Post-Game Talk: Pre-Season GM 1: Canucks def. Sharks - 1-0 (OT, Cracknell)

[Intangibos]

I thought Jensen played okay, especially after he got promoted when Higgins went down.

 

[Callhee]

Bo looked like a midseason-mofo out there.

Maybe this is rusty Bo, and when mid-season Bo shows up, he'll just dominate?!

 

[Peen]

Penalty was actually called prior to when Shorthouse saw it. I didn't see it as well, but I was wondering because Hansen dove after.

 

[CP]

So far not impressed with 3 on 3 even if we did win. It feels like I'm watching an all-star game. I never watch all-star games. Feels really gimmicky, but maybe it will grow on me. So far, a big fail.

As far as the game goes liked Gaunce, Hutton, Horvat, Markstrom, and Vrbata.

Need more offence from Sutter and Baertschi. But the team looked solid defensively. They can win with this style, but it is quite boring at least until it gets gimmicky.

Yawn.

 

[Peen]

So far not impressed with 3 on 3 even if we did win. It feels like I'm watching an all-star game. I never watch all-star games. Feels really gimmicky, but maybe it will grow on me. So far, a big fail.

Anything is better than the shootout, and they don't want to go back to ties.

I don't think there's a better option.

 

[Sharpshooter]

Maybe this is rusty Bo, and when mid-season Bo shows up, he'll just dominate?!

At mid-season, he'll be Playoff Bofo.

 

[VanillaCoke]

So far not impressed with 3 on 3 even if we did win. It feels like I'm watching an all-star game. I never watch all-star games. Feels really gimmicky.... So far, a big fail.



Yawn.

Agree. I thought it was awful.

Id prefer ties over shoot outs or 3on3.

4on 4 was good enough for me. Just makenit 10 minutes.

 

[Sharpshooter]

I see the potential entertainment factor of 3 on 3.

I'll give it a chance.

 

[VanillaCoke]

I see the potential entertainment factor of 3 on 3.

I'll give it a chance.

Entertaining like an all star game. Not like real hockey.

 

[orcatown]

Horvat and Tanev by far the best players. However, makes little sense looking at the play of the vets - hard to tell how hard they are trying.

Positives:

Markstrom had a solid effort and kept team in early when the defense was very jittery. Backman was also good.

Grenier did enough to deserve a longer look.

Hutton looked somewhat lost early but improved as game went on. Couple of rushes showed the guy's upside. Played his blueline well enough and not bad one on one. Biega helped him out and was solid. However, we know that no matter how well Biega plays or how bad someone like Bartkowski plays, Biega will, no doubt, not be kept around.

Gaunce was little slow getting to loose pucks at times but looked the most likely to score. There is improvement here and at times actually showed good turn of speed on the rush. Again love to see him at center.

PK was very good.

Not so Positive

Like to see more out of Baertschi in these kind of games. Showed some but nothing very dynamic.

Cracknell got a nice goal but like Jones has the Jason Jaffrey syndrome - good stick, no wheels. However, with Kurtz should form a good line in Utica

Jensen skating is emerging as critical factor in his inability to make plays. He looks to be straining to stay in the play and thus can't make plays at speed. Effort is there but he looked clumsy at many points. Showing a poor first step.

Bartkowski got better in the second half of the game but there has to be some concern about his ability to separate people from the puck. His ability to stand up to strong forecheck is definitely in question.

Sutter showed very little. There were chances for him to make plays but he never really did. Horvat is obviously, at this point, the better player.

 

[Asidas]

These were my thoughts
- vrbata does not mesh with sutter at all. Didnt like his game tonight
- sutter didnt look like he was trying
-baert has poise and likes to hold the puck, looks confident but not as fast as i thought he'd be

-horvat set up higgins and hansen quite a bit tonight. I think he takes sutters spot
-Hutton got better as the night went on
-Bartkowski is slow, another clendenning. Made some nice plays but got beat on the outside a few times tonight.
-Gaunce was the stud on that line. Cracknell was a good compliment. Grenier is not an NHLer
-Hansen was complete trash with the puck. Speedy mofo but that puck is a hot potatoe on his stick
-Tanev was the best dman for us tonight.

 

[Bgav]

Release the Cracknell.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

Vrbata and Sutter go together like broken glass and skin.

 

[vanarchy]

Game was boring but got to see BO

 

[Love]

Vrbata and Sutter go together like broken glass and skin.

Vrbata and Sutter go together like the Titanic and an iceberg.

 

[Josepho]

Vrbata and Sutter go together like the Titanic and an iceberg.

Vrbata and Sutter go together like Sbisa and Bieksa.

 

[Ryp37]

Vrbata and Sutter go together like lamb and tunafish

Boring game, I'll give the Vets a break until week 2

Wasn't too impressed with anyone (outside Horvat and Tanev doing their thing) can argue it was first game but that Sharks roster was feeble, Markstrom made some good saves

 

[a Fool]

Bo, Gaunce, and Markstrom all had positive games. I'd like to see a bit more of Grenier pre-season as well.

Can't read too much into any of the vets' games. Happy for Cracknell scoring the OT winner.

I feel Bo might already be ready for 2nd line. He definitely should be with skill players. He makes things happen and does a lot of dirty work for his line.

 

[DL44]

Pretty dull game... But I didn't care... Just great to watch the boys again...

Markstorm was outstanding. Just felt like he was gonna stop everything.
Hutton... Great mobility.. He's a good one
Gaunce... Solid game.
Horvat... Oozed skill.. He'll move up the lineup as the season moves along, if not by the end of preseason for sure. How's his conditioning?. Appeared questionable to me today.
Bartkowsky... Looked solid.. Him and Sbisa are exciting high event players... They will clench sphincters, and be a high risk pairing, but I'll look forward to when they hit the ice, heh heh..
Cracknell... Has a tonne of confidence... But the skill doesn't quite match the will... You could tell he wanted to make a statement tonight and he did...good gm from him. Will be solid in Utica and will be a good dependable call up... If we don't lose him to waivers before the season starts... Which we may.
Jensen showed well today... His level of effort was a lot higher than I can remember seeing it...
Sutter.. Lost a lot of face offs... Came as advertised... Solid in the Dzone.. Limited creativity in the ozone. Flashed his speed and disrupted a lot of plays... Is the perfect 3rd line centre already.. Will wait to see how he develops chemistry with Baert-Vrby... But Horvat's game is screaming for the opportunity for a chance up there in his spot.
On par with expectation... Higgins, Sbisa, Edler, Tanev, Biega..
Sub par relative to normal was Hansen, Vrby..

 

[VanJack]

If Horvat isn't the second-line centre on this team when this season opens, then there needs to be sobriety test behind the bench....of course that means the Canucks will be going into the season with a $4.5m third-line centre.....and if you figure that Sbisa is at best a fifth d-man, then you've got $8m tied up in two role players.

 

[Shareefruck]

Chris Tanev was the best player on either team by a country mile. He actually looked like he was leisure-fully conserving energy with his skating stride while easily outskating guys who were hustling as hard as they could. He also seems stronger. His shot (and hesitance in using it) is the same, though. Man amongst boys this game, and made Edler look so-so in comparison.

Bo Horvat was the second best player (don't think he was close to Tanev's level of play though). Creating plays all over the ice, and looking more serviceable defensively.

Markstrom was third-- very very promising, and nice to see him with such an efficient and neat game.

Edler and Vrbata were good-- about what you would expect from them in this kind of game-- Edler looked a little like normal Edler-- not the one who was lights out and perfect last year, and not the trainwreck the year before. Vrbata involved and making smart plays, but was anchored down by Sutter. To a lesser degree Baertschi was making nifty plays but was anchored down as well. I still worry about Baertschi's ability to handle playing against stronger guys-- he gets rubbed out pretty easily.

Despite looking like the most impressive prospect every goddamn preseason, Gaunce was put into a position to fail (as usual) and did well as could be expected with it-- it's ridiculous and unfair that as a left winger now, he didn't get Higgins spot when he went down. Jensen didn't earn ****. Loved watching all the smart little plays he makes that could go unnoticed.

Bartkowski was the most unexpectedly decent. I thought he'd be like Sbisa, but he was alot more assertive, instinctively sound, and reliable. I compare the reaction to the one I get whenever Weber had one of his better games. Not that he was amazing or anything.

Higgins and Hansen look like their typical hard working selves, only without any rhythm/organization. They were instrumental in pushing the play into the right end of the rink, but the puck died on their sticks whenever Horvat generated anything.

Hutton was okay, Cracknell was okay. Grenier was okay, in the same way that he was sort of impressive during the Calder run, but you could also tell he wasn't close to making a dent yet. Biega was unnoticeable, but that's probably a good thing.

Jensen and Sutter were underwhelming. Jensen turned it up a bit when he got Higgins spot but was laughably/embarassingly invisible and listless before that. Sutter seemed lost whenever he had to make a decision, but at least had the basic physical tools and the puck skills of an NHLer. Very underwhelming also, and an awful fit with Baertschi/Vrbata

Sbisa was awful. He handled this game better than he handles regular season games-- that goes without saying, but he was still making way more stupid mistakes all over the ice than an NHL defenseman should.

Kurtz was a complete no-show/non-factor

It looks painfully crystal clear that the best way to utilize those six guys is to do this. Really frustrating that they aren't:
Baertschi - Horvat - Vrbata
Higgins - Sutter - Hansen

At first I thought Horvat would at least click with Higgins and Hansen, but I wouldn't be surprised if even that line improved with this setup. Sutter looks like he would fit their style of game very well.

 

[Sharpshooter]

Entertaining like an all star game. Not like real hockey.

No true Scotsman would watch the all star game?

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Welp, hockey's back. Oh, how bereft of passion was my sports fan soul these long months.

--Cracknell: good goal, good shot, but yeah. 4th line injury callup at best.

--Gaunce: liked his game quite a bit. Could see him being a handful down low. This huge set of shoulders cruising around the ice...

--Jensen: Will be in Utica. Let's hope he learns to skate.

--Kurtz: Will be in Utica. Is what he is.

--Grenier: liked his game a lot. He and Gaunce were good together, and damn Grenier looks like a big guy out there. Size alone will guarantee him a good look, but also created some nice chances down low. Dark horse.

--BoHo vs Sutter: early returns on the 2nd line centre position firmly in Bo's favour. Granted Sutter's still finding his feet here, but he and Vrbata weren't really anything good. Really wanted to see a Bart/BoHo/Vrbata line tonight.

--Baertschi: you can see the sick hands, but was hoping for more. Like a promotion to Horvat's line.

--Vets were vets.

--Sbartski: liked this pairing every bit as much as I thought I would. Really having problems under pressure. Sadly, it appears no kindly passing surgeon cut Sbisa's head open with a spade and stuck a new brain in it over the summer. Made a great pass to spring Horvat one minute, eye-gougingly bad giveaway the next. Deja vu all over again.

--Hutton: was at sea early, but improved as the game went on. A couple of nice rushes towards the end. You can see the potential's definitely there, but he's still a work very, very much in progress. At least a couple of seasons away from the NHL imho, but a lot to like.

--Edler/Tanev in preseason form. Goes without saying they're still our best d pair.

--Biega: good game, but obviously another plane ticket to Utica's in his future.

--Thought the goalies were both good, hope Marky keeps it up.

And oh yeah, does this team ever have a crying need for a good offensive dman.

 

[me2]

So far not impressed with 3 on 3 even if we did win. It feels like I'm watching an all-star game. I never watch all-star games. Feels really gimmicky, but maybe it will grow on me. So far, a big fail.

As far as the game goes liked Gaunce, Hutton, Horvat, Markstrom, and Vrbata.

Need more offence from Sutter and Baertschi. But the team looked solid defensively. They can win with this style, but it is quite boring at least until it gets gimmicky.

Yawn.

Aren't they playing 4 on 4 first? hopefully more teams attack agressively in 4 on 4, less 3 on 3 and very few shootouts.

 

[biturbo19]

Low intensity preseason game. Not exactly surprising for the first outing. Not sure why some are suggesting it was a gimme or getting bent out of shape because the Sharks weren't icing NHLers. Maybe a bit of an edge to the Canucks in terms of the prominence of some of the NHLers (icing our top D-pairing namely). But i count nearly as many guys likely to be on the Sharks NHL roster as the Canucks iced tonight...that's just kinda what the Sharks top-heavy roster is without those top players.

Anyway...

Forwards:

Vrbata: Kinda sleepwalking most of the game, not surprising.

Sutter: Covered a ton of ice, actually made some surprisingly nice little passes here and there, had a real knack for finding the open point man or trailer through a seam tonight. Speed is very noticeable, and showed off a smart positional game defensively. Wasn't a standout, and probably won't often be...but did a lot of little things well. Looked like negative chemistry with Vrbata though, not sure what will happen with that.

Baertschi: Kid can stickhandle, and certainly likes to do it. Didn't really generate much of anything offensively though, outside of the PP where he had a bit more room to work. Did show some solid commitment to playing both ends of the ice, but kind of have to expect more spark from him offensively moving forward.

Triple H Line: Horvat solid, some really nifty little plays offensively and as expected, very put together effort defensively. Looked a bit slower to me, but maybe he's just gotta work himself back up to speed again. Higgins and Hansen...same ol', same ol'. None of the line seemed to be going 100%. As a whole though, there does look to be some solid chemistry there...lack of finish will probably drive many fans bonkers if that trio persists, but they all play a very similar type of game that seems to mesh really well. Just move the puck to the offensive end, and cycle the puck, put it to the net. A lot of nice possession and little give and go plays out of them.

Cracknell: Aside from the game winning goal which was really nice...he hustled. That's really the most i can say there. Bad penalty, but his work rate was high, he moved the puck into the offensive end well enough, finished his checks consistently. Not a liability outside of the penalty. Odd to me that they seem intent on rolling with him at Center and Gaunce on the Wing...would make so much more sense to me flipped.

Gaunce: Had some really nice standout moments, showed some seemingly improved speed and good hustle, got to the net front as well. Didn't think it was as great a game as many seemed to suggest. A lot of shifts where he was a complete non-factor, in between his good ones. He's a smart player and he's generally reliable...but when he isn't going hard and engaging in the play, he really doesn't accomplish anything...just occupying space. Gonna have to continue to up that ratio of "active" shifts vs "passive" to really make any sort of noteworthy dent in the NHL. As above though, still think Gaunce makes a lot more sense at Center where that passive tendency is less of a detriment...this game indicated nothing to the contrary of that thought for me.

Grenier: Really showed off how he's started to find "his game". The size and speed were noticeable, as were his designs on getting some good hits in and mixing it up in the physical aspects. Hits weren't really there for him to make tonight, but you can see the attempts to make it happen. Still a ways to go based on tonight's game, but certainly looked much more than the write-off he was say...this time last year.

Jones: Total non-factor. Looked like he knows he's got little shot at the roster and played accordingly. Very conservative game, huge yawn.

Jensen: Showed a pulse at times, so that's good. Thought he showed some signs that maybe he's finally starting to get a grasp on how tenuous his hopes for an NHL career are at this point...and how much he needs to reinvent his game if he ever wants to be something. Long ways to go still, but i thought tonight he paid far more attention to the "little things" than he has in the past...and at least a stride in the right direction in terms of actually using his size. Had a couple hits (including that weird no-stick one), actually seemed to be looking to finish his checks, and a few times made efforts to actually get to the front of the net despite players trying to impede him. Came down deep in his own zone to dig for pucks and help out defensively, and involved a few times in battles on the wall offensively as well, which hasn't always been the case. Still a very very long ways to go, but baby steps i guess? Cautiously optimistic with what he showed tonight...that maybe he'll finally "get it" and realize he's gotta do a Grenier to pull the remains of his "potential" from the fire. Question is really...can he build on this in a positive direction, or will he just sulk and go back to uninspired old Jensen again when it's halfway through the grind of a real season, rather than the first game of the preseason trying to make an impression.

Kurtz: lmao. Who is this guy and why is he here? Looked like someone let a beer league player out there as some sort of special promotion related to Hockeyville. His positioning defensively was actually hilarious at times. Not a clue.


Defence:

Edler-Tanev: Pretty much as expected. Looked half-speed most of the game and still controlled play for the most part. Tanev as others have noted, does look bigger and like he may want to experiment with a few more offensive forays this year. That would be big.

Sbisa: I know it's basically become a Schtick to hate on Sbisa at this point, but on the whole i thought he actually played a pretty solid game. Had two absolutely ridiculous moments (the bonehead hitting from behind penalty, and the weird slo-mo last man back deke)...but outside of that, his puckhandling and poise actually looked improved from last year and as they highlighted during the broadcast...he was easily out most physical defenceman. Tonight he actually made a good number of tape to tape passes to start breakouts, and sprung some guys on long stretch passes (including the Jensen breakaway). Hopefully something to build on.

Bartkowski: Speed and range were very noticeable. Showed a ton of confidence tonight. At times he seemed very erratic in his positioning defensively, and a couple times early he seemed to venture deep into the offensive zone without any real support. But if he can actually manage to help this team out in transition from the back end like he did tonight...that would be swell. He definitely looks smaller in our jersey than he did with Boston though.

Hutton: Some interesting upside that he showed tonight. Had these moments of looking like a real offensive defenceman with size. But it's clearly going to be a project. Defensively very hit or miss, moments of real panic and confusion. Mixed bag tonight.

Biega: Knows what he's doing, and knows what he is as a player. Limited though in terms of real NHL ability. But a blah game tonight is just fine really, alongside Hutton with his wild ups and downs. Have to wonder if this is really early gameplanning for the Comets defence...would make a ton of sense alongside Hutton down on the farm, helping school him on some of the finer points of defending as a Professional.

Goaltenders:

Markstrom: Looked big and in control. Didn't show any real nerves for the most part. Kept the play in front of him and mostly controlled the rebounds with a somewhat loose defensive framework in front of him. Encouraging...but of course, it's the preseason and the real test for Markstrom is going to be whether or not he can live up to his potential when the pressure is actually on.

Bachman: Not a lot to say. AHL vet looked like an AHL vet and did his job. Hopefully he can do the same for Utica this year. And hopefully we don't have to see his tiny self with the Canucks this year after the preseason.