Billy Kvcmu
Registered User
I don’t think that’s 100% fair. The team played really well against NYR and Avs despite losing IMO
Post-Game Talk: Canucks lost to Golden Knights | 1-4 (Kuzmenko) | Not Good Enough
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I'm with you on this. I think we need to capitalize on Miller's elite play window, but we're also boxed in by the terrible job Benning did.
But also, I think its worth seeing if this roster shows it is even worth making aggressive moves for.
We haven't accomplished anything yet and it might be prudent to just make some smart, value moves to bolster this roster, see how they do in the post season and then decide to start making *really* aggressive moves.
We're in tough. I think we have some really special players that could potentially challenge for a cup, but when is the right time to get super aggressive with roster changes? I really don't know.
Maybe we should just YOLO it, but has the team earned that?
Yeah I know, I just had higher expectations for this matchup. I had this game circled on the calendar for awhile now thinking, win or lose, the Canucks could rise to the Vegas challenge and make it a great game and it ended up just being so uninspiring and disappointing. It feels like it was a gut punch dose of reality. It's nothing like that Rangers game where I walked away pretty damn satisfied despite the loss.
Sergei Shirokov
Registered User
To their credit though I did think they had stretches of good possession when the game was still up for grabs. They had moments of taking it too Vegas but they just tried to be too perfect, as if they were playing SJ or ANA and could make perfect plays to win the game. And it was a similar thing against Colorado too.
It's not that they are world's of talent apart (we do have great talent), just that these teams know how to play winning hockey and it shows at key moments that we don't yet.
I guess that's both a positive & a negative, but you'd atleast like an adjustment when the game is going that way. These top teams aren't taking us lightly anymore.
That's actually perfectly sums up how I feel. The talent on this team isn't in question - though I do have some about Pettersson. It's their ability to play the kind of hockey that is projectable for success down the road. And the ability to do it fairly consistently against a range of opponents.
I keep coming back to the issue of size and strength in the lineup. Our team just looks to easy to play against and it may sound overly basic but size and strength go a long way in terms of being tougher to play against in both ends.
The other possibility is I'm just sour that I splurged tonight on beer and food for that game. 
Billy Kvcmu
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Raistlin
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- Aug 25, 2006
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It's just a reminder how far we still need to go. I was under no illusion that this team can survive injuries, but even at full strength, I wonder if we can win two games against Vegas.
On radio, I think Satiah ridiculed a caller that suggested Zadorov can be packaged with retention "if things go wrong" by tdl. "Things have to go spectacularly wrong to miss playoffs for this team." Is what he said. All it takes is a long term Hughes injury, or a few injuries to the blue line.
I'm not discouraged, I just think all talks of a long playoff run this year is the ridiculous talk. With the way this management has been performing, we just need to keep building, no short sighted moves.
On radio, I think Satiah ridiculed a caller that suggested Zadorov can be packaged with retention "if things go wrong" by tdl. "Things have to go spectacularly wrong to miss playoffs for this team." Is what he said. All it takes is a long term Hughes injury, or a few injuries to the blue line.
I'm not discouraged, I just think all talks of a long playoff run this year is the ridiculous talk. With the way this management has been performing, we just need to keep building, no short sighted moves.
I am toxic
. . . even in small doses
Deleted, rypper beat me to it long ago. Stupid website, almost unreadable on mobile
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Angry Little Elf
My wife came back
Forums like these are dying out. It’s not surprising that newer teams have small communities
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Not even much to say about that game, outclassed by Vegas. So many games this year where pretty much every player on the Canucks looked good-to-great but that was one where almost nobody fell into that category. Joshua stood out and I thought Lafferty showed some jump at times but's about it. Much better 3rd from Kuzmenko, but I'm not sure what to take away from the game at that point. You know it's a meaningless goal when even Kuzmenko isn't excited.
Will be interesting what line configurations we see going into Calgary.
Obviously the defense will be different with the addition of Zadorov. Guess is they keep the three LH guys (Hughes, Zad, Cole) on the left side for now and figure it out if they're all healthy when Soucy gets back.
Up front.. I don't even know where I would start. The problems up front start with EP. Been saying for a bit but Kuzmenko's struggles have been a bit his own but most of it is on getting stuck with the complete 5on5 anchor that is Elias Pettersson. I give EP a ton of credit for how much he helped Kuzmenko last year but this version is doing the exact opposite.
Mikheyev looks even slower this year than he did last year when he was actually injured. Earlier this season he played a very effective complementary role to EP by using his smart and nice finish around the net but with EP playing this poorly there's nothing to complement.
Here's what I'm rolling with for Calgary up front:
Joshua-Blueger-Garland (Not really the first line, but playing the best and the easiest to pick)
Kuzmenko-Miller-Boeser (Not sure how long it lasts, but we'll give it a shot)
Hoglander-EP-Mikheyev
Lafferty-Aman-Karlsson
x - PDG
Will be interesting what line configurations we see going into Calgary.
Obviously the defense will be different with the addition of Zadorov. Guess is they keep the three LH guys (Hughes, Zad, Cole) on the left side for now and figure it out if they're all healthy when Soucy gets back.
Up front.. I don't even know where I would start. The problems up front start with EP. Been saying for a bit but Kuzmenko's struggles have been a bit his own but most of it is on getting stuck with the complete 5on5 anchor that is Elias Pettersson. I give EP a ton of credit for how much he helped Kuzmenko last year but this version is doing the exact opposite.
Mikheyev looks even slower this year than he did last year when he was actually injured. Earlier this season he played a very effective complementary role to EP by using his smart and nice finish around the net but with EP playing this poorly there's nothing to complement.
Here's what I'm rolling with for Calgary up front:
Joshua-Blueger-Garland (Not really the first line, but playing the best and the easiest to pick)
Kuzmenko-Miller-Boeser (Not sure how long it lasts, but we'll give it a shot)
Hoglander-EP-Mikheyev
Lafferty-Aman-Karlsson
x - PDG
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Took my son to his first game. Hyped it up to be a battle for first place against the champs. Yeah, extremely disappointed. Only positive was that he got to see us score 1 goal. On the plus side, this type of disappointment sets him up for a lifetime of being a Canucks fan.
At this point, you hope that EP really is injured because that was...not good. He did seem to struggle going back up ice when he loses the puck and tries to get back on defense. You hope it is a physical issue and not for a lack of effort.
At this point, you hope that EP really is injured because that was...not good. He did seem to struggle going back up ice when he loses the puck and tries to get back on defense. You hope it is a physical issue and not for a lack of effort.
LickTheEnvelope
Time to Retool... again...
Nucks quickly looking like a 3rd/4th in the Pacific team.
They were sharp and crisp the first 10 or so games (sans the Flyers game) but have been getting slower and slower. Sort of an opposite of the last two years where it took them 20-30 games to get going, this year they were firing out of the gate and looked amazing. Now have fallen into molasses, especially the "top line."
Still much better than I was expecting and I think Zadorov will help out a lot on the D side... but he won't matter much if Pettersson and co can't score.
They were sharp and crisp the first 10 or so games (sans the Flyers game) but have been getting slower and slower. Sort of an opposite of the last two years where it took them 20-30 games to get going, this year they were firing out of the gate and looked amazing. Now have fallen into molasses, especially the "top line."
Still much better than I was expecting and I think Zadorov will help out a lot on the D side... but he won't matter much if Pettersson and co can't score.
LuckyDay
Registered User
Canucks did play hard as someone has already said.
Hill was lights out till the 3rd. Big, big boy.
The difference in the game from my couch was Las Vegas was able to execute a better plan against the Canucks and do it perfectly.
Demko was brilliant but Vegas was able to crash the net and create chaos. Demko was able to stop many rebounds until he couldn't. You could see the panic set in and he dropped the stick twice, maybe once on purpose thinking he was Hasek.
Very difficult thing to do to get multiple rebounds on Demko now, but they drove to the net in front and crashed it instead of simply playing down low like other teams try to do against the Canucks.
Canucks could not establish a deep forecheck though they dumped it in over and over again. Hill was always there to throw it back out. Canucks didn't even try to dump it in high. They needed to either do that or find a way to carry it in.
Vegas PK play a large box and had someone harassing the point man at all times. It was only late when the Canucks started compensating for this by stickhandling down on the high defender to put him out of position forcing him to collapse. Too little too late.
I was wrong on Petey getting better last game when he was checking everyone. That seems to have only made his problem worse. He was flopping on the ice again. Don't play hard when your injured know matter how compete is in you. When Gretzky didn't acknowledge his back problems late in his career it cost him.
Hill was lights out till the 3rd. Big, big boy.
The difference in the game from my couch was Las Vegas was able to execute a better plan against the Canucks and do it perfectly.
Demko was brilliant but Vegas was able to crash the net and create chaos. Demko was able to stop many rebounds until he couldn't. You could see the panic set in and he dropped the stick twice, maybe once on purpose thinking he was Hasek.
Very difficult thing to do to get multiple rebounds on Demko now, but they drove to the net in front and crashed it instead of simply playing down low like other teams try to do against the Canucks.
Canucks could not establish a deep forecheck though they dumped it in over and over again. Hill was always there to throw it back out. Canucks didn't even try to dump it in high. They needed to either do that or find a way to carry it in.
Vegas PK play a large box and had someone harassing the point man at all times. It was only late when the Canucks started compensating for this by stickhandling down on the high defender to put him out of position forcing him to collapse. Too little too late.
I was wrong on Petey getting better last game when he was checking everyone. That seems to have only made his problem worse. He was flopping on the ice again. Don't play hard when your injured know matter how compete is in you. When Gretzky didn't acknowledge his back problems late in his career it cost him.
Raistlin
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- Aug 25, 2006
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I just watched last night's game.... its painful seeing EP play now when compared to earlier this year, please rest him. the groin/hipflexor can only get better with rest.
imagine if EP is healthy also.... Suter also very underrated. but yeah, this team is not Vegas level yet if they play well.
Pastor Of Muppetz
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- Oct 1, 2017
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Was'nt a good game by the Canucks, but I'm also not buying the latest gospel that Vegas is in some completely different weight class than the Canucks...Vegas is a better team, but they're streaky and vulnerable just like everyone else.
Before this game Vegas lost to the Oilers and Flames, Penguins, and other middling teams..The season has many ebbs and flows, and after losing three in a row..Vegas was hyper focused on winning last night..They were the hungrier team..There is still lingering discombobulation in the Canucks lineup, which has been evident for a couple of weeks now.
It will be interesting to see the Canucks response tomorrow night.
Before this game Vegas lost to the Oilers and Flames, Penguins, and other middling teams..The season has many ebbs and flows, and after losing three in a row..Vegas was hyper focused on winning last night..They were the hungrier team..There is still lingering discombobulation in the Canucks lineup, which has been evident for a couple of weeks now.
It will be interesting to see the Canucks response tomorrow night.
theguardianII
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- Jan 30, 2020
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Ever hear of the Stanley Cup hangover?
Every sports outlet, all of them, state Vegas' size and depth are dominating factors. Everywhere except video games.
I think fans here, up to very recently, have to consider that Vancouver came out of the blocks playing playoff intensity, which is very hard to sustain, they also had incredible luck and percentages in their favour.
That you point out the teams that beat Vegas recently has to bring a question of "Why didn't the Canucks win?" They have a superior record than those teams.
The Canucks did enough early to make the playoffs and Allvin just helped them more, they should make it easily now but IMO it isn't enough to have playoff success. They still need to improve forward size and speed. Boeser must be one of the slowest NHL players in the league. Decent size but almost totally reliant on his line mates for scoring.
I am convinced it is concussion related. Daniel Sedin and Mats Naslund both had set backs like this after their bells were rung. It puts everything off just a bit, stick handling, hitting the target, skating, balance and he shakes his head quite often after hits. Sort of like clearing the cobwebs.
I am sure the team looks into this or monitors for it but if EP insists he is okay the team cannot force him to take tests and at that most tests can be beat if the player wants to.
Sort of like;
Do you experience headaches?
Do you feel like vomiting sometimes after exertion?
Are you sleeping okay?
Do you experience blurred vision?
Do you hear a buzzing sound or bells ringing?
Do you lose your balance?
Are you moody?
Do you tire easier?
Many of those types of questions that all could be answered negatively.
But on the ice I see loss of balance, shaking of the head, occasional hesitation uncommon for him, not shooting with the same accuracy, I mean velocity too which is a timing thing, kind of a lack of expression and the few times you can see the bench he is just sitting and not reviewing the tablet like he used to.
I am probably in left field here but this happened after he got elbowed in the head on a reverse hit a few years ago and it took almost a year for him to come back. And now he is hitting way more than he ever has.
It could be he is trying to emulate Peter Forsberg or over doing Tocchet's instructions on north/south, board battles, dump and chase, forechecking. He has moments where he looks like the dynamic Pettersson, like he did for most of Bruce and Tocchet last year, even at the beginning of this year but his play quite suddenly tailed off, one game was great and then multiple lousy games since.
At a guess he got a mild ringer on November 4th and another bigger one in Toronto November 9th or 11th. Each time it is easier to get another one with longer recovery time. First 9 games 20 points, since Nov 4th - 11 points in 15 games.
Sorry got carried away there but it was an observation of the game.
They just looked flat, dazed and confused.
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Meh Vegas is hardly some unstoppable force. They are very organized and fast at getting the puck out of their end, nullifying any forecheck, but are still prone to gaffes and getting caught in back and forth shootout.
Everyone was 'well fun while it lasted' after getting blown up in game 1 of the bubble. That round went 7. Hockey do be like that.
Couple of tweaks to make.
Everyone was 'well fun while it lasted' after getting blown up in game 1 of the bubble. That round went 7. Hockey do be like that.
Couple of tweaks to make.
mossey3535
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- Feb 7, 2011
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Did we try Lafferty on the Miller line yet? I know Kuz got a goal but IMO they need a mucker to do the dirty work and take that burden off of Miller. PDG was doing that but is now worn down or something?
I know Lafferty on the EP line was a disaster. But maybe Hogs can make that work. Will go even better if Mik can put into more effort.
Tocchet needs guys with motor to make this system work, if I was him I would be making sure each line has at least one winger who you can count on to play their position and skate hard.
I don't think it's coincidence that we look worse in the recent 10ish games that EP, Mik, and PDG fell off. Both the top two lines have an iffy player that needs to be there for skill (IMO Boeser as much as he's improved, and Kuz) so if Mik and PDG just don't have the gas it makes your best two lines not work in the system.
Another big issue is that early in the year we were getting body and stick on guys in the neutral zone. In this recent stretch we see stuff from the Green era where guys might technically be in position but they're very passive. Or also from the green era where guys are just not in position at all.
The way things are going we are better off with AHL guys if they're going to skate and play the right way. If he's going to sit Kuz he need to sit Mik, Petey, and PDG.
I know Lafferty on the EP line was a disaster. But maybe Hogs can make that work. Will go even better if Mik can put into more effort.
Tocchet needs guys with motor to make this system work, if I was him I would be making sure each line has at least one winger who you can count on to play their position and skate hard.
I don't think it's coincidence that we look worse in the recent 10ish games that EP, Mik, and PDG fell off. Both the top two lines have an iffy player that needs to be there for skill (IMO Boeser as much as he's improved, and Kuz) so if Mik and PDG just don't have the gas it makes your best two lines not work in the system.
Another big issue is that early in the year we were getting body and stick on guys in the neutral zone. In this recent stretch we see stuff from the Green era where guys might technically be in position but they're very passive. Or also from the green era where guys are just not in position at all.
The way things are going we are better off with AHL guys if they're going to skate and play the right way. If he's going to sit Kuz he need to sit Mik, Petey, and PDG.
Raistlin
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- Aug 25, 2006
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if thats the case, the more reason to rest him. and hope this cushion we built up early is enough to chaperone us into post season play.
I just saw Avs fans complaining about Byram not being the player he used to be...... kid is what? 22? Im sure hes playing through a concussion also, with 3 grade 2+ concussions in close succession in his history. elite players dont just suddenly make bad decisions on the ice, stop knowing how to stay in balance. Its something mechanical that is off that they are overlooking papering over psychologically. These players should take courses on IDing concussion symptoms and take it seriously. meaning rest.
