Special teams doesn't just refer to powerplay, it also includes penalty kill.
Important point here. Our pk has been bananas lately. That bodes even better for the playoffs than a killer pp, though that also would be nice.
Special teams doesn't just refer to powerplay, it also includes penalty kill.
No Bruins game so this will be the game of the day.
Really like Roy and Kassian lately as well as Schneider, will Luongo get any more starts before the playoffs?
No Bruins game so this will be the game of the day.
Really like Roy and Kassian lately as well as Schneider, will Luongo get any more starts before the playoffs?
I want to see us play the Hawks physical. When we do, we become dominant. We need to treat this like a playoff game. It is, essentially, a meaningless regular season game, however, it's our biggest rivals. If we don't come out with any type of spark, I'll be quite disappointed.
I think Luongo is truly a #1 and many people around B.C give the guy too hard a time, it is kinda like the Thomas/Rask situation, but it is never a terrible situation when a team has 2, #1 goalies, because that time does not happen very often.
Kassian is still young and has to learn the game, which does not happen over night.
He has to play with skilled players, at the beginning of the year I thought he was unstoppable, but as stated earlier young guys take time.
Look at Hodgson when he had a healthy Vanek at the beginning of the year he was unstoppable, and then he was injured and Pominville got traded then he dropped off the face of the earth. It just shows you what happens when the skill on a line drops.
Ask Giroux when Hartnell broke his foot how his production dropped.
I think Luongo is truly a #1 and many people around B.C give the guy too hard a time, it is kinda like the Thomas/Rask situation, but it is never a terrible situation when a team has 2, #1 goalies, because that time does not happen very often.
Kassian is still young and has to learn the game, which does not happen over night.
He has to play with skilled players, at the beginning of the year I thought he was unstoppable, but as stated earlier young guys take time.
Look at Hodgson when he had a healthy Vanek at the beginning of the year he was unstoppable, and then he was injured and Pominville got traded then he dropped off the face of the earth. It just shows you what happens when the skill on a line drops.
Ask Giroux when Hartnell broke his foot how his production dropped.
This.
The Hawks are one of the softest teams in the league, and the Canucks will need to exploit this weakness if they meet in the playoffs.
You may as well take the opportunity tomorrow night to let guys like Hossa and Kane know they are going to be driven through the boards at every opportunity. This isn't the same Vancouver team that Chicago has seen in the past, guys like Kassian, Weise, and Pinizotto/Sestito need to set a physical tone and target the Hawks star players.
All you need to do is take a look at the series against Chicago in 2011. We played them tough, hit them often, and we went up 3-0 in the series, then we stopped playing that game. Once game 7 rolled around, we played the body, and often, and we were successful against the Hawks. I want us to do that again, except this time, we're tougher IMO and should use this to our advantage.
Tomorrows game will be great, Van just has to score as Chicago is a type of team that can outscore their problems.
I just can not see how Crawford and Emery are as good as their stats say, but with Toews, Kane, Hossa, and even Saad these guys can put the puck in the net, especially on the power play so as long as the Canucks do not give the Hawks PP chances they will be alright.
Our PP is awful and it has been all year. It's our 5 on 5 with us you gotta worry about.
The Canucks have superior depth at centre. Henrik/Kesler/Roy/Lapierre versus Toews/no proper 2C/Bolland/Handzus. Bolland's been shoehorned into the 2C position. Imagine if Malhotra was forced to play 2C for the Canucks in 2011...
Unfortunately, I just don't think the Canucks will take that approach. It would seem to go against the entire culture of this team. When was the last time the Canucks physically dominated a team in a playoff series? It certainly hasn't happened with this coach / core group of players.