Same old Canucks - let Sedins get mugged for years with not respond and now see their best player by far get abused and and do nothing but look for excuses. That was far from a clean play as Pettersson got slung to the ice again and put in a very dangerous position. To say that was an innocence play or an accident is a sickening response. Just makes you want to puke.
If you are a team that cares and has any degree of smarts and heart, you don't see your younger stars have liberties taken with them. You protect him as much as you can and you take retribution as immediately as possible.
Far as the game goes the team gave it an effort but Price was good and the team looks tired. But after watching Pettersson go down and the lack of response to the mugging, I, like I think others, had such contempt for most of the team that the effort seemed meaningless.
Good
Markstrom - his play kept them somewhat in it. He has been great.
Tanev - one of those players that can skate so effortlessly that they can maintain a high level even when tired and getting a lot of game time. Edler lugged at times but he was also good overall. Maybe being asked to do too much.
Bad
Boeser - if he is not scoring he becomes a liability. Started playing as an individual once Pettersson was gone.
Granlund - simply not good enough. Had a few spurts but eliminated easily during most of the run of the play.
del Zotto - contributed nothing and wasn't skating well. Almost started appreciating Poo
Eriksson - never a great skater but he use to have at least a good stick. Now lacks anything. Passes were so weak and poor in this game.
Ugly
Hutton - played like crap and had a total view of what happen to Pettersson. Skated away as quickly as he could and ignored the situation. I know he has his fan boys but I lost all respect for Hutton given what happened.
Baertschi - worse than Granlund. Bet Granlund out-scores him this year. Baertschi might from time to time get on the end of scoring chances but he can create nothing. Too slow and weak to get around anyone. Right now I think the useless Gagner is the better player. He did more in short stint here than Baertschi is doing. Baertschi is absolutely not a top 6 player and he certainly isn't a bottom 6 player either. Just another horrible contract. Edmonton is looking for wingers so flog him off on them for whatever you can get. Goldobin, with all his faults, is the better player.
Others
Virtanen - provided the team with some push but like others started doing it on his own. One thing he needs to do is stop always stick handling before he shoots. A useless habit that just allows the shot blocker time to step in on your shot.
Horvat - can see his game has fallen off. Probably would have buried a couple if he was going like he was earlier in the year. Work load is beginning to tell.
Schaller - actually made a couple of good passes but he's bottom drawer in term of actual skill.
Gudbranson - needs to know his role. Getting well paid for bringing some kind of deterrence but I don't see that in his character. Played ok outside of some clumsy mishandling of the puck at the blue line
Sutter - played fairly well given that this was first game in a long while. But his intermission comment was deplorable. They have monitors at the bench and had to have seen the play.
One scene in the game really got to me. Just after Pettersson got taken out and obviously badly hurt I saw Newell Brown grinning down at his white board drawing up some "x's and o's" and Greene all focused on what Brown was describing. To me, that capsulized the Canucks response to the situation. To me the lack of response comes from the coach down and maybe from management down. Like let's not over react here. Like sure, the best player in years has been taken out but you know there is two big points on the line. And it was probably an innocent play and all so.... Maybe some one should tell these dolts that they are not going to get as many fans out if Pettersson isn't there and they will also probably lose some playoff money. Maybe that will get through these dolts heads that having some push back and security for their younger players might be needed to shuck away some more dough. Or maybe they think that watching crap like Eriksson, Granlund and Baertschi will do just fine.
