Pre-Game Talk: GM 3: Vancouver Canucks @ San Jose Sharks - May 5 - 7:00PM PST - TSN

[KeninsFan]

AV must figure out how to get the twins going if we are going to come back in this series. The obvious answer is to put Kassian on their line.

Good point. Sedins - Burrows are doing well by advanced stats metrics but looking at the context they're just not producing.

Sedins are dominant shot wise at ES but considering they're getting the easiest zone starts it should be expected.

At this point they need some luck. I'd park Kassian in front of the net and throw everything at net. Championship teams are full of greasy goals.

Too passive wrt adjustments, too much emphasis on physical play, too much Ebbett. But I still think if they can get the twins going we can win this series.

I think that too. I don't know why he never changed the lines in game 1.

Canucks are also playing much grittier hockey but much less skilled than in '11. I don't think that's playing to our strength.

This is what I'm hoping for:

Sedin - Sedin - Kassian
Roy - Kesler - Burrows
Higgins - Lappy - Hansen
Raymond - Schroeder - Weise

If Schneider starts we win.

 

[CM-]

In order to jumpstart the offense, AV should split the twins.


Burrows-Hank-Kass

Daniel-Kesler-Hansen

Lapierre-Roy-Higgins

Raymond-JS-Weise


Defense pairings can remain, though I much prefer Bieksa and Hamhuis together.

Depends on how Garrison and Edler can do together.

I'd rather have Kassian with the twins for one game as he does create room for them. and have Burrows with either playing with Kes/Roy

Higgins-Kesler-Roy
Daniel-Henrik-Kassian
Raymond-JS-Burrows/Hansen
Burr/Hansen-Lapierre-Weise/Ballard

For the D it's time to split up Hammer and Garrison
I'd go for this route

Hamhuis-Bieksa
Alberts-Garrison
Edler - Corrado

Got a stable Defensive guy with a guy who likes to Roam while Garrison is stronger defensively out of 3 Roaming D he (so far) isn't as good when paired with another roaming D.

 

[Golden Boy]

I'd rather have Kassian with the twins for one game as he does create room for them. and have Burrows with either playing with Kes/Roy

Higgins-Kesler-Roy
Daniel-Henrik-Kassian
Raymond-JS-Burrows/Hansen
Burr/Hansen-Lapierre-Weise/Ballard

For the D it's time to split up Hammer and Garrison
I'd go for this route

Hamhuis-Bieksa
Alberts-Garrison
Edler - Corrado

Got a stable Defensive guy with a guy who likes to Roam while Garrison is stronger defensively out of 3 Roaming D he (so far) isn't as good when paired with another roaming D.

Raymond doesn't merit 3rd line minutes, not anymore. The minute that line is Burrows-JS/Lappy-Hansen, it immediately has an identity. Raymond is kind of... meh right now. He doesn't contribute an identity to any line.

 

[arsmaster*]

Absolutely despise comments like "if Schneider starts we win".

It's absolutely ridiculous.

Schneider doesn't score.

Last year he lost 2 out of 3 in the playoffs. Why? Because we can't score.

Having an incredible goalie doesn't put pucks in the net.

 

[Evolu7ion]

I'm stating the obvious here, but we need our PP to click badly if we want to come back in games 3 and 4. It will spark our offense and force San Jose to open things up if we can score a few on the PP.

And it's all about housing multiple scoring threats, making it hard to predict. Puck movement until the defense gets scrambly, at which point you make them pay.

To me it's really simple:

Kesler - Hank - Daniel
Bieksa/Roy - Edler

Hank on right wall is QB1, Edler and Roy can also QB if the defense over rotates to Hank.

You've got Kesler on the left for the one timer, Edler on RD for the big shot, and Daniel floating around the zone for support and the quick release shot reading the play as well.

The key is Edler on RD as he poses as a dual threat as he has a bomb but can also thread a slap pass to Kesler for the one timer or a quick angle change down to Hank, an aspect Garrison lacks.

The second unit is simplified. Garrison on the right point with the bomb, Kassian screening the net. Could use Roy on LD as QB, and I'd keep Kesler out at LW for the one timer just not have him retrieving pucks and wasting energy,

And play the first unit for a good minute to a minute and a half on the PP.

 

[Hammer Time]

Absolutely despise comments like "if Schneider starts we win".

It's absolutely ridiculous.

Schneider doesn't score.

Last year he lost 2 out of 3 in the playoffs. Why? Because we can't score.

Having an incredible goalie doesn't put pucks in the net.

Yep, we can make a comeback with Luongo or Schneider in net. But it only happens if the Sedins start scoring. IF (and that's a big if) the Sedins can score like it's 2011, then I still think we win this series.

 

[Sedinery2011]

Weren't the Canucks the lowest scoring team in NHL playoff history by the end of Game 7 versus the Bruins? lol

Same team who scored 262 goals over 82 games in the regular season that year for first place in the NHL.

Just how?

Coach AV and his system are the problem

 

[Evolu7ion]

And it's absolutely critical we are disciplined and draw more penalties than we give up. Twice in a row we've had our momentum halted by a bad penalty, that just can't happen if we expect to win 4 of the next 5.

 

[BrandonL]

And it's absolutely critical we are disciplined and draw more penalties than we give up. Twice in a row we've had our momentum halted by a bad penalty, that just can't happen if we expect to win 4 of the next 5.

Not sure if you are referencing the Garrison penalty from early in the game last night, but I'm not sure how you can blame anyone on the Canucks for that call.

There has been some real suspect officiating in this Canucks series so far, hopefully the Zebras actually give us a break tomorrow night.

 

[FloydTheBarber]

So now we're with Minnesota and NY Rangers in series deficits.

But we're the only one's who don't have home-ice.

 

[Royal Canuck]

Splitting the twins has never worked, not the time to start experimenting now.

 

[KeninsFan]

Absolutely despise comments like "if Schneider starts we win".

It's absolutely ridiculous.

No it's not. Canucks play a much tighter system in the playoffs, we're not all of a sudden going to start scoring 3+ goals a game.

In a game where one goal makes the difference and a shutout wins I'll take Schneider 10/10 over Luongo.

 

[Hal 9000*]

I see one of two things for tomorrow's game, either the Canucks have given up completely and get blown out or the Sharks loosen up because of feeling too secure and the Canucks capitalize.

 

[BrandonL]

So now we're with Minnesota and NY Rangers in series deficits.

But we're the only one's who don't have home-ice.

Though I would argue that out of those three teams, the Canucks have the best chance of coming back and winning the series.

Hey, that's gotta count for something...right???

 

[Evolu7ion]

Not sure if you are referencing the Garrison penalty from early in the game last night, but I'm not sure how you can blame anyone on the Canucks for that call.

There has been some real suspect officiating in this Canucks series so far, hopefully the Zebras actually give us a break tomorrow night.

I agree, I didn't like the call, but at this point we have to be air tight. Give the refs absolutely nothing to call even if they wanted to. Even if its a dumb little nudge one head snap and misread by the ref and were in the box for 2 or less.

 

[Evolu7ion]

Splitting the twins has never worked, not the time to start experimenting now.

Exactly, at this point AV needs to let the core decide the outcome, they deserve that chance.

 

[BrandonL]

No it's not. Canucks play a much tighter system in the playoffs.

In a game where one goal makes the difference and a shutout wins I'll take Schneider 10/10 over Luongo.

It's hilarious that some people here would be rooting against Schneider if he started in net tomorrow.

Luongo is gone after this season, let it go. Cheer for your team instead of an individual player that will no longer be with the organization in a couple of months.

 

[y2kcanucks]

No it's not. Canucks play a much tighter system in the playoffs, we're not all of a sudden going to start scoring 3+ goals a game.

In a game where one goal makes the difference and a shutout wins I'll take Schneider 10/10 over Luongo.

Schneider isn't going to somehow make saves where he's down at one side of the net, being blocked by a group of players from both teams, and the shooter has a wide open empty part of the net to shoot at. Schneider isn't going to somehow stop a two on one where the lone defenseman does absolutely nothing to take away the shot or the pass. Schneider isn't going to make the stop shorthanded when the opposing team passes the puck from the goal line out front across the net, and the puck is shot in with a wicked wrist shot. Just an example of some of the impossible to make saves on goals that were scored this series.

 

[BrandonL]

I agree, I didn't like the call, but at this point we have to be air tight. Give the refs absolutely nothing to call even if they wanted to. Even if its a dumb little nudge one head snap and misread by the ref and were in the box for 2 or less.

I don't know, I think it's pretty tough to play that way in the postseason. With the number of hits and contested puck battles, the refs can always find penalties in the post season. It almost seemed like they were looking for them against Vancouver last night.

I agree with your premise though. If the Canucks have any chance tomorrow, they need to avoid stupid penalties. The one Weise took early in game #1 immediately jumps to mind.

 

[y2kcanucks]

It's hilarious that some people here would be rooting against Schneider if he started in net tomorrow.

Luongo is gone after this season, let it go. Cheer for your team instead of an individual player that will no longer be with the organization in a couple of months.

It's hilarious that some people think just because Schneider may start that we have a better chance at winning. I don't think anyone reasonably would cheer against Schneider tomorrow. But I also don't think anyone could reasonably think that the difference between winning and losing the past two games would have been made up by starting Schneider instead of Luongo either. Unless Schneider has developed a goal scoring touch in the past two weeks it'll be the same old story no matter who's in net if the Sedins and others continue to play like they are late for their 2013 tee times.

 

[Evolu7ion]

I don't know, I think it's pretty tough to play that way in the postseason. With the number of hits and contested puck battles, the refs can always find penalties in the post season. It almost seemed like they were looking for them against Vancouver last night.

I agree with your premise though. If the Canucks have any chance tomorrow, they need to avoid stupid penalties. The one Weise took early in game #1 immediately jumps to mind.

Agreed, just no retaliation shots. Weise scares me every time he's on the ice haha.

 

[Vankiller Whale]

I hope the Sedins prove the haters wrong tomorrow. So far they haven't lived up to expectations this series, but if they can do what they did the last time we played San Jose, then we'd at least have a chance to get back in this.

 

[Evolu7ion]

It's hilarious that some people think just because Schneider may start that we have a better chance at winning. I don't think anyone reasonably would cheer against Schneider tomorrow. But I also don't think anyone could reasonably think that the difference between winning and losing the past two games would have been made up by starting Schneider instead of Luongo either. Unless Schneider has developed a goal scoring touch in the past two weeks it'll be the same old story no matter who's in net if the Sedins and others continue to play like they are late for their 2013 tee times.

I agree with everything your saying if you change the word would with should. It shouldn't matter who starts in net because at this point the difference between Louie and Schneids is minuscule. Schneider players a stingier technical game with less mistakes, but Luongo has that ability to make several jaw dropping saves in a game. For some reason the team plays differently in front of Schneider, they just seem to play with more swagger. It's not fair to Luongo, and honestly I'm the biggest Louie fan, just hard to turn your back on the difference in confidence the team plays with if Schneider is in net. With that said, this is a mature and experienced team that should be able to recognize the elite goaltender they have behind them regardless of his name, so there are no excuses available, they need to support and play with swagger for both guys.

 

[Bgav]

So now we're with Minnesota and NY Rangers in series deficits.

But we're the only one's who don't have home-ice.

Challenge accepted

 

[The Optimist]

I hope the Sedins prove the haters wrong tomorrow.

More like realists. Pointing out that they haven't been good enough to ensure their team wins is hardly 'hating'.