Post-Game Talk: Game #31: Canucks beat the Coyotes 3-2 in OT | Higgity, Higgity, Higgins!

[Jimson Hogarth*]

The guy didn't even get a shot off... Higgins knocked it off his stick.

I love that Lu is ready to look in the mirror after goals these days.... be nice if his fans would allow for some criticism when warranted.

5 skaters directly within reach of the guy and not one has his stick or plays the man?

Sorry, this team has had crease clearing problems since that first Chicago series, and its still the same.

On that particular goal, Luongo could have surely made a great save, but didn't. The absolutely unjustifiable play on that goal comes from the skaters.

We've been soft in front of our net for years. That play is indicative of the problem. Maybe Gillis can go out and get another of the exact same defenceman to help this problem

 

[Wetcoaster]

5 skaters directly within reach of the guy and not one has his stick or plays the man?

Sorry, this team has had crease clearing problems since that first Chicago series, and its still the same.

On that particular goal, Luongo could have surely made a great save, but didn't. The absolutely unjustifiable play on that goal comes from the skaters.

We've been soft in front of our net for years. That play is indicative of the problem. Maybe Gillis can go out and get another of the exact same defenceman to help this problem

Moss was checked... by Higgins.

Luongo did not need to make a great save - a routine save would have done the job... but he screwed up on his technique as he said.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Hamhuis and Garrison are high end left side DFDs... Strong underlying numbers (usually) and steady partners for others. Lest we forget Tanev, who has played the best shut down hockey of his career thus far.

"No one solid defensively" is just... Are you talking about having a franchise Dman?

In your opinion, what is the best defense corps Torts has worked with?

I guess the philosophy I'm going for is a #1 D-man who is very solid defensively, which Alex Edler isn't. Let's look back at post-lockout Cup winning teams and who their #1 D-man is.

Keith, Doughty, Chara, Keith, Gonchar, Lidstrom, Pronger, (Carolina won in 2006, but I have no idea who their #1 D-man was...)

In that list, only Gonchar is questionable defensively, and he was playing for the Penguins, who were stacked in a way that you could argue even today's Blackhawks don't come to. I guess what I'm saying is if the Canucks were built like the 2008-2009 Pens, they might be able to get away with Edler eating so many minutes. They almost did get away with it in 2011, as a matter of fact. With the team they have now, there is no way it's happening. The overall corps isn't solid and you really don't know what you're going to get with Lu going forward.

As for Torts' best D lineup, maybe 04 Lightning? Dan Boyle, Pavel Kubina, Jassen Cullimore, Brad Lukowich, Cory Sarich, etc. Pretty solid.

 

[Wetcoaster]

Henrik Sedin... a really optimistic turtle???

The Canucks closed out a strong second with their second goal of the night, scored by the Sedins and Ryan Stanton off the rush. After losing the puck on the zone entry, Stanton got it back and left it for Daniel Sedin. Daniel moved it to Henrik, as he often does, and Henrik shocked everyone, Mike Smith included, by shooting it right away. He even shocked himself. His body was so stunned to be shooting from there that it collapsed, and Henrik celebrated from his back like a really optimistic turtle.​

http://vansunsportsblogs.com/2013/1...e-canucks-vs-phoenix-coyotes-december-6-2013/

 

[CCF23]

Depending on how Dallas does with their games in hand there's already some seperation forming in the West.

At the bottom end you have Minnesota (39 in 31), Phoenix (37 in 29), Vancouver (37 in 31) and then Dallas (31 in 27) and then it drops off a bit...

Winnipeg (30 in 30)
Nashville (29 in 29)
Calgary and Edmonton laugh: in )

Looks like it'll be hard for Winnipeg and Nashville to climb back in it. It's already shaping up to be a 3 or 4 horse race for the two wild card spots barring something weird happening.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

Moss was checked... by Higgins.

Luongo did not need to make a great save - a routine save would have done the job... but he screwed up on his technique as he said.

I take what players say to the camera's after the game with a grain of salt, you do not. I wouldn't take what they say as bible.

Edit: To me it looks like Higgins wiffed on the pass and then Moss hits it into the net, but that isn't the point. The point is that is a soft play in front of the net. We have numbers, in front, we have to make a much stronger play there.

Last year with Cory in net it was equally as bad. This team has a tough time clearing the front of the net.

 

[Wetcoaster]

I take what players say to the camera's after the game with a grain of salt, you do not. I wouldn't take what they say as bible.

Edit: To me it looks like Higgins wiffed on the pass and then Moss hits it into the net, but that isn't the point. The point is that is a soft play in front of the net. We have numbers, in front, we have to make a much stronger play there.

Last year with Cory in net it was equally as bad. This team has a tough time clearing the front of the net.

I will go with what players say happened on the ice particularly when it accords with video evidence.

Talked to Higgins about it and he said he swung his stick and it hit Moss’s which sent the puck into the net.​

And:

You see, after the game, Luongo wasn’t upset about the first goal he let in. He said he never saw that 60 foot shot he called a laser.

No, it was the second one he said he should have had.

And part of the reason he didn’t was that his left skate got caught inside the net while he was using a new technique.​

 

[Wetcoaster]

“We have to get out of this situation of not finishing off games because we're not going anywhere until we do.”

“I'm not going to keep on ripping the team,” Tortorella said. “We won the game but I thought we pissed away a point.”

Dear Santa,

May I please have more regulation wins at home.

I used to be naughty but now I am nice, so do your thing. Or else.

John Tortorella

 

[Win One Before I Die]

And part of the reason he didn’t was that his left skate got caught inside the net while he was using a new technique.

I guess this makes sense. I was rage quitting when I saw him sitting prone in butterfly and not moving. I played goalie in my younger years and was half decent, I know at the point when you dont know where the puck is you spread out and take the bottom of the net away... he just sat there lol

Why the **** does Luongo have the most brutal luck ever. Its like the curse of Dan Cloutier still hanging over this team. Or maybe its the ghouls from all the years of the Vancouver Goalie Graveyard.

 

[deadinthewater]

I guess the philosophy I'm going for is a #1 D-man who is very solid defensively, which Alex Edler isn't. Let's look back at post-lockout Cup winning teams and who their #1 D-man is.

Keith, Doughty, Chara, Keith, Gonchar, Lidstrom, Pronger, (Carolina won in 2006, but I have no idea who their #1 D-man was...)

In that list, only Gonchar is questionable defensively, and he was playing for the Penguins, who were stacked in a way that you could argue even today's Blackhawks don't come to. I guess what I'm saying is if the Canucks were built like the 2008-2009 Pens, they might be able to get away with Edler eating so many minutes. They almost did get away with it in 2011, as a matter of fact. With the team they have now, there is no way it's happening. The overall corps isn't solid and you really don't know what you're going to get with Lu going forward.

As for Torts' best D lineup, maybe 04 Lightning? Dan Boyle, Pavel Kubina, Jassen Cullimore, Brad Lukowich, Cory Sarich, etc. Pretty solid.

A little off topic, but were the Penguins really that stacked? Yes, they had Crosby and Malkin (who were both fantastic, I think they scored nearly 15 goals a piece), but who were their linemates? Guerin/Kunitz/Dupuis? I think their run had a lot to do with their two stars going into Superman mode.

 

[Wetcoaster]

Less giving away points and more of this sort of giving, please.

'Tis the season and all that crap.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Dale Weise really was skating well last night. I think Shorthouse struck gold with his nickname - The Flying Dutchman.

 

[mossey3535]

Moss was checked... by Higgins.

Luongo did not need to make a great save - a routine save would have done the job... but he screwed up on his technique as he said.

I'm not sure what Lu is talking about because having your skate inside the net on reverse-VH is very common. In fact, that is why he is giving up less ugly goals from below the goal line because the post seal with your boot inside the net is great at preventing those types of bank shots.

Nor does he need his left skate in that case to push back to the center since the shot comes straight back to him.

He gets the first shot in reverse-VH so that's all fine and good. It sucks that the second one goes under him but I would say it's more the circumstance in the play rather than a major breakdown in technique.

You could argue he didn't maintain stick discipline but part of VH is presenting your blade to the shooter to prevent the cross-crease pass.

All in all technique-wise he was pretty solid on that play. If you nitpicked you could say he was rushing to get over and that's why he ended up in an awkward position.

The first goal with the double screen going through two sets of legs...it was far out but I'm sure Rollie didn't give him much grief over that one either.

 

[vanarchy]

Lu's tweets with Lack from a week ago.

I'm considering getting twitter just to follow him.

 

[Squall]

Less giving away points and more of this sort of giving, please.

'Tis the season and all that crap.

Haha what is Hamhuis doing?

Ah yes, Weise has looked pretty good in the last few games... and on the 3rd line as well!

 

[luongo321]

Haha what is Hamhuis doing?

Ah yes, Weise has looked pretty good in the last few games... and on the 3rd line as well!

I think he's bracing himself for a flying skate or stick.

 

[vanuck]

Henrik is currently on pace for the 2nd most shots on goal in his career. Bodes well for his production as the past two years he really didn't generate enough shots making his line's play a bit too predictable at times.

Yeah, I think he's one of a few elite playmakers who actually don't shoot very often. Not saying it'll necessarily happen again but he scored 29 goals last time he averaged 2 shots per game. He'd needed to shoot more the past couple of years to avoid being - exactly as you said - a little too predictable for opposing D's. Hoping he can reach that level as he should hit 20 at the very least barring some unforeseen horrible luck.

 

[vanuck]

Dale Weise really was skating well last night. I think Shorthouse struck gold with his nickname - The Flying Dutchman.

I always liked that nickname better than Dutch Gretzky.

 

[Wetcoaster]

What do well-dressed fans of the Desert Dogs wear to away games? Dead animals apparently.

 

[Zarpan]

The stats show AV's teams invariably held leads:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=75694475&postcount=164

This season the NYR have a winning percentage of .917 when leading after 2 periods, the Canucks have one of .833.

NHL.com has Vancouver's winning percentage at .783 for last year when leading after 2 periods. Seems to be a recent phenomenon.

 

[yoss]

Someone rolled out the statistic earlier in the thread about Torts' Rangers going like 95-0-2 with a third period lead. You're taking a very small sample size and putting blame on Tortorella for something that isn't his fault. Nucks fans complain about the lack of secondary scoring, some about Luongo...if I was a fan of them the first thing I'd want fixed was the D. There is no one overly solid player defensively on their D corps and the guys they rely on most like Edler and Bieksa are very overhyped and overrated, IMO.

I could see the Canucks as struggling with leads in the third going forward but not because of the coach, not because they're in the almighty West, but because their defensive personnel gets seemingly weaker by the game, and it's looked like that for years.

You watched many Canuck games? No way in hell is Bieksa overrated (unless we're talking Don Cherry here) and Edler is having an off year offensively but is prone to costly turnovers (as is Bieksa) but have to disagree that they are 'overhyped'.

I think it's the mindset of the team as a whole, and it's showed in seasons passed not just this season with a bit of a different look in terms of the roster.

What I like is Torts is not happy about it and says as much, so I give him the benefit of the doubt this time being with a new team etc. that collectively him and the team can address this lack of killer instinct the team seems to have, for lack of a better way to put it. If Hansen puts that puck in the empty net last night then that's game right there.

I think they should put the team to a licensed, reputable hypnotherapist or something, because to me it is a mental issue. They have boot on neck but let up for whatever reason. They just need to learn to close it out and put the game away when they have a chance.

That being said, big game Sunday and despite everything they're trending in the right direction on a 3 game win streak. Can they step it up now? Beat Boston, or a good team to get a bit of their (apologies for using the word in advance) swagger back? I see this team as still with a lot of potential to do damage if they could just idk find a missing piece or two, whether players or their play. If this team was hopeless it would be less frustrating, but I know they have another level. They just need to put it all together here and get some good energy and momentum heading into the home stretch last push of the season.

I think maybe at home the nerves kick in or something? Maybe the crowd at Rogers isn't helping things, cause why the **** are the having such issues on home ice? Killin it on the road, but at home it's like they're afraid of making mistakes imo.

 

[me2]

3 guys who could lift his stick, and none are

Only one guy could lift his stick: Higgins

Bieksa had only just arrivedd and was not close enough at the time the puck was touched

Sedin is behind the net

Garrison was blocking the original shot that lead to the rebound

Santorelli is in the back ground, not close

Using the shot after the puck is in the net is misleading