The Antoine Roussel thread

Canuck16

that's curtains!
Apr 11, 2011
1,391
356
Winnipeg, MB
Let it be known, this is officially the "bigtime" Antoine Roussel appreciation thread.

Roussel is the man. I hear his name bashed all the time, it goes unwarranted and i'm completely sick of it.

Travis Green needs to utilize Roussel who is itching to play. Against Minnesota, he was getting less then 5 minutes of ice per game. He was closer to 10 mins last game which is good to see.

You need goaltending and you need to roll all 4 lines in the playoffs to be successful. Period. There is no other formula. I think Green does trust his bottom 6 and hopefully we will see a healthy dose of our checking lines from here on in. Washington is out because their coach would only use 3 lines while his counterpart Trotz rolls 4 lines and trust players like Clutterbuck and Martin.

In the playoffs, these Claude Lemieux, Darren McCarty, Tom Wilson, and Matt Cooke type players are heart and soul guys you absolutely need to win with. Excellent skaters who often make the biggest hits, and can score the biggest goals at the most crucial times. They are hated as opponents, but every team loves to have them on their team. Enter Roussel, if deployed properly, makes this Canuck team feared and more playoff legitimate.
Now, here is hoping Roussel doesn't go over the edge or fine line (like those players mentioned above) and take an unnecessary 5 min penalty or suspension because these type of players unfortunately also share that common characteristic.

Roussel can honestly play on any line because that is how versatile he is. He is most effective on a 3rd line because he is an excellent skating, hard nose, physical performer. Every time he steps on the ice, I see him give 100%. I feel Roussel deserves recognition for his gritty, hard style hockey which goes completely unnoticed. He can score and fight. He has chemistry with Jake and can often provide spark when Virtanen is struggling. Right now he is playing with Gaudette and Sutter which clicked for that huge goal in game 6 vs the Blues. Do I want to see him on PP #2? No, but i think he can be used in a penalty killing role if needed.

Side note:
He was born in France, moved to Quebec at 16, went undrafted, just like Burrows and has similar work ethic like Burrows. He makes Maple Syrup and took university classes to craft his art and learn more about it. He is a true Canadian now. #26 Antoine Roussel

This is him playing alongside Benn and Seguin.


Im not sure what this French dude is saying but I think he loves Antoine Roussel more than me. Not the greatest highlight package but it shows his first goal as a Canuck in his first game. Go Canucks Go!!
 

F A N

Registered User
Aug 12, 2005
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I actually think Roussel has been good here. Unfortunately he hasn't managed to stay healthy. Those who think he's some sort of replacement level player is so ridiculous. He is coming off major knee surgery so of course he's not quite up to speed but he always gives you everything he has.

With that said, I don't think Roussel is at his best right now.
 

Mr. Canucklehead

Kitimat Canuck
Dec 14, 2002
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Roussel had an excellent first season in Vancouver up until his injury. He ran a lot more hot and cold this year in the regular season. He’s been used sparingly in the playoffs, often surprisingly being the lowest man amongst the forwards for ATOI - but he has certainly provided some clutch moments. Hope he can keep that up.
 

kcunac

Registered User
Aug 31, 2008
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He sure shut up Sammy Blais. Did he break his jaw or somehing? Noticed the extra jaw-guard the game after the fight but with no info provided in the broadcast. Blais was running around in his first game but not after that fight.

Being honest though, Roussel is likely in the bottom 3-4 of our forwards right now (along with Beagle, Eriksson, and maybe Gaudette) but I do agree that heart and soul type players are important. I also believe he manages to attract opposition attention more than he should. Has scored a few big goals nowr
 

Mr. Canucklehead

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Dec 14, 2002
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He sure shut up Sammy Blais. Did he break his jaw or somehing? Noticed the extra jaw-guard the game after the fight but with no info provided in the broadcast. Blais was running around in his first game but not after that fight.

Being honest though, Roussel is likely in the bottom 3-4 of our forwards right now (along with Beagle, Eriksson, and maybe Gaudette) but I do agree that heart and soul type players are important. I also believe he manages to attract opposition attention more than he should. Has scored a few big goals nowr

That was an underrated moment, for sure. I was furious with Blais for his dangerous hit from behind in Sutter earlier in the series. Roussel tuning him up was certainly well warranted. Sucked he got hurt, but it was good to see the Canucks showing they weren’t going to be pushed around.
 
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VanJack

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Jul 11, 2014
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Can anyone explain to me what Roussel hoped to possibly gain by trash-talking Lehner in the pre-game warmup? All he accomplished was to fire up the Knights.

I get the fact that some posters love this aggravating player, but to me he's a liability. I could live with him I guess at $1m a season. But at the price point in his contract, he's more of a 'problem' than a 'solution'. The sooner the Canucks move on, the better.
 

Catamarca Livin

Registered User
Jul 29, 2010
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Loved Roussel's energy and fight. Thought he along with Gaudette. Virtanen and Petterson were the best forwards. Reaves did nothing of importance in that game, the false narrative that that Roussel woke him up is a huge insult Reaves is always awake and running around. Roussel was doing the same thing wish more of his teammates came to battle.
 
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Catamarca Livin

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Jul 29, 2010
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That performance yesterday was an embarrassing clown show that did more to hurt the team than help it. If an opposing player pulled that against us we'd be laughing our asses off at him.

You want to help the team? Skate hard and finish checks against their top players.

He skated hard and had 7 or 8 hits. He had as many chances as any Canuck forward and he showed he cared which is more than many forwards did. The Knights talking about him after a 5-0 win says something. He made an impact. They said Roussel should play differently, I did not hear them say Horvat, Miller, Boeser should play differently. Because these 3 did nothing that bothered them. It was happy times for Vegas except when Roussel, Virtanen and Gaudette were fore checking. I say team needs more of that not less.
 
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Catamarca Livin

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Jul 29, 2010
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Shot attempts with Reaves on ice 13 Vancouver 6 Vegas. Mostly matched up vs Roussel. More of that please.
 

Mr. Canucklehead

Kitimat Canuck
Dec 14, 2002
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It was a Ben Eager-esque performance. Really should have talked to his friends Burrows on how to be a proper pest and who the best targets are.

Much as I've liked Roussel's playoffs, this is exactly the thought that occurred to me last night. Right down to what McLellan said about Eager after that game - in that yes, it was good he had a pulse, cared, and showed up. But man, was that ever a detriment to what their team was trying to do, and Roussel was detrimental to our efforts last night, IMO.
 

Fire Benning

diaper filled piss baby
Oct 2, 2016
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Like his energy on the best of nights, however his performance last night was pretty pathetic. Reaves had 15 points this year lol, if the Canucks game plan is to let him get in their head while Vegas’ top players eat the Canucks for breakfast..something tells me Vegas is just fine with that. There’s a difference between being an effective checker and being an idiot running around accomplishing nothing of consequence.
 
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F A N

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Aug 12, 2005
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Much as I've liked Roussel's playoffs, this is exactly the thought that occurred to me last night. Right down to what McLellan said about Eager after that game - in that yes, it was good he had a pulse, cared, and showed up. But man, was that ever a detriment to what their team was trying to do, and Roussel was detrimental to our efforts last night, IMO.

Yep. I share the same opinion. Roussel tried to distract the Knights but it didn't work. They took one penalty the entire game.

With that said, outside of the first couple of shifts the game looked bad for the Canucks from the start. What Roussel did or didn't do had little impact on the outcome of the game. Hopefully Game 1 served as a wake up call for the boys and it is the Canucks players who are laughing in Game 2.
 
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Zippgunn

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May 15, 2011
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That performance yesterday was an embarrassing clown show that did more to hurt the team than help it. If an opposing player pulled that against us we'd be laughing our asses off at him.

You want to help the team? Skate hard and finish checks against their top players.

...and if Alex Burrows had done what Roussel was doing he would be getting praised here over and over again.
 

vadim sharifijanov

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Oct 10, 2007
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i like roussel. i don't $3 million-like him, but i like him in the way that i liked ruutu or matt cooke, or lappy. burrows of course was a whole other level.

yesterday, i don't necessarily think he was so much trying to get in the other team's head, i mean he was, but the real thing he was trying to do was to get himself and the team going. get the underdogs moving their feet and playing with an attitude against a bigger stronger better team.

and watching him at the start of the game, he did get himself going. he played with the kind of fire and tenaciousness that i always want to see out of him but that this year we only saw 1/3 of the time.

but as it turns out, vegas got him riled up and basically he kept escalating and running around in scrums because they kept egging him on. he kind of got himself going too far and when vegas started talking back to him he couldn't stop.
 

krutovsdonut

eeyore
Sep 25, 2016
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i think the knights did an excellent job of turning the tables on roussel last night, making him into the distraction for his own team and as the excuse for reeves to act out.

will be very interesting to see whether green dresses macewen or goes in the opposite direction. i am not really in favour of sending macewen out to handle this situation.
 

Mr. Canucklehead

Kitimat Canuck
Dec 14, 2002
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...and if Alex Burrows had done what Roussel was doing he would be getting praised here over and over again.

I'm sure if the Canucks had won 5-0, everyone would be praising Roussel for throwing the Knights off their game. But that's not what happened. Sometimes when you talk trash, you win and look like a genius. The other edge of that sword is when it backfires, you look like a clown. And unfortunately for us, that's what happened here.
 

VanJack

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Jul 11, 2014
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The fact that Benning felt compelled to go out and overpay for someone like Roussel, is in itself a major 'fail'. He holds down a role some energy guy or agitator making the league minimum could easily do.

And if they'd just drafted Matthew Tkachuk in the first place, they would never have considered signing him.
 

Kryten

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Separating the player from the contract I quite like Rooster. Pretty close to a Laperriere type but with a bit more skill. What was really dumb was instigating with a team that actually has a heavy weight on it. Reaves is maybe the last real passable goon in the NHL these days. We are lucky that he isn’t the known type to cheap shot talent or attempt to injure
 
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Zippgunn

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May 15, 2011
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I'm sure if the Canucks had won 5-0, everyone would be praising Roussel for throwing the Knights off their game. But that's not what happened. Sometimes when you talk trash, you win and look like a genius. The other edge of that sword is when it backfires, you look like a clown. And unfortunately for us, that's what happened here.

Roussel always looks like a clown, he doesn't care. Tell ya what, he looked like the only player out there playing with any fire in his belly. I would love to know what he got that misconduct for...
 

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