Post-Game Talk: [GM62] Canucks defeat Maple Leafs | 4-1 | Kuzmenko, Pettersson, Miller, & Aman

[SeawaterOnIce]

Kind of mind blowing that PDG and Wolanin spent so long on the farm before getting a look. Both have been excellent since their recalls.

Credit to Brisebois and Juulsen, too, who have been as solid as could be hoped for.

Full marks to Colliton for getting these guys all to a point where they can pretty seamlessly step in.

Also, Nils Aman - he’s had a really nice stretch of play of late. Looking like we unearthed a player here.

Having a farm nearby owned by the Vancouver Canucks franchise has been the biggest positive in recent years. Vancouver Canucks prospects in Abbotsford are indeed getting good looks and opportunities to develop. The Manitoba Moose affiliation did wonders in prepping our prospects in the 2000s. Unfortunately Chicago was god awful and Utica was touch and go at best (Cull didnt help).

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

We really need OEL back soon. The tank is lost without him.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

We really need OEL back soon. The tank is lost without him.

He has had an awful season..I dont think that he fully recovered from the injury to his foot, which he sustained in the off season (playing for Sweden).

I am impressed with the way that Adam Foote is running the D..Hopefully he can make OEL into a useful player again..Most likely in a reduced role next season..

 

[alternate]

We beat The Greatest Team Ever Assembled. Pretty sure that means we are actually contenders!!

 

[Orr4Norris]

It’s always awesome to beat the Leafs on HNIC. Glad they change the time for these games so the fans back East can watch lol

But anyone thinking the Leafs were as invested in that game as the Canucks…they weren’t. It’s called garbage time for a reason In the past month, the Leafs have also lost to teams like Chicago, Columbus and Ottawa.

 

[bandwagonesque]

The Maple Leafs always look about the same when I watch them and have for the last several years. The forwards play an incredible puck possession game and look dangerous and creative at all times, to the point where you'd think they'd be winning every game by 3 or 4 goals, but don't generate all that many chances. They typically don't seem to allow all that much in zone time and possession the other way but always give up a small but considerable number of ridiculously high-danger chances, and often enough to lose the game.

 

[VanJack]

Nice to see Tocchet to give some props to Jeremy Colliton and the coaching staff in Abbotsford.....for the state of the blueline.

Wolanin, Brisebois and Juulson have mostly been solid since their injury recall from the AHL. They can play within a defensive system, and have become serviceable depth d-men to fill in when injuries mount with the parent club.

Whether it's the improved defensive structure by the Canucks--or the absence of guys like Stillman and OEL--the blueline has actually looked a lot better in recent games.

Just unfortunate that it isn't coming in the thick of a playoff race--and is basically only costing the Canucks draft position.

 

[wonton15]

I met basically all of the Canucks today at the STH event.

Notable personalities:
- Joshua and Delia might be the coolest guys on the team. Down to earth personalities who took their time to have full on conversations with every fan.
- PDG also very down to earth. All of the Abby guys were great tbh.
- Kravtsov looks like he’s happy to be here. Was sitting beside Pod and Kuz and he was laughing and cracking jokes with fans.
- Kuzmenko is even funnier in person. Held a few babies for pictures and was having the time of his life
- Hughes looked like he did not want to be there but when doesn’t he look like this
- Petey had a 1.5-2 hour long line to get to meet him. Easily the most popular one and is a legit superstar

 

[Get North]

It's nice to hear the defencemen on our farm team are capable of performing to OEL's level. Still struggling to see the D-core after Hughes

 

[andora]

I met basically all of the Canucks today at the STH event.

Notable personalities:
- Joshua and Delia might be the coolest guys on the team. Down to earth personalities who took their time to have full on conversations with every fan.
- PDG also very down to earth. All of the Abby guys were great tbh.
- Kravtsov looks like he’s happy to be here. Was sitting beside Pod and Kuz and he was laughing and cracking jokes with fans.
- Kuzmenko is even funnier in person. Held a few babies for pictures and was having the time of his life
- Hughes looked like he did not want to be there but when doesn’t he look like this
- Petey had a 1.5-2 hour long line to get to meet him. Easily the most popular one and is a legit superstar

Uhh.. miller?
How many times did he slap his pen down and yell f***!

 

[andora]

It's nice to hear the defencemen on our farm team are capable of performing to OEL's level. Still struggling to see the D-core after Hughes

I am not going at you about this.. but it has been interesting reading the comments about the guys compared to OEL

Yet no mention of a coach bump, a collective enthusiasm making everyone play harder and together and potentially excitement around a system that makes sense

The replacements are doing great.. but have so many glaring weaknesses.. is it really true that they can replace ekman larsson as an nhl player? Especially since OEL isnt playing in this new system

 

[AwesomeInTheory]

It’s always awesome to beat the Leafs on HNIC. Glad they change the time for these games so the fans back East can watch lol

But anyone thinking the Leafs were as invested in that game as the Canucks…they weren’t. It’s called garbage time for a reason In the past month, the Leafs have also lost to teams like Chicago, Columbus and Ottawa.

Leafs should have a bunch of motivation to be competing. Not sure they want to face of against Boston in the first round.

And the Toronto sports media has been shitting themselves with this recent slide (although I think it’s mostly posturing and positioning for “Fire Dubas” articles in about 2 months time.)

 

[tantalum]

Leafs should have a bunch of motivation to be competing. Not sure they want to face of against Boston in the first round.

And the Toronto sports media has been shitting themselves with this recent slide (although I think it’s mostly posturing and positioning for “Fire Dubas” articles in about 2 months time.)

They won't see Boston in the first round. I mean they are 13 points up on the last wild card spot. That is a massive, massive lead at this point.

Not to mention that their "slide" has them 6-4-0 in the last 10. Tampa is on a slide (2-5-3 last 10) but even they will be hard pressed to fall into the wild card race with a 7 point lead.

 

[Ernie]

They won't see Boston in the first round. I mean they are 13 points up on the last wild card spot. That is a massive, massive lead at this point.

Not to mention that their "slide" has them 6-4-0 in the last 10. Tampa is on a slide (2-5-3 last 10) but even they will be hard pressed to fall into the wild card race with a 7 point lead.

They have an 11 point lead for the 3rd spot in the Atlantic.

 

[tantalum]

They have an 11 point lead for the 3rd spot in the Atlantic.

???

They are 5 up on TB who is in 3rd.

Boston is 13 points up on Carolina for 1st in the East, and 19 point lead on Toronto. Odds are very strong that Boston will be playing the second wild card team and all but guaranteed they will play one of the wild card teams. (if Boston goes 0.500 for the last 20 games the Leafs can't catch them. Boston isn't going to just go 0.500).

(edit: ahh you mean the Lightning. Yes an 11 point lead in the division over Buffalo/Sens/Pantehrs...my bad. For some reason I was thinking the Pens were in the same division even though I knew they weren't).

 

[Get North]

I am not going at you about this.. but it has been interesting reading the comments about the guys compared to OEL

Yet no mention of a coach bump, a collective enthusiasm making everyone play harder and together and potentially excitement around a system that makes sense

The replacements are doing great.. but have so many glaring weaknesses.. is it really true that they can replace ekman larsson as an nhl player? Especially since OEL isnt playing in this new system

OEL brings no physicality or grit. In fact he's outmatched physically most of the time because of his weak skating and balance on the ice compared to the newer generation of players in the NHL. I have more hope for our farm defencemen in the long run.

 

[andora]

Anecdotal. It's not a number based upon a study. I'm looking at the Cap, the players now, the strength they'll need to have to consistently be in the playoffs, the limited assets and the potential type of players they'll need to attain. It is very unlikely that they spend no assets to move cap AND gain enough pro assets within 2 years to create a sustainable playoff team thereafter.

It will be and is an uphill battle.. playoff birth is absolutely critical.. a must for any credibility for this franchise next year

Actually, MS talks specifically about Pettersson and Hughes as the impetus to perform a re-tool. Where as what I'm saying is that core players are always a given when considering a re-tool, but to actually decide to go forth should depend more on the likelihood of its success.

That is well said.. agreed. That is the precise achilles with ours is the farm and replacements..

This is not an equal proposition. We are in a rebuild already. A 2 year re-tool is possible, but extremely unlikely given the landscape here. There are just too many factors that have to go right in order to exit, in 2 years, with a consistent playoff team. And by consistent, I mean 5+ years, given the ages of Pettersson and Hughes. And so, it's like comparing the rule (rebuild) to the exception (re-tool). Why are we arguing for the exception?

Overall.. i dont believe the org. Had enough below the big 3 to warrant a rebuild by definition - and i dont think enough would come back in trades to supplement what we dont have as a head start.. thats where it kind of dives into we would be a shell for several years accumulating high firsts.. then groom depth players and effective free agent signings.. nevwrmind the goalie position extremely difficult to plan around.

do you think marek just like missed that the canucks want to "retool"? like he's trying to figure out what they're doing from their moves alone?

when people say they don't understand what the canucks are doing they mean they don't see how their actions are going to accomplish their professed goals. they don't need you to repeat management have said. they are just publically doubting they have a plan that is going to accomplish those professed goals

I have heard on broadcasts by whomever (hnic or sportnets or espn i dont remember) but a couple times that they havent deviated, fans got excited at the horvat trade for futures but shouldnt be surprised a first was used as ammo

I think its being obtuse saying you dont know what vancouver is trying to do. Arguing the validity of it however is fair game

 

[credulous]

I think its being obtuse saying you dont know what vancouver is trying to do. Arguing the validity of it however is fair game

it's just a colloquial expression. it's also obtuse to pretend like people saying it are asking whether the canucks are rebuilding or retooling