Post-Game Talk: Ducks 4 @ Canucks 1 | March 28 2017

[Hit the post]

I can't explain TO, other than its akin to attending church devotedly despite the general crumbling state of the building...

At least they can point to all their Cup wins (albeit in a six team league - which really wasn't a six team league when you analyse the ownership throughout a good part of their history).

 

[CanaFan]

Sadly, this message actually HAS seemed to work on most of the the casual fans for the 2nd year in a row. Feed the fans **** for 75 games and then add a SHINY NEW PROSPECT for the last 2 weeks of the season and talk about the future, and it just gets eaten up.

Absolutely zero outrage from fans after what will likely be a 2nd straight bottom-3 finish while being promised a team that competes for the playoffs. No discussion at all about Jim Benning's job security despite his complete and utter incompetence and absolutely disaster offseason last summer. And fans have completely bought into the Boeser and Goldobin hype.

It's sad.

The media is starting to offer up Willie as a sacrificial lamb (even Shorthouse and Garrett were criticizing him last night, for probably the first time ever) but it's basically for not buying into a youth movement/rebuild that management have never said they wanted and following to a T the management plan. Bizarre.

Ya, I'm just hearing 1040 start to frame last night as the first "test" of how fans will respond to the rebuild which I think is complete garbage. It was a ***** mid-week game on game 75 with almost nothing to cheer or get excited for. They can't sell "playoffs, playoffs, playoffs" for 70 games, fail miserably while alienating fans, then suddenly change the message to "rebuild, youth, hope" for the final 10 and blame that for the poor attendance.

This season is a failure of the "win now" strategy/message. If they change to a future/hope/rebuild message over the summer and next season and the fans STILL stay away, then I'll accept that maybe this market is too fickle to handle it.

 

[canucksfan]

The rebuild should have happened and been sold when Benning took over. Instead they went the payoff route and now they are screwed for at least a few more years. On top of that, you have had three years of pretty much do nothing in terms of a rebuild.

 

[cc]

Show me a market/audience that will continuously pay high prices and a losing culture and what you've got are a trapped, complacent rabble. You could say Edm and TO did just that, but most Edm fans have memories when it was the best AND affordable and had continuous proof that it was going to get better (high draft picks every year, people who had won running the ship - at least until fans got wise to them). I can't explain TO, other than its akin to attending church devotedly despite the general crumbling state of the building...

other than the 2 examples you've listed, I think probably Montreal, new york rangers. possibly flames as well although that's questionable. Certainly not many
Perhaps other american markets can survive better if their revenue is not as dependent on attendance. In any case, the ownership/management group of the Canucks seem to be more interested in income than building a truly great team.

 

[cc]

Ya, I'm just hearing 1040 start to frame last night as the first "test" of how fans will respond to the rebuild which I think is complete garbage. It was a ***** mid-week game on game 75 with almost nothing to cheer or get excited for. They can't sell "playoffs, playoffs, playoffs" for 70 games, fail miserably while alienating fans, then suddenly change the message to "rebuild, youth, hope" for the final 10 and blame that for the poor attendance.

This season is a failure of the "win now" strategy/message. If they change to a future/hope/rebuild message over the summer and next season and the fans STILL stay away, then I'll accept that maybe this market is too fickle to handle it.

that's pretty much my concern.
obviously, a true rebuild would be the right thing to do but ownership/management will look at the attendance numbers and reject that idea

 

[Hit the post]

possibly flames as well although that's questionable.

They NEVER were a true expansion team - they INHERITED a .500 club that routinely made the playoffs (certainly not Cup winning potential but not a sad sack of rejects from other teams like an expansion team).

 

[TruGr1t]

Ya, I'm just hearing 1040 start to frame last night as the first "test" of how fans will respond to the rebuild which I think is complete garbage. It was a ***** mid-week game on game 75 with almost nothing to cheer or get excited for. They can't sell "playoffs, playoffs, playoffs" for 70 games, fail miserably while alienating fans, then suddenly change the message to "rebuild, youth, hope" for the final 10 and blame that for the poor attendance.

This season is a failure of the "win now" strategy/message. If they change to a future/hope/rebuild message over the summer and next season and the fans STILL stay away, then I'll accept that maybe this market is too fickle to handle it.

Don't listen to Kuzma's 1040 segment this morning. It's rage inducing. He again warned fans "a rebuild will be painful," and questioned whether Vancouver was ready for it. They continue to mistake, I think, the cause of the indifference. I don't think it's because of the losing, it's because of the roster construction and how we're losing. This all goes back to Canucks Army vs. iMac. Hopefully CA doesn't let go of that bone. Some media needs to generate accountability here.

 

[MS]

Don't listen to Kuzma's 1040 segment this morning. It's rage inducing. He again warned fans "a rebuild will be painful," and questioned whether Vancouver was ready for it. They continue to mistake, I think, the cause of the indifference. I don't think it's because of the losing, it's because of the roster construction and how we're losing. This all goes back to Canucks Army vs. iMac. Hopefully CA doesn't let go of that bone. Some media needs to generate accountability here.

It's insane.

How could a rebuild possibly be more painful than what we've seen the past two seasons?

Bottom-3 finishes and complete garbage, boring hockey. Terrible acquisitions and terrible players.

It's like the media thinks we've actually been in the playoff hunt the past couple years and going with a couple more young players in the lineup will turn us into Colorado.

 

[CanaFan]

Ya it's like beating your dog every day for the past 2 years then offering him a tasty sausage treat but he just sits in the corner cowering and shaking in fear.

"Well I guess he doesn't like tasty sausage treats after all!"

 

[rune74]

It's insane.

How could a rebuild possibly be more painful than what we've seen the past two seasons?

Bottom-3 finishes and complete garbage, boring hockey. Terrible acquisitions and terrible players.

It's like the media thinks we've actually been in the playoff hunt the past couple years and going with a couple more young players in the lineup will turn us into Colorado.

I would argue the last 5 years....not 2....

 

[m9]

Sadly, this message actually HAS seemed to work on most of the the casual fans for the 2nd year in a row. Feed the fans **** for 75 games and then add a SHINY NEW PROSPECT for the last 2 weeks of the season and talk about the future, and it just gets eaten up.

Absolutely zero outrage from fans after what will likely be a 2nd straight bottom-3 finish while being promised a team that competes for the playoffs. No discussion at all about Jim Benning's job security despite his complete and utter incompetence and absolutely disaster offseason last summer. And fans have completely bought into the Boeser and Goldobin hype.

It's sad.

It's just a season-long spin by the media to try to distract the fans of from the mess of the team.

Beginning of the year - New team, new year. Goal is making the playoffs.

Middle chunk of the year - We are in the playoff mix. Only (low number) of points out of the playoffs. Don't worry about all those games in hand for other teams or tons of teams ahead of us.

Trade deadline - We are now rebuilding. Insert young players here, delete old players there.

Last month - Sign Boeser and other NCAA players. Playing the kids. Future is bright.

I fully expect next year's sell job to be around two things:

1) Come watch the Sedins before they're gone

2) Watch all of our youth

That should be the plan to distract the fans for another year.

 

[vancityluongo]

I would argue the last 5 years....not 2....

5 years ago the Canucks won the President's Trophy.....

 

[rune74]

5 years ago the canucks won the president's trophy.....

ok 4

 

[Hit the post]

ok 4

4 years ago was the Torts disaster which rightly got Gillis fired.

That leaves the last three years - all to Benning and the other stooges.

 

[VanJack]

I get the fact that it's tough being a Canucks fan these days, but we live in an NHL era of true parity.....it is possible for teams, even as bad as the Canucks, to turn it around fairly quickly...look at Columbus and Calgary, who went from 3-6 in the lottery last year to the playoffs this year.

People point to the Oilers as an example of how long a team can languish in the wilderness, even with high picks year after year....but the fact is a terrible management group never surrounded those picks with anything, much less a decent goaltender.

When you look at the Canucks, they're set in goal; have a solid, young d-corps with more on the day. Up-front it's 'Death Valley" at the moment....but forwards are a lot easier to find, trade-for or develop.

Then there's coaching.....predicting that alone will make a big difference next year.

 

[y2kcanucks]

I get the fact that it's tough being a Canucks fan these days, but we live in an NHL era of true parity.....it is possible for teams, even as bad as the Canucks, to turn it around fairly quickly...look at Columbus and Calgary, who went from 3-6 in the lottery last year to the playoffs this year.

People point to the Oilers as an example of how long a team can languish in the wilderness, even with high picks year after year....but the fact is a terrible management group never surrounded those picks with anything, much less a decent goaltender.

When you look at the Canucks, they're set in goal; have a solid, young d-corps with more on the day. Up-front it's 'Death Valley" at the moment....but forwards are a lot easier to find, trade-for or develop.

Then there's coaching.....predicting that alone will make a big difference next year.

Columbus and Calgary were sunk by goaltending problems last year.

 

[MS]

Columbus and Calgary were sunk by goaltending problems last year.

Yup.

Teams that suck because they get .905 or worse goaltending over a season can absolutely turn it around quickly. Dallas will probably get a good goalie this summer and rebound by 20+ points.

But we're the opposite. We've actually received good goaltending over the past two years, and have still sucked because our roster is awful top to bottom. That doesn't turn around in one year, or anything close to it.

 

[Scumbag Frank]

Yup.

Teams that suck because they get .905 or worse goaltending over a season can absolutely turn it around quickly. Dallas will probably get a good goalie this summer and rebound by 20+ points.

But we're the opposite. We've actually received good goaltending over the past two years, and have still sucked because our roster is awful top to bottom. That doesn't turn around in one year, or anything close to it.

Wouldn't count on that. Their D is bottom 2 in the NHL on paper (maybe only NJ is worse) and watching their games post TDL, it shows. It's like having a team full of Sbisas out there when the puck is in their zone. Hamhuis looks done, and this year's UFA crop is barren. Doubt Honka makes much of a difference.
Outside of their big 3, the forwards don't look like much either. Don't envy their position.

 

[VanJack]

Columbus and Calgary were sunk by goaltending problems last year.

Columbus has the same goaltender this year as they had last year; and if Calgary's goaltending is better this year, it's only marginally....and both guys are UFA's this summer.

And look at Jonathan Bernier....a sieve in TO and a solid backup in Anaheim.....the team in front of the goalie does make a difference.

 

[CanaFan]

Columbus has the same goaltender this year as they had last year; and if Calgary's goaltending is better this year, it's only marginally....and both guys are UFA's this summer.

And look at Jonathan Bernier....a sieve in TO and a solid backup in Anaheim.....the team in front of the goalie does make a difference.

Well Calgary was also on pace to miss playoffs again until Elliott started to go HAM in mid-February and now they're the hottest team in the league. Up until then he couldn't stop a beach ball and the team was hovering around Canuck-level wretchedness. He's something like 14-3 since then.