There are two sides here. Green is focused on the win and maintaining a level of discipline on the team. Just keep in the mode you are in - focus on playing the system and keeping your emotions under control. That is who Green is and this a professional and very rational attitude. And Green is nothing else if he isn't rational
The problem here is the focus is, in many of our minds, too limited. If you step back and look long term, the emphasis should be on overall development of the team. In this case, you don't mind losing a few if you establish that you are determined to protect certain players. You put that as a priority. Canucks are bringing youth into the lineup and they must make sure that these players are developed for the future and not driven out of the League. You recognize that you are unlikely to win anything much in the near term so you look to the future. If this means you play someone who is of lesser ability but who can protect others you do it. And if that means you change your drafting or free agent pickups, you do it.
This situation emphasizes the underlying problem with the franchise. We have a dumb, egotistical owner who can't take a long term view. He pushes an already incompetent leadership group to take short cuts to eke out wins. You could see this with Desjardins. Everyone knew that you were going to be fired if you didn't win now. I remember old Willie desperately disputing every call and every goal even when the team was totally out of the playoffs. The focus was absolutely on the near term (in Willie's case the next shift). Young players were and still are commonly benched to keep us so-called competitive.
To many, the critical point is allowing your young players to develop with some protection. And there was many people they could have picked up in the off-season who would provide some of this.
I think many of us believe that during Pettersson.s initiation into the League, he must be protected. He is the most important piece in looking to the future. That protection should have been a very important priority last summer. Of course, with the dim-witted Aquilini and the equally dim-witted Benning and co., they got more concerned with the internal politics (such as dumping Linden) than ensuring that Pettersson had some back up.
The way that Pettersson got man-handled can not be allowed. And while, I can see Green's point, I was perturbed with the big grin on his face when the future of the franchise was in the dressing room concussed. It is an example of the short term thinking that has plagued this franchise in the Aquilini era. And I fear nothing will change while the present ownership is in charge.