Canucks got schooled tonight. Carolina played excellent and you have to give them credit for the one-sided victory. Canucks have been getting staler and staler on the home stand and deserved to lose some of the other games. Break couldn't come at a better time - this team has looked more tired and disorganized lately than they have looked in much heavier parts of the schedule.
Good
Stecher - ultimately sort of fell back into the overall lethargy of the team's play but early was getting people off the puck and turning around the play. Actually created some offense. Also Hutton had some good moments. Rest of the defense was poor.
Bad
Virtanen - did absolutely nothing. Whole line did nothing. Sutter dragged his butt thru another game and Granlund stayed to the outside on everything. Team might have been better before Sutter returned. Guy is is having a very lousy season. With Virtanen - you wonder if trading him might be the best thing. I thought he was showing signs early this season but he seems to be back where he was much of the last couple of years. Depends what you can get but believe decision on this player may have to be made.
Motte - game is all about energy and looks like the tank is empty. Slipping back to being the very marginal player he was suspected to be going into the season. Has shown upside so have to careful in getting too critical but tonight he was knocked easily out of the play (and often on his ass) and was a liability in his end.
Eriksson - total no-show. Skating issues completely exposed by a quick Carolina team. Canucks will never be a highly competitive team as long as they are carrying trash like him.
Ugly
Pouliot - we are use to stinkers out of Poo but this plumbed new depths of incompetence. He can not compete against the speed. Slug-like movement put him in panic mode through out the game. Just pathetic how he groped around his end trying to keep track of the puck. And forget him about him trying to keep track of his check. And, of course, forced into horrific give-aways. Watching the confused and and shell-shocked Poo on the bench, you were almost thinking benching him or sending him to a much lower level of hockey would be a mercy. Beiga is so clearly the better player you have to ask what Green is thinking. His love affair with his Junior star Poo must end. He is what he is, and any any hope that he will suddenly get some wheels is tragically forlorn.
Others
Horvat - not doing enough. Team simply has to have more out of him to go anywhere
Pettersson - beauty pass on the second goal but did as much bad as good in this game
Edler - played to death and was loggy much of the game.
Tanev - better than most of the Canucks but still one of his worst performances this year.
Gudbranson - don't blame him for trying to chase down Svechnnikov who made a silly and nasty hit in a game that was simply being played out by both teams. You do junk like that at this level and you are legitimately going to be asked to answer for it. Also Gudbranson didn't go all postal and go overly berserk. Backed off fairly quickly and got off the ice. Ultimately a nothing burger. On the play Gudbranson was decent on the PK but could do nothing to bail out the dreadful Poo. Might have hoped for more, but most of that was clearly on the rancid Pouliot.
See how they do after the break but at this point if Markstrom isn't totally lights out then the team is in big trouble and is likely not in the playoffs.
