End of the season Press Conference: Thursday 12:00 PST

[Tiranis]

The Division winning thing is deceptive. The division has been horrible and a lot of the Canuck winning has come from winning within their division. We go outside the division and we are in tough. Stating that we are a contender based on our divisional record seems a stretch to me. Our record in the playoffs is a much better indicator of where the team stands. One win in two first round play off matches has to tell you something. and it is not that we were unlucky not to win.

The team's record outside of the NW division was the best in the league in 10-11 and 2nd best in 11-12. I haven't looked at the exact record this season but I think I read somewhere it would've put us in the same exact spot in the standings.

 

[Kepler 186f]

This is what always happens when a coach has overstayed his welcome.

And it still irks me about Gillis using the excuse about the game changing and the Canucks change their identity/style. If you have a coach that knows how to get the best out of your team, and guys who are willing to be the aggressors and get their noses dirty, a skilled team like the Canucks should be able to do a lot more damage.

Little guys like Pageau, Condra and Conacher have no problem scoring for the Sens.

David Krejci is the leading scorer in the playoffs and he is what, 6 ft. 185 pounds?

 

[Proto]

The problem with MacLean isn't that he didn't play hockey, or that he's a host -- it's that his opinions are facile. They always have the superficial air of "real thought!" behind them, but he's never able to qualify anything he says. It's just boiler-plate popular narrative hurled at whatever team/player/executive suits him. There's no consistency.

There's also a really funny tendency in the NHL big media never to blame officials for anything, unlike every other sport. They won't even recognize how incompetent the officials are and rarely talk about it; when they do, it's to brush it off as an "excuse" and note that a team shouldn't have put itself in that position. Those are not mutually exclusive ideas, but they're treated like they are. Believe it or not, it's totally possible that the Canucks special teams were terrible, the team was unprepared, the line-up and ice-time utilization was a mess, and the officiating was still god awful.

That's why I don't listen to any of that garbage anymore. Too many idiots. I'll read Friedman's column rather than watch him try to voice a few seconds of sanity amid a sea of raging idiocy.

 

[Cogburn]

"Size and youth". Again.

No mention of Burrows or specific defenders as part of our core (Kesler, Hansen, the Sedins).

Ticket prices rising (although the reporters asking about this seemed to not know what the hell they were talking about).

I know you can't say specifically what you intend to do, but saying we're "re-evaluating everything", and "the games changed", and agreeing with Don Cherry just doesn't sound good.

I think I might be dreading what happens next.

 

[arsmaster*]

This is what always happens when a coach has overstayed his welcome.

And it still irks me about Gillis using the excuse about the game changing and the Canucks change their identity/style. If you have a coach that knows how to get the best out of your team, and guys who are willing to be the aggressors and get their noses dirty, a skilled team like the Canucks should be able to do a lot more damage.

Little guys like Pageau, Condra and Conacher have no problem scoring for the Sens.

Those little guys have will.

Raymond has never shown that will at the NHL level, especially in the playoffs (yes he showed will coming back from an injury, but not my point).

I'm going to take issue with the coaching knowing how comment, AV called them out in the media. Said they need to play like Gallagher in Montreal.

I thought Higgins, Hansen, Raymond and Roy were absolutely terrible the playoffs and wanted know part of the battles that have to take place in the playoffs. That is an issue on the personnel, not solely on the coaching.

And yes, I'm an AV fan who thinks his time here is up.

 

[Proto]

Division-winning teams don't just decide to trade out core players for prospects and re-build while they're still contenders.

It never happens (excluding teams that have major financial issues) and it never will happen.

The goal should be to take the $14 million we had sitting in the bench/pressbox in Luongo/Booth/Ballard and spend that money on players that actually help us win games.

If we can bring in another quality defender and 2nd line forward, and shore ourselves up with a bit better depth players, this team will be a legitimate contender for another few seasons.

We're not Calgary, and we're not even close to being Calgary. Aside from that one fluke run, when were they even good? Calgary was an old, crappy team that kept trying for the 8th seed instead of rebuilding. In a year that was an utter disaster, we still won the division and were 6th overall in the NHL.

Exactly. They'll likely need to ice an interesting/youth-filly 4th line of something like Jensen/Lain/Kassian next year to squeeze some salary in the top of the line-up, but Corrado at 600k gives the team a lot of options.

Ideally they need to add two Top 6 wingers though, if they cut Booth. If there's no one available, they could keep Booth for another year and use the compliance buyout the following summer. Or hope he plays well early and can be moved.

 

[Proto]

Proto alluded to it earlier when he said that Roy started to play like a checker, which isn't his game. And then mrmyheadhurts also stated that the general consensus from player interviews was that they were stifled from fear of making mistakes. Let this team loose. Give it some talent, and see what happens. That's what I hope happens here.

Exactly. Early on Roy was generating off the rush, making nice plays inside the blueline, and just generally being creative. You could see what a change it was.

By the time the playoffs rolled around he was playing the same safe game as everyone else.

It's one thing to encourage borderline skill players on the 3rd and 4th lines to play a safe low-event game, but doing it with talented players is really shooting yourself in the foot. It also makes the team terribly predictable and easy to defend. Look at Brent Burns: even his own linemates (Thornton) say they don't know what he's going to do, and it works brilliantly. You need some of that on a team.

 

[arsmaster*]

"Size and youth". Again.

No mention of Burrows or specific defenders as part of our core (Kesler, Hansen, the Sedins).

Ticket prices rising (although the reporters asking about this seemed to not know what the hell they were talking about).

I know you can't say specifically what you intend to do, but saying we're "re-evaluating everything", and "the games changed", and agreeing with Don Cherry just doesn't sound good.

I think I might be dreading what happens next.

I don't think he said size once to be fair.

He said "gritty".....you don't have to be big to be gritty, to me he's talking about character traits of certain players, and needing more like Kesler.

 

[Wolfhard]

David Krejci is the leading scorer in the playoffs and he is what, 6 ft. 185 pounds?

When your linemates are Horton and Lucic, I think you can afford to be a bit undersized. Boston is a classic case of skilled smaller players getting room from big, physical (and skilled) linemates.

 

[BC Ben]

The problem with MacLean isn't that he didn't play hockey, or that he's a host -- it's that his opinions are facile. They always have the superficial air of "real thought!" behind them, but he's never able to qualify anything he says. It's just boiler-plate popular narrative hurled at whatever team/player/executive suits him. There's no consistency.

There's also a really funny tendency in the NHL big media never to blame officials for anything, unlike every other sport. They won't even recognize how incompetent the officials are and rarely talk about it; when they do, it's to brush it off as an "excuse" and note that a team shouldn't have put itself in that position. Those are not mutually exclusive ideas, but they're treated like they are. Believe it or not, it's totally possible that the Canucks special teams were terrible, the team was unprepared, the line-up and ice-time utilization was a mess, and the officiating was still god awful.

That's why I don't listen to any of that garbage anymore. Too many idiots. I'll read Friedman's column rather than watch him try to voice a few seconds of sanity amid a sea of raging idiocy.

This is such a wonderful post... Quoted for posterity!

 

[BC Ben]

Ticket prices rising (although the reporters asking about this seemed to not know what the hell they were talking about).

Goddammit... I am already being gouged for tickets and after yet another pathetic performance in the postseason, I am expected to pony up more?!?

I love our sellout streak, but I want some empty seats this season to tell ownership that it isn't right to charge us what they are charging us.

 

[Kepler 186f]

When your linemates are Horton and Lucic, I think you can afford to be a bit undersized. Boston is a classic case of skilled smaller players getting room from big, physical (and skilled) linemates.

Yes a proper mix of players. It isn't all one type, it is a good combination of styles that makes a successful team.

 

[Barney Gumble]

When your linemates are Horton and Lucic, I think you can afford to be a bit undersized. Boston is a classic case of skilled smaller players getting room from big, physical (and skilled) linemates.

You're missing the key ingrediant with respect to the Bruins. I've said this before but most players on that team work their butts off most shifts - everywhere on the ice. Work ethic can't replace skill but it can counter it if the later don't show up.

 

[ItsAllPartOfThePlan]

So I guess the earliest we can expect news is next week? Gillis says he has to make a presentation to the Acquilini's this week...probably hear news whether AV stays or is gone next week.

 

[Alan Jackson]

So I guess the earliest we can expect news is next week? Gillis says he has to make a presentation to the Acquilini's this week...probably hear news whether AV stays or is gone next week.

I think his "presentation" to the ownership is essentially a job interview. It wasn't that long ago that Dave Nonis was asked to present a plan to ownership. They didn't like what they heard.

I fully expect that Gillis will be back, but I don't think that's set in stone just yet.

 

[ItsAllPartOfThePlan]

I think his "presentation" to the ownership is essentially a job interview. It wasn't that long ago that Dave Nonis was asked to present a plan to ownership. They didn't like what they heard.

I fully expect that Gillis will be back, but I don't think that's set in stone just yet.

A little off topic here, but how big of a backstabber is Nonis? first he takes Burke's job here and then does the same thing in Toronto. When he inevitably gets let go, I wonder if Burke will hire him again.

 

[serge2k]

Goddammit... I am already being gouged for tickets and after yet another pathetic performance in the postseason, I am expected to pony up more?!?

I love our sellout streak, but I want some empty seats this season to tell ownership that it isn't right to charge us what they are charging us.

Well they have rising private internal costs.

 

[PhilMick]

Well they have rising private internal costs.

Sensory deprivation rooms don't pay for themselves! We need them to help keep our players mentally strong. Clearly working

 

[saskganesh]

A little off topic here, but how big of a backstabber is Nonis? first he takes Burke's job here and then does the same thing in Toronto. When he inevitably gets let go, I wonder if Burke will hire him again.

He's not. When Burke was fired in TO, Nonis was in a state of shock. Almost in tears.

 

[BC Ben]

Well they have rising private internal costs.

Bah humbug.

 

[stickside]

Goddammit... I am already being gouged for tickets and after yet another pathetic performance in the postseason, I am expected to pony up more?!?

I love our sellout streak, but I want some empty seats this season to tell ownership that it isn't right to charge us what they are charging us.

They would have had empty seats in the playoffs if they hadn't offered the leftovers to employees at 50% off cuz they were so adversely affected during the lockout.

Boohoo.

Paraphrasing Gillis...he said they did that cuz otherwise his employees may not have been able to afford them.

lololololol

That's gold, Jerry. Gold!

 

[PhilMick]

He's not. When Burke was fired in TO, Nonis was in a state of shock. Almost in tears.

Dave Nonis lives his life almost in tears. You should have seen him when he missed the last day of the McRib.

 

[thepuckmonster]

They would have had empty seats in the playoffs if they hadn't offered the leftovers to employees at 50% off cuz they were so adversely affected during the lockout.

Boohoo.

Paraphrasing Gillis...he said they did that cuz otherwise his employees may not have been able to afford them.

lololololol

That's gold, Jerry. Gold!

I wonder how much arena employees make because I still couldn't afford tickets at the half off rate and I make $25/hr.

 

[stickside]

I wonder how much arena employees make because I still couldn't afford tickets at the half off rate and I make $25/hr.

I dunno, but have you seen the front office org chart? It's insane! Seriously, some of those jobs can't be combined?

I hate to see people lose jobs, but if you're going after the fans money because you have costs to cover, maybe the first thing you should do is look at your org chart and overhead? Just a thought.

Damn, man.

 

[Barney Gumble]

I wonder how much arena employees make because I still couldn't afford tickets at the half off rate and I make $25/hr.

Debt financing.