Post-Game Talk: GAME #76: Canucks 0 vs. Blue Jackets 5 | Weekend B2B with season on the line = outscored 8 - 1

[VanJack]

You always hope for the Canucks to play well and win, but I'm actually secretly pulling for Torts and the Jackets in this one. They need wins a lot more than the Canucks, who basically need as high a pick as they can get.

Love how the Jackets went all in at the trade deadline. And while it still may blow up in their faces, at least they're keeping faith with the fan-base in Columbus.

And Torts might be the most entertaining coach in all of hockey. Stands up for his team...has legitimate disdain for many of the media doofuses; and has a fiery temper when his team sucks and under-performs.

Is he 'over the top' sometimes? Absolutely!. But how many coaches would charge after Bob Hartley in the tunnel after he felt the ugly Flames were lining up goons at the buzzer to take advantage of his team?

There hasn't been that kind of passion behind the bench in VanCity since he was fired.

 

[Cogburn]

So looking at our player stats going into tonight....Roussel is 4th in forward scoring. Eriksson is 5th (with his best season in a Canucks jersey points wise). Goldobin is 6th (tied with Eriksson). Virtanen is 7th. Leivo then Pearson then Granlund after that.

Roussels been a great pick up and plays anywhere in the line up.

Eriksson has recently picked up some points playing with Horvat but has spent a lot of time with Beagle on the fourth line.

Goldobin (who likely won't be adding to his totals this year) has been bounced around a little bit but is still outscoring a lot of other players in the line up. I see his struggles but we need goals and he has been our 7th best player at doing so (Edler as a D didn't work into the above rankings.

Virtanen looked like a world beater to start the season. He has missed 10 games but still has had one of the worst slumps of anyone on the team. I hope he and Gaudette find some chemistry or that he can be tried in a top six role because at this point....eh whatever.

Leivo (who has been stapled to Pettersson and I'm saying this as correlation not causation but EP's slow down started not long after the stapling). His totals on the year look good but he is 16 points in 43 games which I think is substandard for a 1st line player.

Pearson's totals have been going up a little since he was acquired. Playing with Bo probably helps.

Granlund has been a whole lot of meh but still has 10 goals and 10 assists.

I said all that to say this. Our top performers (points wise) ought to be our top minute guys as well. Pettersson Horvat and Boeser will lead the charge but Goldobin Eriksson and Virtanen (for all their faults) are still our next most effective wingers from an offensive perspective with Roussel out. I like Pearson and Leivo but they're not producing as well as others in less desirable roles. I don't know where the official elimination will fall but let's see some chances for the guys scoring the most. Who know. We might catch lightning in a bottle going into next season.

 

[Icebreakers]

Could have used McCann's 19 goals

 

[Brock Boeser Laser Show]

Could have used McCann's 19 goals

or the 30+ goals we could've had from our 2nd round pick we traded away.

Over 50 goals flushed down the toilet for Gudbranson.

 

[Hit the post]

Hopefully Demko gets most/all of the remaining games (doubt it'll happen though).

 

[Icebreakers]

or the 30+ goals we could've had from our 2nd round pick we traded away.

Over 50 goals flushed down the toilet for Gudbranson.

I doubt we would have taken Debrincat at the time but yeah it was a brutal trade.

 

[Hockeyphysio]

If Baertschi actually plays it will be arguably the dumbest thing this team has done in a long stretch of doing very dumb things. I cannot believe that this is even a discussion.

Makes me sick that they would even consider it. He really probably should be done for his career but at least dont bother with these final few games

 

[me2]

or the 30+ goals we could've had from our 2nd round pick we traded away.

Over 50 goals flushed down the toilet for Gudbranson.

Tkachuk McCann Debrincat

ce sera sera

 

[Peter10]

or the 30+ goals we could've had from our 2nd round pick we traded away.

Over 50 goals flushed down the toilet for Gudbranson.

Dont forget the 20 or whatever goals against that Gudbranson was responsible for. Easily a positive goal differential if that trade was never done.

 

[dwarf]

Losing McCann is tough to take. And he is just going to get better as he grows into a man.

 

[M2Beezy]

Aside from the top 2, any of Krebs, Dach, Cozens or Turcotte would be huge. I like Turcotte personally.

Zegras and Boldy could be worth a look too.

Kakko or Death

 

[mathonwy]

So, are we statistically out of the playoff picture now? Dream is dead? Is what it is, guess now just gotta hope the kids keep the games close and keep producing while ultimately losing out the majority of this next stretch.


...is it bad I kinda want to ruin Columbus's playoff hope's too? No issue with us playing today as the spoilers. Mostly cause **** Torts.

I'm over Torts because Torts didn't hire Torts. Frankie hired Torts.

I'm cheering for Columbus because CBJ has never won a cup and I respect Kekäläinen for going all-in in a season with Tampa and Vegas being the power houses they are.

I personally wouldn't do it but IMO, you gotta respect a team that does.

 

[VanJack]

Losing McCann is tough to take. And he is just going to get better as he grows into a man.

Kind of ironic that the key piece we gave up--McCann--and the guy he was traded for--Gudbranson--are both on the same team and thriving the with the Pens.

Always felt McCann would eventually be a solid player in the NHL. Loved his competitive fire in his brief time with the Canucks, and you could see that once he physically matured, he'd be an above average NHL player. Certainly a far superior depth center to guys like Beagle, Gaunce or Granlund.

But of course the Panthers gave up on him too, along with guys like Nick Bjugstad, Reilly Smithy and Johnathan Marchessault for basically nothing.

The common denominator with the Panthers and Canucks? Two teams that are basically suck at managing their assets.

 

[TruGr1t]

It seems to me the only real difference this year (if you want to call it an improvement, I guess) is Markstrom's play. The team from the goal out is pretty much generating the same on-ice performance/result.

They would be unimaginably bad without Pettersson's break out. Or with goaltending performances similar to the past two years.

 

[tantalum]

McCann would be a nice player to have right now. Though I’m not sold on Gudbranson thriving..,his ice time is starting to regress back to third pairing minutes with the Pens.

Baertschi needs to sit and rest until a month before camp. Or seriously consider retiring. But if he ain’t keeen on retiring then there is No need to risk a career in garbage time.

 

[mathonwy]

McCann would be a nice player to have right now. Though I’m not sold on Gudbranson thriving..,his ice time is starting to regress back to third pairing minutes with the Pens.

Baertschi needs to sit and rest until a month before camp. Or seriously consider retiring. But if he ain’t keeen on retiring then there is No need to risk a career in garbage time.

Because Letang is back.

Something was seriously malfunctioning while Gud was with the Canucks and heck if I know what that was.

 

[member 290103]

What is the point at putting Baertschi in the lineup now? Why not just shut him down?

 

[me2]

Because Letang is back.

Something was seriously malfunctioning while Gud was with the Canucks and heck if I know what that was.

Penguins are better at covering up his faults. That is all. Give it 30-40 games next year and see, we saw him have good 5-10 stretches here too.

 

[M2Beezy]

3-1 Columbus our goal by Boeser

 

[Zombotron]

 

[Zombotron]

Coach Green is going for the stealth tank (RE: Pouliot)

 

[Zombotron]

 

[VanillaCoke]

He should autograph that 100%

 

[VanJack]

Coach Green is going for the stealth tank (RE: Pouliot)

My gawd!.....the Canucks have a plethora of mediocre forwards which are interchangeable between the ice and the press-box. I suppose Baertschi and Goldy will 'up' the skill level at least. Looks like they've basically given up on Spooner.

Kinda disappointed that Teves isn't getting his shot. But Pouliot obviously makes more sense at this point. Canucks basically at 6 percent in terms of winning the draft lottery. They could up their odds a bit in the last couple weeks of the season. And this lineup might help.

 

[shottasasa]

If Baertschi actually plays it will be arguably the dumbest thing this team has done in a long stretch of doing very dumb things. I cannot believe that this is even a discussion.

That’s a pretty tricky situation as I think it is not just their decision. Team doctors must have cleared him to play and Baerschi said in an interview he wants to get a few games in before the end of the season.

I personally think Baertschi should seriously consider taking the safe route and retire, but that is a decision for him and his people, not the Canucks. It reminds me of the Malhotra situation a bit.