Post-Game Talk: GAME #40: Canucks def. Oilers - 4-2 (Motte, Boeser, Pettersson, Roussel)

[Johnny Canucker]

The back injury seems to have permanently affected his skating. He had some decent wheels last season but he’s been an absolute slug out there for most of the year. Hasn’t been driving the play anywhere nearly as much.

He hasn’t been the same player he was last season, numbers aside. But his numbers haven’t dipped because he’s playing with a budding superstar.

Nope. He was a slug last year too. His skating is below NHL level standard.

 

[Johnny Canucker]

Lucic was horrible, it’s like he’s skating in mud, at least Eriksson can somewhat skate and be defensively responsible. 2 of the worst contracts in the league but Lucic is worse.

I learned Eriksson took in EP40 over the holidays for Christmas dinner etc. Not worth 6M but nice to see.

 

[JuniorNelson]

Boeser reminds me of Brett Hull. Not fast but still very dangerous.

Petterson is clearly the Canucks' top forward. This is great. A vintage year!

 

[GetFocht]

It doesn't matter if you're playing with a budding superstar, it extremely hard to produce close to a PPG in the NHL that requires high offensive high IQ.

 

[mathonwy]

Goaltending was the total issue in this game. We had it and for the most part Edmonton didn't. Always admired the way McDavid played through checks and played honest. But now, under Hitchcock, he is being made to feel sorry for himself and start to retaliate and go down easy. Really a pity b/c that's losers game. Begin to look for ways out and stop playing a team game. That said, McDavid is certainly a terrific player.

Kinda like Taylor Hall...

 

[Regal]

Nope. He was a slug last year too. His skating is below NHL level standard.

Except he wasn't and that's a terrible analysis

 

[Regal]

ok, found Draisaitl's mom.

Seriously, the guy can not drive an offense himself and isn't strong enough defensively to make up for it.

He needs McDavid to be effective, which makes him no different or better than any other Oiler player.

That's a little ridiculous. Draisaitl might be a complementary player but he's a hell of a complementary player. Playing with McDavid doesn't make just anyone a PPG+ player

 

[swedehollow]

Connor sounds Salty in the pre-game interview saying the Canucks rely on PP's to score.

It's funny because these teams are mirror images of each other.

Result: Edmonton 2 PPG, 0 Even Stength, Vancouver 0 PPG, 4 Even Strength . I guess McDavid was right or am I missing something...

 

[WTG]

The amount of critique Boeser is getting is rather ridiculous since he's close to PPG while having a "slump".
Coming off a season ending injury, while being in his 2nd year, bad conditioning. Relax, jesus.

 

[Bleach Clean]

The amount of critique Boeser is getting is rather ridiculous since he's close to PPG while having a "slump".
Coming off a season ending injury, while being in his 2nd year, bad conditioning. Relax, jesus.

In fairness, Boeser was given the benefit of the doubt for the reasons you listed. When is it enough time though? Sooner or later, he's expected to get up to speed. Essentially, play himself into shape.

I made the exact point you are making: He's near PPG while looking bad. Do we continue to bank on that conversion rate? Or, is it time to see him become visibly better so that we are assured that this rate will continue? I think we are at the second question right now.

 

[Catamarca Livin]

What a year! Switched from winning draft lottery to criticizing one of the hottest goal scorers in league for not looking good enough while scoring. Boeser is fine and will get better further away from injuries. Team is forming.

 

[tantalum]

I only watched the last two periods but wow they were not good. Like pretty much every player with only a couple of exceptions. Markstrom, Tanev and Edler being the primary exceptions.

Leivo...he is what Babcock saw him to be I think. A guy who has a nice shot and some good offensive instincts down low. And that’s it. The problem for Leivo is those two things he’s good at aren’t better than most players and then he has nothing. It’s easy to see why he couldn’t get icetime. Won’t be long before he’s in the exact same situation with Green...he might be already. Still a lot of churn that needs to happen on this roster.

Boeser...it’s been a tough year. I suspect things are still nagging him. Why? Because he is having games where he looks good, has some quickness and is strong on the puck. Then he has other games where you wonder why he’s getting the minutes. I don’t think it’s an in or out of shape thing. It looks like a things hurt or things don’t hurt type of situation. Still as long as he’s producing he is not at the top of the problems list.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

In fairness, Boeser was given the benefit of the doubt for the reasons you listed. When is it enough time though? Sooner or later, he's expected to get up to speed. Essentially, play himself into shape.

I made the exact point you are making: He's near PPG while looking bad. Do we continue to bank on that conversion rate? Or, is it time to see him become visibly better so that we are assured that this rate will continue? I think we are at the second question right now.

It’s his second professional season of hockey - he suffered a major injury last year that cost him a lot of time, and missed a good chunk of games due injury this year. Neither of those things was going to help a guy who’s weakness was listed as “explosiveness” on his draft day.

He’s a young kid in his second season - I don’t think we’ve seen his peak yet. And for the flak that’s come his way, he’s scoring at a point a game pace and a 30-goal clip to boot. I wish we had more “problems” like him.

He’s here to produce offense and he’s been doing that.

 

[sting101]

It’s his second professional season of hockey - he suffered a major injury last year that cost him a lot of time, and missed a good chunk of games due injury this year. Neither of those things was going to help a guy who’s weakness was listed as “explosiveness” on his draft day.

He’s a young kid in his second season - I don’t think we’ve seen his peak yet. And for the flak that’s come his way, he’s scoring at a point a game pace and a 30-goal clip to boot. I wish we had more “problems” like him.

He’s here to produce offense and he’s been doing that.

Well said.

His injury was almost career ending.

To add to that (as you pointed out) he went backwards instaead of forward while becoming a player teams plan for at 21.

 

[DL44]

I only watched the last two periods but wow they were not good. Like pretty much every player with only a couple of exceptions. Markstrom, Tanev and Edler being the primary exceptions.

Leivo...he is what Babcock saw him to be I think. A guy who has a nice shot and some good offensive instincts down low. And that’s it. The problem for Leivo is those two things he’s good at aren’t better than most players and then he has nothing. It’s easy to see why he couldn’t get icetime. Won’t be long before he’s in the exact same situation with Green...he might be already. Still a lot of churn that needs to happen on this roster.

Boeser...it’s been a tough year. I suspect things are still nagging him. Why? Because he is having games where he looks good, has some quickness and is strong on the puck. Then he has other games where you wonder why he’s getting the minutes. I don’t think it’s an in or out of shape thing. It looks like a things hurt or things don’t hurt type of situation. Still as long as he’s producing he is not at the top of the problems list.

Leivo usage yesterday I get...
Being the road team, without last change, going against the most dangerous player in the league, Green needed 2 checking lines..
He moved Roussel off of Horvat's wing and moved him with Beagle and Motte... so those two lines were primarily matched vs 97.
With Virtanen up Horvat, essentially Leivo was on the 4th line scraps line with 88 and 60.

But he still managed to show well last game despite the limited ice.
He had a couple subtle shifts with the puck into the slot and in the corners I really liked.
He'll get used at home when we dont have the best player in the game to defend.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Leivo's been what the Leafs fans advertised him as, IMO - a guy who's good along the boards (seriously, he does very well in board battles) and who has a good shot. That makes for a decent complimentary offensive player, to be sure - but I've definitely noticed him blend into the woodwork in games that have opened up and been more "run and gun".

 

[ErrantShepherd]

Leivo's been what the Leafs fans advertised him as, IMO - a guy who's good along the boards (seriously, he does very well in board battles) and who has a good shot. That makes for a decent complimentary offensive player, to be sure - but I've definitely noticed him blend into the woodwork in games that have opened up and been more "run and gun".

I like to imagine that Bo Horvat's skating coach is somehow magical and dream of what they could do for Leivo in the offseason.

As for reality, I mean... we've been aware his foot speed and skating is an issue. Still think he works as a complimentary piece on an offensive line, and Gaudette at the moment seems to be our secondary offensive line? Curious how everything switches up once Sutter and Baertschi are back in...

 

[ddawg1950]

Nope. He was a slug last year too. His skating is below NHL level standard.

Tough when your team gets lit up in the first period like that and you are reduced to criticizing one of our top goal scorers. Going to be a long year for you.

Sympathies.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

I don’t care how we beat the Oilers, just so long as we beat them.

 

[Hit the post]

I don’t care how we beat the Oilers, just so long as we beat them.

Same applies to the Flames or Leafs. Actually, **** them all.

 

[JanBulisPiggyBack]

Same applies to the Flames or Leafs. Actually, **** them all.

I agree

So many people who I talk with who are not true hockey fans don’t understand why as a Canadian my top ten hated teams includes Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto, like I should cheer for them because they are Canadian. I just hate them no matter what and not likely to cheer for them in a cup final..... well Montréal I would probably support but never Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto

 

[Shareefruck]

The suggestion that Boeser was a slug last year is absolutely ridiculous. He may have been expected by fans to be slow Brett-Hull-esque opportunist when he first got here (much like what he looks like now), but what made his rookie season magical was that everything about him that was a perceived flaw was not present. He was a strong skater and play-maker, he was aggressive/assertive all over the ice, defensively reliable, and was very strong at holding and protecting the puck when he had it.

Not acknowledging his struggles this year simply on the basis that he's producing well while playing with Pettersson does a massive disservice to how good of a player Brock Boeser was last year. Yes, near-PPG would be incredibly impressive for a player who's having major struggles, but it also happens to be true, because Brock Boeser is genuinely an incredibly impressive player that can do this.

 

[Blue and Green]

I like to imagine that Bo Horvat's skating coach is somehow magical and dream of what they could do for Leivo in the offseason.

As for reality, I mean... we've been aware his foot speed and skating is an issue. Still think he works as a complimentary piece on an offensive line, and Gaudette at the moment seems to be our secondary offensive line? Curious how everything switches up once Sutter and Baertschi are back in...

Probably Gaudette back to Utica, Schaller waived, Motte and Granlund battle for 12th forward-- at the moment Motte might have the upper hand based on recent play. Leivo's done enough to maintain a spot in the lineup for a while but he shouldn't get feeling too comfortable.

 

[DL44]

The suggestion that Boeser was a slug last year is absolutely ridiculous. He may have been expected by fans to be slow Brett-Hull-esque opportunist when he first got here (much like what he looks like now), but what made his rookie season magical was that everything about him that was a perceived flaw was not present. He was a strong skater and play-maker, he was aggressive/assertive all over the ice, defensively reliable, and was very strong at holding and protecting the puck when he had it.

Not acknowledging his struggles this year simply on the basis that he's producing well while playing with Pettersson does a massive disservice to how good of a player Brock Boeser was last year. Yes, near-PPG would be incredibly impressive for a player who's having major struggles, but it also happens to be true, because Brock Boeser is genuinely an incredibly impressive player that can do this.

You are being hyperbolic...
It wasn't all roses and sunshine for Brock last yr... especially defensively...
Baertschi-Horvat-Boeser were consistently hemmed in and struggled in our own zone..

Where Boeser's footspeed manifested itself was not getting to loose pucks in the defensive zone.. many shifts were extended in the dzone as a result...


The prime stark difference from Brock of last year to this year has been his ability to handle the puck... a lot more bobbles and hesitation in his play relative to last yr... that will work itself out.

Everything right now comes down to conditioning imo... He'll gain a half step, he'll be more relaxed, and he'll become more poised once he's fully back up to full speed and conditioning....
By the all-star break hopefully we have the old Brock back..
Give him some time... he's earned it.. and still producing despite how he looks right now.

 

[vancityluongo]

No, they just have terrible management for more than a decade. If you have a McDavid who gets support from other talented guys like Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins you will keep on winning quite a few games as long as your goaltending holds up and your team puts up a solid defensive effort. Whenever that is not the case you will likely loose and in the long run got nowhere except the odd playoff appearance once in a while. Canucks are facing the same fate as long as Benning/Weisbrod are at the helm.

Kinda crazy how people are roasting the Oilers here for a lack of depth without realizing that we're essentially the 2016 Oilers right now. As soon as Boeser gets Eberle-ish money (or more) and Pettersson gets 10M+, we'll be in the exact same spot if not worse. Let's really hope former 7th overall Quinn Hughes is much, much better than former 7th overall Darnell Nurse. And that we can get an Adam Larsson-like defenseman (or two) after Tanev and Edler leave without having to give up a stud forward.