Post-Game Talk: GAME #25 - Canucks @ Blue Jackets

Steve Bennett*

Guest
game notes:

Boring game, especially the first three periods. I thought actually a lot of the forwards had an ok game but with no finish. They really look like a team struggling. You can see it in Burrows, Kassian and Booth. Especially Burrows, he's squeezing the stick. I found myself not swearing at Ebbett throughout the game which was a pleasant surprise; the only time I swore was when Garrott suggested Ebbett in the shootout.

Edler wasn't too bad tonight, although it's not like Clb is an overwhelming offensive team. Garrison played well, nice goal. Even Barker I thought looked swell, has some good hockey sense that shows sometimes, but for whatever reason he can't really put it all together. Alberts looked cruddish. Hamhuis and Tanev were reliable. Nice game by Lu, but come on, let's trade the guy...
 

Virtanen2Horvat

BoHorvat53
Nov 29, 2011
8,288
2
Vancouver
I liked Booth's play tonight. I think he should get promoted or put on the powerplay.

My lines against Nashville:

Sedin-Sedin-Burrows
Booth-Higgins-Kassian
Raymond-Ebbett-Hansen
Pinizotto-Lapierre-Weise

I think Pinizotto will be able to play on Thursday not sure. They should train Higgins and Ebbett on the faceoffs. Lapierre is not too bad at faceoffs and Henrik is good.
 

John Bender*

Guest
I hate these kinds of wins. Bandaids.

Nah, the Canucks have lost games this year they should have won. This just makes up for those. They got screwed in the Flames game. Horrid goal on Luongo and then that chicken **** call from the ref. They were the better team in that game.
 

Ryan96

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
49
0
Vancouver
A win is a win, it wasn't pretty but it was needed. There were some positives and some negatives. The power play seemed to have some more jump and Edler did well. Once we get some 2nd and 3rd line scoring this team will be in much better shape.
 

m9

m9
Sponsor
Jan 23, 2010
25,107
15,229
Lapierre has been really, really poor recently. He really is a much better winger than center, as he can hit people on the forecheck and doesn't get exposed for his average defensive zone coverage.
 

Jabba The Hutton

Nucks STH
Jul 28, 2009
1,240
52
UBC
Two goals in two games from Columbus? I don't care how hard Columbus was trying, that's not a good enough effort from the team.

Maybe it's just the commitment to the defensive system, but it seems like the killer instinct is gone from this group. They are consistently the second to get to every important rebound and they don't follow up on good chances (like Letestu did on his goal). They are trying too hard to set up the perfect play instead of just taking what is given to them (i.e. capitalizing on mistakes).

Look at Columbus during the game, they mixed it up and fired shots from everywhere, creating significantly better chances than our own. The only difference is they don't have the skill depth that the Canucks have to finish those plays. If our game plan was the same as Columbus, we probably could have scored 3.

Luckily Luongo was there in the final minutes to save a point, and steal another in OT/SO. He looked so confident, even with one goal of support he stopped all the shots necessary.
 

Ryan96

Registered User
Mar 1, 2013
49
0
Vancouver
I liked Booth's play tonight. I think he should get promoted or put on the powerplay.

My lines against Nashville:

Sedin-Sedin-Burrows
Booth-Higgins-Kassian
Raymond-Ebbett-Hansen
Pinizotto-Lapierre-Weise

I think Pinizotto will be able to play on Thursday not sure. They should train Higgins and Ebbett on the faceoffs. Lapierre is not too bad at faceoffs and Henrik is good.

Kassian hasn't played good at all in the last few games. I would move him down to the third line. Also I don't think that Ebbett would last long on the 3rd line, Since he was just ok tonight.
 

Reverend Mayhem

Lowly Serf/Reluctant Cuckold
Feb 15, 2009
28,095
5,223
Port Coquitlam, BC
One thing I noticed tonight were how the Sedins were so perimeter-ish. I think the only Canucks I ever saw cut to or use the slot area in any capacity was Raymond and Booth.
 

biturbo19

Registered User
Jul 13, 2010
25,156
10,136
I know I'll get bashed for this but all of you are acting like Luongo was God or something today. He wasn't tested all that much but to his credit he made good saves when he's needed to. He also got lucky with the BJ's missing the net or hitting the post. He was good and great in the shoot out but seriously don't get this talk of Lu >>>>> Schneider.

Schneider's performance in Chicago was the best goalie performance of the season. And this was only the Blue Jackets today. I like BOTH goalies but it just bugs me to see people switching over and ready to throw Schneider under the bus so fast. Luongo was good today but not amazing either like everyone is saying.

I agree. Luongo was good, and he easily earned another start. But it's not like he stood on his head today. Some good saves, poised and did well in the shootout, but wasn't challenged a huge amount. No an 'omg trade Schneider' sort of outing. :laugh:

I really do think this 'win and you're in' system is a really disruptive way to manage a goaltending tandem of this calibre. Especially when you're talking about a young 'first year starter' who was told he was going to be 'the guy' and that was the general expectation out there...and then we go to essentially a 'win and you're in' setup, where it looks like neither guy is really the 'number 1'. Tough on a young guys psyche.

Regardless of goaltending, which is not an issue at all, the team needs work.

I saw a lot more hustle tonight, and a lot more effort, but I still need to see some offensive creativity for the players we have on this team. It's getting ridiculous watching the dump and chase over and over to no avail.

Not even gonna talk about special teams.

It was nice to see the improved effort and intensity tonight. That's been a serious issue lately, and it was much better for most of tonight. But outside the Twins, we're far more of a 'blue collar team' than the Blue Jackets right now. Part of that due to injuries and guys missing, but the offensive creativity with this team in the bottom-9 is just zilch.

I also like Garrison and Hamhuis, but that means one of two things

1) We will have Edler and Bieksa together, which is pretty scary despite them having some success in the past if my memory serves me right
2) Edler/Bieksa on the third pairing which imo will never happen, Would obviously be Tanev coming up to probably be paired with Edler

I think we will probably go with
Hamhuis-Bieksa
Edler Garrison
Ballard Tanev

2 pairings that have been solid in the past and I have faith in Edler Garrison becoming a great pair

I like that the Hamhuis-Garrison pairing has been working, but i agree with what you've got there for when Bieksa is back.

Ultimately, for the long-term, Bieksa is half the player he can be when he's away from Hamhuis. And in that regard, i think we really need to see if that Edler-Garrison pairing can actually work, with Garrison on the Right side this time. Because if that isn't going to work, and we've got $9.2M worth of NTC blueliners who need to play with Hamhuis to get the most out of them...and that's a problem.

Maybe we can let it ride for a few games with Bieksa on the bottom-pairing to send a message...but sooner or later, something's gotta give there. And it would be nice to know where we stand with that Edler-Garrison pairing well before the deadline. If Garrison can't babysit Edler...our defence looks like a mess of guys clambering to play with Hamhuis.
 

biturbo19

Registered User
Jul 13, 2010
25,156
10,136
Lapierre has been really, really poor recently. He really is a much better winger than center, as he can hit people on the forecheck and doesn't get exposed for his average defensive zone coverage.

Lappy has been more than fine as a Center in the past. He's just been flat out bad this year, wherever he is. He looks way too slow to play 'his game' effectively, and far too concerned with becoming some sort of 'skilled' powerforward or something. It's all over his game...from plays like tonight where he tried to make a high risk from behind his own net which would've burned us if not for the red iron pipe there...to the way he comes in on the forecheck. We used to see him fly in like a missile and just take the man, hard, which knocked pucks lose and caused chaos in the offensive zone. Now you see him slow up and try to position himself to make plays on the puck half the time, and it just doesn't work.

The center depth on this team is abysmal though. Right now especially so, but even with Kesler back, we're short at least one NHL calibre Center. Lappy is playing like trash and a 4th line C at best, and Ebbett wasn't a disaster tonight but he doesn't belong anywhere near a regular roster spot.


And i know it's becoming a bit of a hobby for me, but just watching Derick Brassard on the other side tonight...how good would he look between some big powerful wingers like Booth and Kassian on this team? :nod:
 

Mr. Canucklehead

Kitimat Canuck
Dec 14, 2002
39,974
29,797
Kitimat, BC
We were out chanced 14-4 at even strength...wow

ES play has kind of been the one thing we could cling to with our special teams doing so poorly, so yeah...that's no good.

Barker looking better than Alberts, although that's not saying much. Seriously - Alberts is a trainwreck out there.

On the other end of the spectrum, nice to see Garrison settling in - been one of our most dependable guys for a while now.

Luongo's earned himself the next start, IMO.

Hopefully the team can build off this.

On another note, I think the answer as to why Gilman was on the bench is obvious - he's a multi-talented guy. Assistant GM, Capologist, Coach...other teams had better hope he doesn't strap on the skates. He'd be like Wayne Gretzky, only betterer.

:sarcasm:
 

Zombotron

Supreme Overlord of Crap
Jan 3, 2010
18,307
9,830
Toronto
We are 1 - 0 - 0 when I wear my new hat while watching the game.

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Trust in The Hat.
 

CookieCrumbs*

Guest
I don't know if it's been mentioned or not, but the Raymond shoot out goal shouldn't have counted. The puck definitely stopped. Surely other people notice this as well?

 

Zombotron

Supreme Overlord of Crap
Jan 3, 2010
18,307
9,830
Toronto
I don't know if it's been mentioned or not, but the Raymond shoot out goal shouldn't have counted. The puck definitely stopped. Surely other people notice this as well?



The CBJ board is up in arms about it.

We are also 1-0-0 when the GDT features references to our favourite childhood shows.

I believe you're trying to hint at something.
 

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