Pre-Game Talk: GM 16: Vancouver Canucks @ Dallas Stars - Feb 21 - 5:30PM PST - SPAC

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Vancouver Canucks @ Dallas Stars

Canucks' Record: 8-3-4 @ Stars' Record: 8-7-1

WHEN: Thursday, February 21, 5:30PM PST
WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
RADIO: TEAM 1040

Vancouver Canucks' Starting Lineup:
D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Burrows
Higgins - Kesler - Hansen
Booth - Schroeder - Raymond
Weise - Lapierre - Kassian

Bieksa - Garrison
Hamhuis - Edler
Ballard - Tanev

Schneider

Dallas Stars' Lineup:
To Be Posted.


Game Notes:
- Vancouver G Cory Schneider will get the start.

The Last Meeting:


Star Killers:
Henrik Sedin - 43GP, 8G, 32A, 40Pts
Mason Raymond - 19GP, 6G, 5A, 11Pts
Ryan Kesler - 31GP, 10G, 6A, 16Pts

Canuck Killers:
Loui Eriksson - 23GP, 7G, 11A, 18Pts
Jaromir Jagr - 24GP, 12G, 20A, 32Pts
Michael Ryder - 12GP, 5G, 7A, 12Pts

​

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[SnapIt]

Playing the entire 60 minutes would be nice

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Playing the entire 60 minutes would be nice

It certainly would. When this team is on, it plays great hockey. Unfortunately, it's been off more often than not.

 

[arsmaster*]

Just like to touch on NYvanfan's post in the last thread, he said this:

next best forward scorers are kes, burr and booth ...all of whom have scored more than 20-something goals just once in their careers. Daniel is the only guy on this team who's done it more than once.

This is wrong. I showed you 4 times Kesler cracked 20, Burrows has cracked 25+ how many years in a row now?

I'm thinking you meant 30 goals.

 

[SnapIt]

It certainly would. When this team is on, it plays great hockey. Unfortunately, it's been off more often than not.

Thankfully the goalies have shown up for the most part. I think someone mentioned Schneider faced 30 scoring chances last night?

I hope Newell Brown realizes how important it is to shoot the puck on the PP.

 

[NYVanfan]

Just like to touch on NYvanfan's post in the last thread, he said this:



This is wrong. I showed you 4 times Kesler cracked 20, Burrows has cracked 25+ how many years in a row now?

I'm thinking you meant 30 goals.

more than 20-something = 30+, so yes
guess that wasnt clear

only Daniel is a multi-30+ guy.

 

[Tiranis]

Thankfully the goalies have shown up for the most part. I think someone mentioned Schneider faced 30 scoring chances last night?

Correct. He faced 30 scoring chances the whole game and 24 of those were at even strength. The team was just completely outclassed outside of the goaltending battle.

 

[PhilMick]

Carrying on from the post game thread that was so rudely locked up ( ) :
Just watched the Weise/Bollig fight, good on Weise. Nice big hit, and got some good shots in on the bigger opponent. What did Bollig get the 10 for though?

 

[PhilMick]

Thankfully the goalies have shown up for the most part. I think someone mentioned Schneider faced 30 scoring chances last night?

I hope Newell Brown realizes how important it is to shoot the puck on the PP.

As long as Garrison is off the PP, I think it's safe to say he doesn't realize that. I think his top priority at this point is to have the puck moving backwards in the neutral while 4 of the 5 players are at a dead ****ing stop.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Correct. He faced 30 scoring chances the whole game and 24 of those were at even strength. The team was just completely outclassed outside of the goaltending battle.

Really outclassed. Makes you wonder what this team really is. It was sobering type of game to say the least.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Correct. He faced 30 scoring chances the whole game and 24 of those were at even strength. The team was just completely outclassed outside of the goaltending battle.

I felt that in the first period, we came out hard and played a strong offensive/energy game. The defensive lapses were already there, but at least the team was moving its legs, getting in on the forecheck, generating chances and throwing their weight around.

It was the second and the majority of the third that were just dreadful to watch. If they could bottle that energy from the first (and get the defense to wrench their heads out of the sand), things would be so much easier.

 

[BerSTUzzi]

Really outclassed. Makes you wonder what this team really is. It was sobering type of game to say the least.

I find myself feeling the same way at times but reality is the team looked pretty good before the transition of Kesler, and now Booth, back into the lineup. Coach V is trying to use both way too much (Booth extremely small sample size). I'll wait until 10 games from now to decide how I feel about things (It took the Sedins that long to look normal).

I would try and get everyone's confidence back and go with

Sedins Kassian
Higgins Kesler Burrows (Kesler clearly isn't strong in his own zone yet)
Raymond Shredder Hansen (Booth if Hansen is suspended)
Booth Lappy Weise

 

[Tiranis]

Really outclassed. Makes you wonder what this team really is. It was sobering type of game to say the least.

I thought it was largely on the coach. The switching of the 2nd and 3rd line wingers really messed things up, IMO. Also when AV rolled the dubious Kassian - Raymond - Higgins/Booth (or whatever it was) line in the 3rd they got hemmed in pretty good. Same goes for when he put Schroeder out there on Kesler's RW for a shift. Nobody knew where to be or what to do.

The puck support for the D was horrendous for most of the game as a result of all these changes which usually resulted in us getting stuck in our own zone longer than necessary.

 

[Amused To Death]

Execution and coaching need improving...

Nobodies mentioning the refs though. We, the fans, need a solid 60 minutes of good reffing. For our sanity

 

[Bleach Clean]

I thought it was largely on the coach. The switching of the 2nd and 3rd line wingers really messed things up, IMO. Also when AV rolled the dubious Kassian - Raymond - Higgins/Booth (or whatever it was) line in the 3rd they got hemmed in pretty good. Same goes for when he put Schroeder out there on Kesler's RW for a shift. Nobody knew where to be or what to do.

The puck support for the D was horrendous for most of the game as a result of all these changes which usually resulted in us getting stuck in our own zone longer than necessary.

I realize that AV did some things that may have been counter-productive, but it makes one think of a talent deficiency as well. The only Canucks line capable of sustained offense was the top line. Everyone other line got nothing. That may be due to the blender, but it may also point to a lack of high end talent in the forward ranks.


The CHI big 4 are quite dangerous. It's limited them in what they can do outside of that grouping, but that's a very solid base to work from. They can carry the offense when needed, and that's gold for them. The Canucks have that here with the twins, but beyond them, there's little push.


Even Schroeder disappeared in this game, after having some strong outings the last few times out. Pretty shocking.

 

[deadinthewater]

I hate those lines.

 

[NYVanfan]

I realize that AV did some things that may have been counter-productive, but it makes one think of a talent deficiency as well. The only Canucks line capable of sustained offense was the top line. Everyone other line got nothing. That may be due to the blender, but it may also point to a lack of high end talent in the forward ranks.


The CHI big 4 are quite dangerous. It's limited them in what they can do outside of that grouping, but that's a very solid base to work from. They can carry the offense when needed, and that's gold for them. The Canucks have that here with the twins, but beyond them, there's little push.


Even Schroeder disappeared in this game, after having some strong outings the last few times out. Pretty shocking.

whereas it seems the key to the hawks success is bringing the young supporting guys along, to go with the hi-end guys
(wstalberg, shaw, saad, leddy, etc..) the whole team is pretty young, other than hossa

 

[Pip]

Really outclassed. Makes you wonder what this team really is. It was sobering type of game to say the least.

Alternatively we took the best team in the league to a shootout while obviously not playing out best hockey. The fact that the game was so close is encouraging, even if Schneider had to save our butts

 

[Bleach Clean]

whereas it seems the key to the hawks success is bringing the young supporting guys along, to go with the hi-end guys
(wstalberg, shaw, saad, leddy, etc..) the whole team is pretty young, other than hossa

They're a young team, and those prospects are good ones, but the engine is still the big 4. The Hawks sink or swim based on their play. With 4 you have that double up option I pointed out, something that doesn't exist here. The Sedins are not the issue, it's Kesler and finding him a steady W/C to play off of. Gillis needs to find that player. I don't envy him that task.



Gilman at one time scoffed at the notion of a playmaking winger for Kesler, but he clearly needs one. Anything high end would be preferred. Otherwise, it's the same issue with this team in the playoffs again: Depth scoring.



Chemistry among the forwards also pushes opposing teams back, giving our D a break. By the looks of it, they need it.

 

[luongo321]

Alternatively we took the best team in the league to a shootout while obviously not playing out best hockey. The fact that the game was so close is encouraging, even if Schneider had to save our butts

I don't think it was encouraging at all. If Schneider could consistently pull off a performance of his life like this every game, it would be different, but no goalie can pull that off consistently. This game should be taken as a blowout.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Alternatively we took the best team in the league to a shootout while obviously not playing out best hockey. The fact that the game was so close is encouraging, even if Schneider had to save our butts

It's great Schneider can do something like that, but I'm thinking big picture here. You don't want a team to ever give up 30 scoring chances against. Not ever. So something has to give. Be it the plan, a forward change, something.

 

[deadinthewater]

Really outclassed. Makes you wonder what this team really is. It was sobering type of game to say the least.

Yeah, I guess. The first game against them we played very well (through two periods), but then we fell apart after their tying goal and Luongo had to carry the load.

We're not going to have a "real" test again for awhile.

 

[Pip]

I don't think it was encouraging at all. If Schneider could consistently pull off a performance of his life like this every game, it would be different, but no goalie can pull that off consistently. This game should be taken as a blowout.

but we didn't get blown out, we took Chicago to a shootout and pulled off a nice comeback to do it. Im not saying that we played incredibly well, but if that is us near our worst, and I expect us to get better, so I am hopeful for the future

 

[Pip]

It's great Schneider can do something like that, but I'm thinking big picture here. You don't want a team to ever give up 30 scoring chances against. Not ever. So something has to give. Be it the plan, a forward change, something.

I don't think we necessarily need to do something drastic, once Kesler and Booth return midseason form then I think we'll see a huge improvement

 

[PhilMick]

Yeah, I guess. The first game against them we played very well (through two periods), but then we fell apart after their tying goal and Luongo had to carry the load.

We're not going to have a "real" test again for awhile.

Oh good, AV can pad his record and show everyone how amazing he is again.