Post-Game Talk: Game #20: Ducks 3, Canucks 1 - Petition to move into Metropolitan division

[CherryToke]

Not really. These top teams know exactly how to shut them down. Nothing has changed, don't expect to see any difference in the playoffs (if we make it)

LA and San Jose do for sure. The Ducks are overachieving and will suck come playoff time.

 

[mossey3535]

Generally good effort on the road trip, I don't know what you guys are talking about. Yeah they got manhandled by the Kings, but they finally beat the Sharks, got their point against Phoenix, and this game was close too.

If anything it shows that of the three California teams we can hold our own with at least two of them, and I expect us to be ok versus LA as well since almost everything that could go wrong did against them.

I see once again people wanting trades or something. Lots of the teams in the league are 'one-line teams' in terms of offence. Look at Anaheim. Who do they really have after Getzlaf and Perry?

Anyways, the Canucks continue to play a much more playoff friendly game and it's a lot more fun to watch as well.

 

[opendoor]

They're fine. They just get neutralized against the best teams in the West.

H. Sedin had 15 points in 12 games against the top 4 teams in the West (CHI, ANA, STL, and LAK) last season.

 

[VeteranNetPresence]

Team missing 4 regulars, on a second game of a back to back on the road, a game where they had no puck luck what so ever but yes crystal clear.

this team is barely in a wild-card spot despite having a pretty easy schedule before this road trip, and playing more games than most teams in the league.

 

[Bro Horvat]

Think about what you're saying here. You're saying we all expected the team to go 0-4 on this road trip because of the opponents. You're basically admitting that the Canucks don't match up against these better Pacific division teams. If you thought the Canucks DO match up against these teams, shouldn't expectations have been higher then? Which one is it?

well, there's a bit of both really. Canucks have played 11 of their last 14 on the road, and the worst home record of any of the teams they played on this roadtrip had 1 loss I believe.

So based on the circumstances, yeah it wouldn't be unrealistic to say they go 0-4, but that isn't necessarily to say that the Canucks aren't as strong as any of those teams individually.

 

[NuxFan09]

This "we're a one line time" stuff is garbage. Henrik was a -2 this game. Sestito provided secondary offense. It wasn't that the team had only one line not producing, it was that line didn't produce _and_ hurt the team by getting scored on twice. It's the defense of the top line that cost the Canucks the game.

Man, some people will just whatever excuse to push a narrative. The top two lines pressed and pressed. Generated a big disparity in shots, but could not finish. It wasn't the first line leading the charge and no one following suite.

He was -2 yesterday as well. Anyone seeing a trend here? Our top line, as good as they really are, has shown throughout the last couple years that they just can't match up against the best teams. They were neutered against Boston and they were neutered against San Jose last year.

I love these guys to death and want them to remain on this team. I also believe they can help this team win. These last couple games have just been a stark reminder about the obvious trend with them. They let this team down big time against the bigger, better teams in the league.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Not the best finish to the trip, but I find it hard to get too worked up about a team that came out of a stretch with 11 of 14 on the road with an 8-4-4 record.

Looking forward at the schedule, I wouldn't be surprised to see the team go on a bit of a run. 13 of the next 21 are at home and after the San Jose game 13 of the following 20 are against teams currently in the bottom half of the league.

They have to make hay at home. Right now within the division is a gauntlet.

In LA and ANA, it was the top line that failed to deliver/hold their own. Kind of odd and I don't expect that to continue.

 

[canuck4life16]

In October we barely played against a top team, most were bottom feeder/eastern team, and then we have a road trip against pacific team four in a row......next time around the team should be ready

 

[stuffradio]

Teams done. Seasons over. Fire the coach. He's outstayed his welcome. The window has closed. Trade Kesler and the Sedins for some first and second round picks.

 

[VeteranNetPresence]

Teams done. Seasons over. Fire the coach. He's outstayed his welcome. The window has closed. Trade Kesler and the Sedins for some first and second round picks.

i know you're being sarcastic, but the window is likely closed shut

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

Burrows usually buries that chance he had...bad play from him this year.

 

[Drop the Sopel]

it should be crystal clear now that this team is not on the same level as the top tier teams in the league

Yes, just because they went into 2 of the best teams in the NHL's buildings and outplayed them, doesn't mean they can compete with those teams they've outplayed. Couldn't agree more.

This road trip reinforced one thing for me - this team can compete with the best in the West. It's also apparent the Canucks will be a tough team to score against under Tortorella. The sytem has fallen into place and the penalty killing is outstanding.

On the flip side, Gillis needs to find a way to add a pure offensive player to get this team where it needs to be in terms of putting the puck in the net and improving the PP. The team is right there - it just needs another 30 goalscorer IMO.

 

[maroon 6]

this team is barely in a wild-card spot despite having a pretty easy schedule before this road trip, and playing more games than most teams in the league.

Remember when the Flyers weren't going to make the playoffs but they some how made the finals? Remember how the Pens weren't going to make the playoffs but they won the cup? Remember when the Nucks won the PT but got eliminated in 5 games in the first round? It's way too soon to be drawing conclusions.

I think the Canucks are not far off the Kings and Sharks and are better or equal to the Ducks. Another quality forward would do wonders for this team.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

i know you're being sarcastic, but the window is likely closed shut

I don't think we'll be a contender again until Horvat and Shinkaruk arrive.

 

[Evidence]

I'm not surprised with the result, no team has beat Anaheim at home this year and the Canucks were playing back to back at the end of a road trip. I thought they had a few chances to get a point(Santorelli,Burrows) but they didn't finish.

 

[NuxFan09]

Generally good effort on the road trip, I don't know what you guys are talking about. Yeah they got manhandled by the Kings, but they finally beat the Sharks, got their point against Phoenix, and this game was close too.

If anything it shows that of the three California teams we can hold our own with at least two of them, and I expect us to be ok versus LA as well since almost everything that could go wrong did against them.

I see once again people wanting trades or something. Lots of the teams in the league are 'one-line teams' in terms of offence. Look at Anaheim. Who do they really have after Getzlaf and Perry?

Anyways, the Canucks continue to play a much more playoff friendly game and it's a lot more fun to watch as well.

The same thing LA and San Jose have: promising youth.

 

[Bro Horvat]

Yes, just because they went into 2 of the best teams in the NHL's buildings and outplayed them, doesn't mean they can compete with those teams they've outplayed. Couldn't agree more.

This road trip reinforced one thing for me - this team can compete with the best in the West. It's also apparent the Canucks will be a tough team to score against under Tortorella. The sytem has fallen into place and the penalty killing is outstanding.

On the flip side, Gillis needs to find a way to add a pure offensive player to get this team where it needs to be in terms of putting the puck in the net and improving the PP. The team is right there - it just needs another 30 goalscorer IMO.

Agreed - fundamentals are in place but execution is lacking. It's probably wishful thinking but adding a pure, scoring threat would be ideal.

 

[Bleach Clean]

He was -2 yesterday as well. Anyone seeing a trend here? Our top line, as good as they really are, has shown throughout the last couple years that they just can't match up against the best teams. They were neutered against Boston and they were neutered against San Jose last year.

I love these guys to death and want them to remain on this team. I also believe they can help this team win. These last couple games have just been a stark reminder about the obvious trend with them. They let this team down big time against the bigger, better teams in the league.

It's very, very odd to hear this team is a "one line team" when the top line is the one that is sinking the team in these games. How is that a one line team? If they were going and no one else was following, then I could see that point, but this is the exact opposite scenario.

BeastModo got outplayed in both games. That's not good enough. If they aren't going, then they have to saw off the minutes they get against other top lines. They aren't doing that.

 

[canuck4life16]

it be nice if we have more top team to play against in October but no it was all eastern team/bottom feeders for the most part with the exception of a few

 

[NuxFan09]

H. Sedin had 15 points in 12 games against the top 4 teams in the West (CHI, ANA, STL, and LAK) last season.

Okay, thanks for pointing that out to me. How about the playoffs?

 

[mossey3535]

Also, you can't ask more of a team than for them to put in an effort (which they have) and stick to the system. Hopefully as a result of doing that, you win more games than you lose, but the way you guys act you'd think there isn't even another team out there.

3 road games in 5 nights against some of the top teams in the league? Yeah, you're going to lose some of those.

 

[shottasasa]

Nothing has changed in my view about this team after this road swing. The Canucks were only outplayed against the Kings which wasn't even as bad as the scoreline would have you believe, the other three games they matched or outplayed their opponent but a couple of bounces didn't go their way. This team is good enough to make the playoffs and we'll see how the season unfolds.

 

[Hammer Time]

I'm just happy we even managed to win one game on this road trip. SJ, ANA, and PHX were all undefeated at home, and we cracked one of those streaks. Only once (in LA) were we convincingly defeated.

We're in the toughest division in the league now, and we're on pace to do better than we did last season and almost as good as 2011-12.

(We're actually on pace for 104 points, and we only had 111 in our last Presidents Trophy season).

 

[stuffradio]

I'm not surprised with the result, no team has beat Anaheim at home this year and the Canucks were playing back to back at the end of a road trip. I thought they had a few chances to get a point(Santorelli,Burrows) but they didn't finish.

The Ducks have also been getting a lot of teams this early in the season in their home building that played the night before. They've been getting the tail end of players energy.

 

[maroon 6]

I don't think we'll be a contender again until Horvat and Shinkaruk arrive.

Lots of prospects fetish around in these forums.