Canucks Playoffs Defence Pairings

[Chairman Maouth]

Added Ballard/Tanev to poll.

Hamhuis/Bieksa
Edler/Garrison
Ballard/Tanev

 

[Proto]

Don't you think it depends on the match-up? Bieksa would be a better option with Hamhuis, if the opponent plays a heavy game.

A "heavy" game? What does that even mean?

I wouldn't change the pairings at all. Garrison has been by far the best Canucks defender all season. He's been a monster, even playing his offside, and has helped Hamhuis start to return to form. They're sort of a Suter/Weber lite, in that they can eat up tough minutes and not get completely swarmed in terms of possession. I wouldn't mess with that pairing at all.

 

[Alflives*]

A "heavy" game? What does that even mean?

I wouldn't change the pairings at all. Garrison has been by far the best Canucks defender all season. He's been a monster, even playing his offside, and has helped Hamhuis start to return to form. They're sort of a Suter/Weber lite, in that they can eat up tough minutes and not get completely swarmed in terms of possession. I wouldn't mess with that pairing at all.

Hamhuis and Garrison are very good players, but neither plays with any bite. Against a team that plays a hard forecheck (LA, St.Louis, Anaheim, Chicago) with bigger bodies, it's nice to have Bieksa with Hamhuis. Edler (who when playing his best) is a big body, who can play with an edge, so he would work well with Garrison. This is what AV will do, if the opponent plays a 'heavy' game.

 

[Proto]

Hamhuis and Garrison are very good players, but neither plays with any bite. Against a team that plays a hard forecheck (LA, St.Louis, Anaheim, Chicago) with bigger bodies, it's nice to have Bieksa with Hamhuis. Edler (who when playing his best) is a big body, who can play with an edge, so he would work well with Garrison. This is what AV will do, if the opponent plays a 'heavy' game.

So you're suggesting that if the Canucks play a team with a good forecheck, AV will break up his best defensive pairing so that he can put a smaller defenseman in for Garrison because he has "bite"? Watch how many times a game Kevin Bieksa falls over and how many guys bounce off Garrison.

Bieksa is a useful player, but Garrison has a couple inches and 20 pounds on him, and he's been a savage on the back end this year. He might not snarl, but he's a lot harder to play against.

 

[MikeK]

Bieksa and Ham are my #1 pair... But Garrison has really come into his own.

 

[Pip]

Hamhuis and Garrison are very good players, but neither plays with any bite. Against a team that plays a hard forecheck (LA, St.Louis, Anaheim, Chicago) with bigger bodies, it's nice to have Bieksa with Hamhuis. Edler (who when playing his best) is a big body, who can play with an edge, so he would work well with Garrison. This is what AV will do, if the opponent plays a 'heavy' game.

IMO, Garrison is more suited to play against tough forechecking teams than Bieksa, he has the size and decision making to play effectively against those types of teams

 

[arsmaster*]

Why is there no Alberts-Bieksa pairing option?

That would be my ideal 3rd pair for the playoffs.

Edler with Tanev

Hamhuis and Garrison

Bieksa and Alberts (I have a feeling about this pairing being the prototypical playoff pairing).

 

[m9]

Why is there no Alberts-Bieksa pairing option?

That would be my ideal 3rd pair for the playoffs.

Edler with Tanev

Hamhuis and Garrison

Bieksa and Alberts (I have a feeling about this pairing being the prototypical playoff pairing).

Bieksa and Alberts haven't played great together in the past. I think Alberts has to be with Tanev or Ballard.

 

[Scurr]

It doesn't matter what pairings we use if Edler and Bieksa play poorly, we're hooped. Personally, I've got a lot more confidence in Bieksa to rise to the occasion.

 

[arsmaster*]

A "heavy" game? What does that even mean?

Real question?

It's pretty common 'hockey speak' or jargon.

Teams like LA, St Louis, Boston, Pittsburgh have big bodied players who play 'heavy' games. They use their size and strength advantage to play their games along the boards and down low to wear down the opposition.

I don't agree with the rest of alf's post about needing Bieksa there, but I do think we need Alberts in the lineup. He's the only guy who finishes his checks.

He gets big time hate around here, but I like him, and he brings an added dimension that the rest of the roster lacks.

Edler can play heavy, and finish checks but is so very inconsistent, it's hard to tell how he'll play game to game, shift to shift.

 

[arsmaster*]

It doesn't matter what pairings we use if Edler and Bieksa play poorly, we're hooped. Personally, I've got a lot more confidence in Bieksa to rise to the occasion.

Agreed on both counts.

Bieksa will rise to the occasion IMO, but if he and Edler aren't playing at the very least 80% of their potential, we wont go far.

 

[MikeK]

It doesn't matter what pairings we use if Edler and Bieksa play poorly, we're hooped. Personally, I've got a lot more confidence in Bieksa to rise to the occasion.

Have you been reading my literature!?...LOL

I agree with you. Bieksa has another level he can go to when the playoffs role around. Edler I am not as confident in. He seems to truck a long in the same gears. Some nights he plays like a top 2 Dman while others he's the second coming of Ballard

 

[vancityluongo]

ES:

Hamhuis-Bieksa
Edler-Tanev/Garrison
Ballard-Garrison/Tanev

PP:

Edler-Garrison
Ballard-Bieksa

PK:

Hamhuis-Garrison
Edler-Tanev

 

[Karl Hungus]

I get the impression that Hamhuis is their most stabilizing presence so they are using the guy that has to play his off side with him. Garrison seems to be doing a pretty good job of adapting to the right side but I wonder if he would be able to sustain that playing with Edler instead. I think they may be taking a put all your defensive eggs in one basket approach with the Hamhuis - Garrison pairing because it might get ugly if they break that pairing up and spread the minutes around more. At the moment Bieksa - Edler can work better if you can get the right matchups for them.

 

[WinterEmpire]

Have you been reading my literature!?...LOL

I agree with you. Bieksa has another level he can go to when the playoffs role around. Edler I am not as confident in. He seems to truck a long in the same gears. Some nights he plays like a top 2 Dman while others he's the second coming of Ballard

That would be an insult to Ballard given the way Edler has played the majority of the year.

 

[Nerve]

ES:

Hamhuis-Bieksa
Edler-Tanev/Garrison
Ballard-Garrison/Tanev

PP:

Edler-Garrison
Ballard-Bieksa

PK:

Hamhuis-Garrison
Edler-Tanev

Love it.

Good balance throughout, and it takes advantage of (what little) chemistry we've developed this season by putting Hamhuis and Garrison together on the PK.

Only adjustment I might consider is moving Edler to second PP team to balance out the heavy shots from the blue line.

Of course, if things don't work it isn't a stretch to tweak the lines back to where the seem to be "working" now by moving Hamhuis and Garrison back together as the #1 pairing.

 

[MrShift4]

Hamhuis - Edler (Edler really needs it)
Bieksa - Garrison
Tanev - Ballard



Still wish we had more size back there.

 

[MikeK]

Hamhuis - Edler (Edler really needs it)
Bieksa - Garrison
Tanev - Ballard



Still wish we had more size back there.

In my opinion Edler is just to damn unpredictable to be going up against the top lines when in the playoffs. I have both Bieksa and Garrison ahead of him on the chart. There are no second chances in playoff hockey.

 

[Karl Hungus]

Hamhuis - Edler (Edler really needs it)
Bieksa - Garrison
Tanev - Ballard



Still wish we had more size back there.

I believe Edler was the 1st guy they tried to use on his off side and it was not pretty. Left wingers were going wide on Edler a lot when he tried to play the right side of the ice.

 

[Drop the Sopel]

I wouldn't change the pairings at all. Garrison has been by far the best Canucks defender all season. He's been a monster, even playing his offside, and has helped Hamhuis start to return to form. They're sort of a Suter/Weber lite, in that they can eat up tough minutes and not get completely swarmed in terms of possession. I wouldn't mess with that pairing at all.

I agree Garrison has been the teams best dman this season but Hamhuis has really hit his stride the past half a dozen or so games and looks like he's back to the form from the last couple years. Still think Hamhuis' issues have been health related and that looks to be behind him at this point.

Because Garrison and Hamhuis are so strong defensively I think the coaching staff need to put Bieksa back with Hamhuis and try Garrison on the right side with Edler, a look we have yet to see. At least try it out for a few games down the stretch, if for no other reason than to give the team a plan B come playoff time and have them better prepared if a top 4 dman goes down to injury.

The unfortunate reality is this teams cup hopes rest on the shoulders of the ever erratic duo of Edler and Bieksa. Scary proposition considering how often one of these guys are the worst player on the ice for the Canucks and can singlehandedly lose games with mind-numbingly awful defensive miscues. Here's hoping Bieksa can find his game down the stretch and Edler doesn't resemble the player he was against the Kings last season.

 

[Trelane]

Bieksa and Edler need babysitting and under no circumstances should be paired together. Go with what works:

Hamhuis-Bieksa
Edler-Garrison
Ballard-Tanev.

Ballard has been lacking of late but that may be the product of being out so much. Substitute Alberts if needed.

 

[MrShift4]

In my opinion Edler is just to damn unpredictable to be going up against the top lines when in the playoffs. I have both Bieksa and Garrison ahead of him on the chart. There are no second chances in playoff hockey.

While I listed them first I wasn't actually thinking of them being the '# 1' pairing.
I just think Edler needs the calming influence of Hamhuis.



Edit: Now that Garrison has settled in with the team he might do just as well with Edler

 

[Pip]

In my opinion Edler is just to damn unpredictable to be going up against the top lines when in the playoffs. I have both Bieksa and Garrison ahead of him on the chart. There are no second chances in playoff hockey.

Edler has been easily a better, and more reliable defenseman than Bieksa this year

 

[Proto]

I agree Garrison has been the teams best dman this season but Hamhuis has really hit his stride the past half a dozen or so games and looks like he's back to the form from the last couple years. Still think Hamhuis' issues have been health related and that looks to be behind him at this point.

Because Garrison and Hamhuis are so strong defensively I think the coaching staff need to put Bieksa back with Hamhuis and try Garrison on the right side with Edler, a look we have yet to see. At least try it out for a few games down the stretch, if for no other reason than to give the team a plan B come playoff time and have them better prepared if a top 4 dman goes down to injury.

The unfortunate reality is this teams cup hopes rest on the shoulders of the ever erratic duo of Edler and Bieksa. Scary proposition considering how often one of these guys are the worst player on the ice for the Canucks and can singlehandedly lose games with mind-numbingly awful defensive miscues. Here's hoping Bieksa can find his game down the stretch and Edler doesn't resemble the player he was against the Kings last season.

Personally, I wouldn't experiment with it at all. I think AV screwed around for the last 15 games last season on D pairings, and they were an unsightly mess by the time the playoffs rolled around. I just don't think it's worth it. How often did Nashville break up Weber and Suter? If you have a dominant shutdown pairing, leave them together, and play them more. Heck, play them 30 minutes a night if you have to. Cobble together the other two pairings and give them situational minutes.

I think there's a real danger of over-thinking things in terms of the Canucks defense. I can see the utility in what you're suggesting, but I'd rather just seem them keep running Hamhuis/Garrison out there. They haven't been together long enough that I'd feel comfortable breaking them up. I think they can get even better with more time to work together.

 

[MikeK]

Edler has been easily a better, and more reliable defenseman than Bieksa this year

That is subjective. It really is in my opinion. When Bieksa is out this team struggles badly. Bieksa brings an attitude to this team that is much needed. When it comes to playoff hockey I take Bieksa over Edler every time.