Post-Game Talk: Ducks 4 @ Canucks 0 | We Are The Little Engine That Literally Can't Even.

[No Face No Case]

Yea the coach is concerning at this point, I was really enthusiastic but if I see Higgins on the PP again I am going to snap

concerning

8 wins in the last 20.
scent of a Tortorella crash lingering.

we need a new first line more than anything. (good luck with that jb)

first line ? , too soft, can't score...perimeter, ghosts... exception.. Vrbata whose the only TOP 6 F lately.
no second line ( unless u count the Sedins)
Higgins ? 3rd liner ....bones and burr ? same.

time to ship a couple vets and maybe even look at trading Ryan Miller if it can help get u a good piece.

I have more faith in Lack and Markstrom than our Defence or forward core presently.


bottom six playing soft as charmin except Dorsett.

To your point, WD aint Mike babcock but he's not the problem, its the same core that has gotten Al Vigneault, John Tororella and Mike gillis fired are still here floating around the rink trying to avoid contact.

 

[PG Canuck]

Williams too. Patrick O'Sullivan and a second-round draft pick for last year's Conn Smythe winner.

(and Gaborik)

Yeah, just nuts. They've worked the phones and come up with some great trades that translated into two Cups for them. Not sure how many teams are able to pull that off, where basically every trade they make works out perfectly.

 

[PG Canuck]

Trading Higgins isn't a critical supporting player he's made out to be. He's taking up a roster spot that's making our top 6 non functional and in the process gumming up prospect development.

Edmonton is the biggest cliche on these boards, getting higher draft picks is objectively better than lower ones regardless of your supporting cast. And in The Canucks case, I'd suffer a few seasons getting 4-th to-8th rather than 14th +

What the Canucks will have in 2016 is going to be a lot different than Edm in 2010.

Shipping Higgins out is to be able to keep much much younger guys in Richardson and Matthias/Dorsett as the support guys this cliche demands. AND the ice time players like Kassian and Vey, damn even Horvat have earned.

Higgins is the one yard I'd be willing to go towards this youth, and maintaining this Edmonton/supporting cast master da vnici code balance that every argument about tanking comes down to

It's not Higgins' fault that he is being placed in the top six, therefore given fans unrealistic expectations about his game. He's a third line player that can fill into the top six when called upon and he's being paid in regards to that role, not permanently as a top six winger. You can blame our lack of depth for having Higgins in the top six.

Who cares if Matthias/Richardson are younger, is Higgins is the better role player? Age is being taken so far into consideration here, rather than actual play. Put Matthias in Higgins role this year (top six), and watch him falter. It's not Matthias role to be a top six player, nor is it Higgins'. Higgins advanced stats are better too, IIRC, regardless of not producing well.

 

[me2]

Except a big reason LA is as good as they are, is because of the supporting players around the players they drafted too. It's no guarantee we can just pull that off. When's the last time we pulled a trade like LA did to get Richards/Carter? That was a huge trade for them.

If everything were so easy (tanking and drafting), Edmonton wouldn't still be rebuilding.

Team has a drafting god as GM now. Can't fail, why get the guy who is a specialist if you don't trust him to do it.

 

[ahmon]

This argument is on such a fine line, and I agree with you on every point.

It's time to tank, losing a few games won't hurt anyone.

If anything I see Horvat emerging as the perfect captain sick and tired of losing seasons and refusing to ever go back there once the boys pull themselves out.

5 years of top 10 picks and we're looking like LA 2.0, I am all in

To me it is pretty clear cut. Need a new core....

It would have been a fine line a few years back just after we lost in the SCF.

But really for me once we lost against LA in the 1st round that was a sign we needed a new core.

Then another 1st round loss, a sweep against the playoff inept Sharks should have really been a clear signal.

But somehow the management and some fans still want to believe two 34 declining stars with 3 bot 6 lines and a mess of a defense can somehow contend.

 

[Huggy]

It's not Higgins' fault that he is being placed in the top six, therefore given fans unrealistic expectations about his game. He's a third line player that can fill into the top six when called upon and he's being paid in regards to that role, not permanently as a top six winger. You can blame our lack of depth for having Higgins in the top six.

Who cares if Matthias/Richardson are younger, is Higgins is the better role player? Age is being taken so far into consideration here, rather than actual play. Put Matthias in Higgins role this year (top six), and watch him falter. It's not Matthias role to be a top six player, nor is it Higgins'. Higgins advanced stats are better too, IIRC, regardless of not producing well.

I am not disagreeing Higgins is a superior player, or its not his fault.

I dont expect him to be a top 6. I am wanting exactly what you expect and disagree with. Simply remove the option of the coach playing him, if we still had Booth and santorelli on this team would Kassian and Vey or even Horvat have seen a minute?

Thats basically my point, we can fill this team with depth vets or start rolling the dice on prospects (Kassian,Vey,COrrado,Jensen,Horvat) all suprisingly guys with top 6 potential

I'd never have put Matthias in the top 6, I've asked to see Kassian with BOnino and Vey since November

sigh thread always locks when I am on fire

 

[PG Canuck]

I am not disagreeing Higgins is a superior player, or its not his fault.

I dont expect him to be a top 6. I am wanting exactly what you expect and disagree with. Simply remove the option of the coach playing him, if we still had Booth and santorelli on this team would Kassian and Vey or even Horvat have seen a minute?

Thats basically my point, we can fill this team with depth vets or start rolling the dice on prospects (Kassian,Vey,COrrado,Jensen,Horvat) all suprisingly guys with top 6 potential

I'd never have put Matthias in the top 6, I've asked to see Kassian with BOnino and Vey since November

I don't think it's best to just remove Higgins altogether because he's being played in that role because of a lack of depth just to player younger players. Which wouldn't even be guaranteed to happen. WD could very easily lean on Hansen, Matthias etc more before Kassian, Jensen etc. because judging by how he has leaned on his veterans this season so far, it wouldn't be very farfetched.

 

[Taelin]

 

[Nuckles]

Oh god, Edler and Tanev split up...

 

[JuniorNelson]

It sounds like it's really hit the fan with the coach.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Oh god, Edler and Tanev split up...

was around this time last year that torts lost his mind too...

 

[MS]

Hahaha, Sbisa gets a promotion. What a ****ing joke.

Clearly, the reason we're struggling is that we're not playing our worst player enough.

 

[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

Oh god, Edler and Tanev split up...

was around this time last year that torts lost his mind too...

so it begins

 

[Jyrki]

So Sbisa gets to play with Edler on his off-side and Corrado might be a scratch?

lol.

 

[Taelin]

No, why are we splitting up Edler-Tanev?!

 

[PM]

The Edler Sbisa combo is a recipe for disaster. Why does this guy keep getting played? He's like a plague infecting every pairing he is put on. And he's even worse on his off side. What other teams have a 4 point dman in their top-4?

 

[Canucks LB]

What in the blue moon does this coaching staff see in sbisa, seriously.

 

[opendoor]

What other teams have a 4 point dman in their top-4?

Especially one that has been outscored 20-6 at ES over the last 2 months.

 

[Taelin]

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

Hahaha, Sbisa gets a promotion. What a ****ing joke.

Clearly, the reason we're struggling is that we're not playing our worst player enough.

I thought he played one of his best games this season last night. Not really saying much though. Nice to see Corrado OUT OF THE LINEUP? COME ON.

 

[mrmyheadhurts]

What in the blue moon does this coaching staff see in sbisa, seriously.

They see a big, strong guy who can actually clear the front of the net and skate the puck out of trouble when necessary. Sbisa has easily played better than bullet proof (at least on these boards) Stanton who has had a dreadful season and he is also more useful than Weber who has brought next to nothing to the team this season and has not even managed one lousy PP goal. Sbisa also doesn't take stupid penalties yet is 2nd on the team in hits. He's also been a key contributor to one of the leagues best penalty killing units. That's what he brings, but apparently he is the worst player in the history of the league.

I think he's been a more than adequate #5.

Now to enjoy the responses...

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I actually think Sbisa is a pretty good #6. Just not top 4 material ever though.

 

[MS]

They see a big, strong guy who can actually clear the front of the net and skate the puck out of trouble when necessary. Sbisa has easily played better than bullet proof (at least on these boards) Stanton who has had a dreadful season and he is also more useful than Weber who has brought next to nothing to the team this season and has not even managed one lousy PP goal. Sbisa also doesn't take stupid penalties yet is 2nd on the team in hits. He's also been a key contributor to one of the leagues best penalty killing units. That's what he brings, but apparently he is the worst player in the history of the league.

I think he's been a more than adequate #5.

Now to enjoy the responses...

In his last 22 games, Sbisa has 0 points and is a -15.

He's actually a net 20 goals worse than Stanton over that timeframe in terms of +/-, with Stanton playing tougher minutes for most of it. And Stanton actually putting up points as well.

After struggling for a week or two when coming back from an early leg injury (which happens), Stanton has been better than Sbisa by a country mile. Like, not even close. And so has Weber.

Sbisa is a steaming pile of crap. One of the worst players in the NHL.

People are dazzled by the fact that he looks good hitting someone every now and then, and that he skates pretty well, but he's atrocious offensively and very poor defensively. A rotten player.

 

[thepuckmonster]

They see a big, strong guy who can actually clear the front of the net and skate the puck out of trouble when necessary. Sbisa has easily played better than bullet proof (at least on these boards) Stanton who has had a dreadful season and he is also more useful than Weber who has brought next to nothing to the team this season and has not even managed one lousy PP goal. Sbisa also doesn't take stupid penalties yet is 2nd on the team in hits. He's also been a key contributor to one of the leagues best penalty killing units. That's what he brings, but apparently he is the worst player in the history of the league.

I think he's been a more than adequate #5.

Now to enjoy the responses...

I agree with you but he literally is Satan on the internet.

 

[mrmyheadhurts]

I actually think Sbisa is a pretty good #6. Just not top 4 material ever though.

He probably never will be. If the Canucks decide to keep him, his contract will be adjusted accordingly this off-season or they'll let him walk because he is not going to be qualified. If he's as bad as some people think, it should be fairly easy for another player to beat him out for a 5-6 role next year and then he's a #7 if he's kept at all. As I said, he's been very good on the PK, the guy gets the fewest ozone starts of any Dman on the team.

People can make the numbers say whatever they want, especially if you shrink sample sizes and disregard the stats that don't support your argument.

Team has much bigger issues than Sbisa anyway.

I don't see this lineup juggle as anything more than a coach trying to shake the team out of it's current funk. Nobody is being rewarded, it's just that no one is paying particularly well at this point.

I agree with you but he literally is Satan on the internet.

Never seen anything like it but then again, the reactions on here to the Linden and Benning hires were unlike anything I've seen either.