

He's been the best bottom 9 forward on the team IMO.

Burrows has been the best bottom 9 forward.

But I'd agree Kassian has been our best bottom-6 guy over the past couple games. And it's ridiculous he isn't on the #2 PP unit. Burrows and Higgins have a combined 20 years of evidence that they aren't good PP players in this league.

 

[The Stig]

Stig you need to change your Avatar, it scares me

Is for Halloween.

 

[Grumbler]

We just don't have enough offensive power to match up against the top end talents of playoff bound teams. Probably the team will try hard and score 1 or 2 goals, then lose in agony.

 

[Drop the Sopel]

I might get roasted for this but at this point I don't like Vey on this team, at all. We can't have him, Henrik and Bonino as centres on our team unless we are fine with Henrik starting a lot of shifts in our end, which I am not fine with. Bonino is too slow to be used in a defensive role and Vey isn't even close to being ready for that responsibility. Which leaves Brad Richardson, a guy who has been great for us but really shouldn't be playing above the 4th line, as our only go-to defensive zone centre. The fact that Benning couldn't see this ahead of time is very troubling, especially when we already basically had Santorelli who would have fit this role perfectly and pissed him away for nothing.

Bonino, Higgins and Burrows are ready for tough minutes IMO. Bonino's defensive play is better than I was anticipating and with 2 strong defensive wingers, that trio should be more than adequate going head to head with other good players. Vrbata is also a strong defensive player, allowing the top line to share the tough minutes. Any other defensive minutes should be chewed up by Richardson/Hansen.

The 3rd line should be a young, offensive group led by Vey and Kassian IMO. Vey isn't ready for tough minutes, and neither is Kassian.

You also have to keep in mind Benning had a trade lined up to bring in Patrick Berglund. That appeared to be his first choice over Vey - Vey just came to fruition because Garrison didn't want to play in St. Louis.

 

[PM]

You also have to keep in mind Benning had a trade lined up to bring in Patrick Berglund. That appeared to be his first choice over Vey - Vey just came to fruition because Garrison didn't want to play in St. Louis.

I had no idea about that Berglund trade, thanks for sharing that. That would have been a MUCH better return for us and make a lot more sense given that we are trying to make the playoffs. Either way I would still have kept Santorelli for the same reasons but I guess I'm just going to have to get over that. I just hate giving up on assets like that for nothing.

 

[Virtanen2Horvat]

Would have been so much better if we had Berglund instead of Vey. Maybe Benning will take another shot at Berglund at the deadline.

 

[biturbo19]

To be fair he hasn't exactly been playing with offensive juggernauts. Vey has struggled so far and Richardson isn't expected to provide much offensively. Also, Kassian hasn't been given an opportunity to play on either PP unit.

We don't exactly have any "offensive juggernauts" to put Kassian with...

I think we're kinda hoping that's what Kassian becomes. Needs to take that next step though. Maybe it's unfair expectations, maybe he doesn't have it in him to be a top-6 forward in the driver's seat of his own line...but that doesn't mean we don't badly need him to become that.


As far as Kassian not really being on either PP Unit, that is a pretty strange anomaly. You'd think he'd at least have something to offer on the 2nd unit over some of the guys who see time there.

 

[biturbo19]

Bonino, Higgins and Burrows are ready for tough minutes IMO. Bonino's defensive play is better than I was anticipating and with 2 strong defensive wingers, that trio should be more than adequate going head to head with other good players. Vrbata is also a strong defensive player, allowing the top line to share the tough minutes. Any other defensive minutes should be chewed up by Richardson/Hansen.

The 3rd line should be a young, offensive group led by Vey and Kassian IMO. Vey isn't ready for tough minutes, and neither is Kassian.

You also have to keep in mind Benning had a trade lined up to bring in Patrick Berglund. That appeared to be his first choice over Vey - Vey just came to fruition because Garrison didn't want to play in St. Louis.

Yeah. The game that Higgins-Bonino-Burrows line plays, makes them the sort of group who can chew up minutes in the other end against other teams' offensive players. And with wingers like Burrows and Higgins, both those guys seem capable of handling at least some of the down low responsibility of the center if Bonino can't handle it (Bonino's speed often sees him getting back later anyway). It's not ideal, but it's the best we've got.

Berglund would've been a really nice component on this team though. *sigh* NTCs.


As far as the original comment on not liking Vey on the team...he's not the matchup Center we need...but then Bonino isn't the dynamic offensive player we need either. Which is where the need to let Vey develop and see if there's anything there is key. He has a skillset that is badly needed on this team, if he can start to use it more effectively at this level. And that's where this team is at right now...letting some young guys see what they can do. Right now it's Vey, soon Horvat will get a look alongside that...would be surprised if we don't see Jensen and Shinkaruk getting looks at various points during the season. It's not a perfect team...it's a "retooling" group. That means growing pains and giving time to "less than perfect" players in different roles to find out who can handle what, and hoping something takes off. That's how Dallas got to where they are right now...

 

[canucksfan]

Burrows has been the best bottom 9 forward.

But I'd agree Kassian has been our best bottom-6 guy over the past couple games. And it's ridiculous he isn't on the #2 PP unit. Burrows and Higgins have a combined 20 years of evidence that they aren't good PP players in this league.

Yes, I forgot about Burrows. Burrows has been really good.

 

[The Stig]

I give us a better chance than most. Their D is very weak.

 

[Ozone]

Statistical tidbits

*The Stars are winless at home this season (0-0-2).

*Vancouver is 2-0-0 on the road.

*The Canucks are averaging 34.5 shots per game while allowing 26.5 per game.

*The Stars are averaging 27.6 shots per game while allowing 32.0 per game.

*The Stars are 4-15 (26.7 percent) on the power play.

*The Canucks are 4-19 (21.0 percent) on the power play.

*The Stars are 15-21 (71.4 percent) on the penalty kill.

*The Canucks are 14-16 (87.5 percent) on the penalty kill.

*The Stars have won 46.5 percent of their faceoffs.

*The Canucks have won 46.4 percent of their faceoffs.

*Tyler Seguin leads the Stars in goals (4) and points (8).

http://stars.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=735441&cmpid=rss-stepneski&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

[alternate]

So sounds like we might see a face-off where both centers lose.

 

[Huggy]

Win or lose we will be entertained

 

[Addison Rae]

GDT will be up in the morning boys, sorry I'm swamped with homework.