Only 3 wins in last 11 games - Are you worried?

[B-rock]

The future cubboard has some worthwhile players, particularly on D but the present cupboard is bare.

Other than Jensen, a long shot at the moment, the rest of your call up list is pathetic. Andersson is making progress but is no where NHL ready, Connauton has been a train wreck in Chicago. His offence has disappeared and his defence is terrible - by far the worst +/- on the team at - 11. He would be a disaster on the Canucks. Joslin for a couple of games ok. And the forwards in the cupboard ? Ebbett ? Billy Sweat ? brutal. Bare cupboard Mr Gillis.

I'd be interested in hearing your theory of how to amass a slew of NHL ready prospects in 4 years. This is the amount of time Gillis has had to work with excluding his first year (2008 where he had input into the first round, hodgson). We've got Kassian and Schroeder up with the big club and Rodin who looked like a good pick at the time is broken and probably busted. So 2 yrs of junior and 2 yrs of minor pro at least, and you get 4 yrs of seasoning before prospects are ready.

I guess some people think you can win the presidents trophy and draft the best prospects year over year. Maybe a reminder is in order: when you finish 1st overall in league standings, you draft last. This means every other team in the league picks before you.

 

[Barney Gumble]

The Kings proved that playoff seeding doesn't matter. As long as we're in the playoff picture, I'm not worried.

That's assumes anybody not winning the NW division title is going to make the playoffs.

 

[Crows*]

After Jensen goes to Chicago and plays well and contributes for a week or 2, it's time to call him up snd see what he can do. If he can have a positive impact on the bottom 2 lines, there's no reason not to see what he can bring at the nhl level. He's passed all the tests thrown at him so far.

 

[Snatcher Demko]

The Kings proved that playoff seeding doesn't matter. As long as we're in the playoff picture, I'm not worried.

Kings were also playing lights-out hockey for a month heading into the playoffs.

It's not random. The Canucks have been listless for over a year now, winning on talent alone on many nights.

 

[Barney Gumble]

Kings were also playing lights-out hockey for a month heading into the playoffs.

It's not random. The Canucks have been listless for over a year now, winning on talent alone on many nights.

actually winning on goaltending alone many nights.

 

[Snatcher Demko]

actually winning on goaltending alone many nights.

Yes, and what I'm seeing now, is what I fear we'll see in the playoffs again.

The team is getting stymied by our opponents backups. Regardless of Kesler coming back, we'll be back to trying to win games 2-1 in the playoffs because this team has done nothing to show me that it can overcome its scoring issues come playoff time (or against any quality opponents).

And when we do open it up, we seem to get lit up even against mediocre opponents.

There is a ton of talent on this team; we should be able to do better.

 

[dps]

I haven't been optimistic since a few games after the now infamous Boston game of last year. I don't know what it is but nearly every aspect of the team seems out of sorts, and what it is changes game to game, hell, period to period some times.

That being said, despite the loss last night I thought the Canucks looked much improved as a whole. The puck was being carried with speed through the neutral zone more as oppose to the D men making risky long passes to wingers parked at the opposing team's blue line only to chip and chase, the majority of the players showed up, we were controlling the play more, and the PP looked the most threatening it has this year towards the end.

I would however like to see our D-men and their shots utilized more. I don't think JS should be the point man on the PP. Speaking of JS, I want to see him centering Booth and Kassian and Lappy between Sestito and Wiese where he belongs. I want AV to pick defensive pairings and stick with them for a few games before juggling. I would like to see more one timers with less hesitation and just more shots from anyone who isn't on the ice with the sedins in general.

Overall, the thing that stood out the most for me last night and started to make me feel a bit optimistic again is the effort level. To me it appeared much higher than any game this season and if they can keep that tempo for the rest of the season I'll feel pretty good.

I guess we will see what happens the next couple of games.

 

[Hammer Time]

The Canucks just seem to have lost a step from the domination of 2010-11 - they're relying a lot more on goaltending to win games. To be honest, I think nothing less than a Conn Smythe run from either Luongo or Schneider will get us a Cup this year.

Obviously it's still early, as long as we don't lose the division lead I'm not going to worry - just get in the playoffs, and then anything can happen

One silver lining is that the Canucks have still been winning games even though the PP and PK sucks. If penalties stop getting called in the playoffs, like usually happens, it's going to work in our favour this time.

 

[LolClarkson*]

Kings were also playing lights-out hockey for a month heading into the playoffs.

It's not random. The Canucks have been listless for over a year now, winning on talent alone on many nights.

They lost their last 2 games I think....

Brown was part of trade rumors. Carter was being Carter. The team was basically a mess.

 

[Karl Hungus]

Either that or we just took advantage of beating teams in our weak division, and once we started playing teams from other divisions who are better we started losing and Kesler's return just coincided with that timing of the schedule?

It's possible that is part of it. I felt that the team was playing some tight hockey and we had Kassian and Schroeder stepping up and filling holes. Once Kelser came back the lines got shuffled and our play in our own zone seemed to get more confused. It might also reflect the quality of the teams we played though.

 

[Jack Tripper]

sedins are playing well enough right now that they should be able to carry the offence for the rest of the regular season to a division title...canucks have also been let down by goaltending the past few games which has cost them a few points but luongo and schneider are too good to let their poor play continue for a long stretch of games

i'm a bit worried about special teams, coaching, and injuries...canucks have been relatively healthy this season (kesler excluded) but we all know what usually happens to the d-core once the playoffs loom, and vigneault's lineup and strategy decisions are getting dodgier by the game

i'm worried about a scenario where the playoffs start and, say, 2 d-men (ie bieksa and tanev) are injured and we are forced to play alberts and barker as a third pairing...the team needs better depth d-men at the trade deadline to make sure this never happens

 

[MikeK]

I have been worried for a while now. Even the games we won I have been less than impressed with our game. Something just isn't right. Maybe the coach, maybe the players. Heck, maybe a combination of both.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

Well by the 48 game mark if that season the canucks were virtually unbearable. So if that is the case Again, I like those chances.

Exactly. If we go 16-7-3 the rest of the way ,(very attainable), we are 27-13-8, good for 62 points probably the NW division and if Anaheim slumps perhaps 2nd place.

Like I've said before, I'm not too concerned about the regular season. I'm more concerned about the playoffs where we probably get bounced in 1 or 2 rounds with this group and Kesler even.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I still feel this team desperately needs one more elite scoring threat. Kes ain't a 41 goal scorer. The pens did it right by acquiring James Neal. This team needs to do something similar.

Trade for a struggling young player for cheap? But who? Anyone within our division is a no-go.

I think we should have taken a run at Jeff Carter while he was available. He's exactly what we needed, a one-shot scoring threat who can hold his own physically.

 

[Mikeshane]

I don't think the Kings winning as an 8th seed last years means much. That is the 1st time a really low seed has won in a long, long time. Plus a lot of the Kings best players were younger guys getting better with age/experience. The Canucks have very few significant young players.

I'm not super optimistic, but I'm not going to get too worried as long as the team is healthy going into the playoffs. Right now the only serious injury is Kesler and he'll probably be back in early April. So if they can avoid major injuries it'll just be about hoping they can win the division and get some good playoff match ups.

 

[25Bieksa3]

How could I not be worried? They are still happily, bumbling their way into wins 90% of the time.

My only respite from all the disappointment is that we have yet to see this team play a 60 minute game.

Maybe they're better than Chicago.. and we'd know if they ever cared to try.

 

[Fat Tony]

How could I not be worried?

I'm not worried. I'm resigned. I haven't been this relaxed watching games since Keenan was coach.

 

[Crows*]

Trade for a struggling young player for cheap? But who? Anyone within our division is a no-go.

I think we should have taken a run at Jeff Carter while he was available. He's exactly what we needed, a one-shot scoring threat who can hold his own physically.

We're not gonna get a struggling young player for cheap in our own division. Maybe somewhere else....

I love what rea shero has done with the pens. Neal is clinical on the powerplay. I"m super jealous they have him.

 

[Johnny Canucker]

We're not gonna get a struggling young player for cheap in our own division. Maybe somewhere else....

I love what rea shero has done with the pens. Neal is clinical on the powerplay. I"m super jealous they have him.

cant Edmonton give us one of the 5 exact same forwards they have? lol

 

[west in the east]

AV needs to be fired. Been saying it for a while now.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I'm not worried. I'm resigned. I haven't been this relaxed watching games since Keenan was coach.

The only difference is two President's Trophies and a Finals appearance. But really, it's not that different is it?

 

[PG Canuck]

They are looking for shooting lanes. The PP looked great. It reminds me of the PP that Detroit had 8 years ago.

Yeah, maybe last game.

 

[25Bieksa3]

I'm not worried. I'm resigned. I haven't been this relaxed watching games since Keenan was coach.

I guess since I work nights I'd like to enjoy the few games I get to watch. Apparently it's too tall an order.

 

[vector209]

AV needs to be fired. Been saying it for a while now.

It's the players, dude. The importance of coaching (while definitely a factor), can be quite overrated.

The coach gives the players a plan to execute, and these guys aren't doing it because they don't have the skill. Players have regressed (Sedins), and the loss of certain cogs to the system (Ehrhoff) have thrown everything else out of sync.

It's just easy to scapegoat the coach because he's one guy vs twenty, but at the end of the day, the people on the damn ice need to execute, not the guy behind the bench.

 

[Snatcher Demko]

It's the players, dude. The importance of coaching (while definitely a factor), can be quite overrated.

The coach gives the players a plan to execute, and these guys aren't doing it because they don't have the skill. Players have regressed (Sedins), and the loss of certain cogs to the system (Ehrhoff) have thrown everything else out of sync.

It's just easy to scapegoat the coach because he's one guy vs twenty, but at the end of the day, the people on the damn ice need to execute, not the guy behind the bench.

In this case, I really do believe it is the coach. As Tiranis pointed out, teams have wizened up to AV's long-pass system, and once it gets cut off, he seems to be unable to teach the team to adapt. The other problem is that the system is frail - once it fails, it bombs and the Canucks get demoralized for 7+ goals.

It's ridiculous how a team with such skill and depth can't score more than 1 goal per game in the playoffs in their last 2 series. I'd argue that the team is winning on talent and goaltending, in spite of the coaching which has gone stale. AV had his time, and like most coaches, it eventually wears. Even guys like Quenneville and Hitchcock get fired.