Post-Game Talk: The Curious Case of Benjamin Hutton -- Canucks win 1-0 (Yes we McCann.)

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Re: Grenier - I agree that the Sedin experiment is a flop. He has been solid defensively, has kept up with the play, and makes decent plays with the puck from a "not a liability" perspective. All of this stuff says to me that he could be a serviceable call-up/bottom-six option. But he's not a guy who's going to make an impact in our top six at this point.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Virtanen with the Sedins, McCann playing left wing tonight!!!

Oh, wow. Just saw this on Twitter.

Now I'm excited.

EDIT: Markstrom will go the distance in net tonight. Also, Willie D with some praise for the rookies.

 

[Powder]

Virtanen with the Sedins, Mccann playing left wing tonight!!!

I really hope that line works. It would create so much more depth in the lineup.

Sedin - Sedin - Virtanen
Baertschi - Horvat - Vrbata
Gaunce - Sutter - Burrows
Higgins - McCann - Hansen

Kenins, Prust, Vey, Dorsett as your choice of spares. Now you'd really have a youth movement going with one rookie on each line, covered for by the vets. This would be a dream.

 

[VanillaCoke]

I dont think virt is going to mesh well with the sedins. Their styles of play dont seem compatible.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

I dont think virt is going to mesh well with the sedins. Their styles of play dont seem compatible.

I don't know. Virtanen is a right-handed, one-shot scorer who's not afraid of going to the dirty areas. If the Sedins get set on their cycle and he can make himself open, this could be tantalizing.

 

[MS]

I would be absolutely shocked if Virtanen had the hockey IQ and positional sense to keep up with the Sedins.

 

[Rex Banner]

I don't know. Virtanen is a right-handed, one-shot scorer who's not afraid of going to the dirty areas. If the Sedins get set on their cycle and he can make himself open, this could be tantalizing.

I keep picturing Henrik threading a pass up the ice to a streaking Virtanen. That line has big big potential. By far the best center Virtanen has ever played with.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Lines from Twitter;

Sedin-Sedin-Virtanen
Baertschi-Vey-Vrbata
McCann-Sutter-Burrows
Kenins-Cracknell-Grenier

Of note - Sutter not skating with Baertschi and Vrbata. Although Vey is hardly an upgrade.

McCann getting an interesting look on a possible checking line with Sutter and Burrows is also intriguing.

EDIT:

D-Pairs;

Hutton-Fedun
Hamhuis - Corrado
Sbisa-Weber

 

[Shareefruck]

I dont think virt is going to mesh well with the sedins. Their styles of play dont seem compatible.

I agree-- completely incompatible. Reminds me of the people clammering to see David Booth play with the twins. It fundamentally doesn't work. I'll eat crow if it works (it might just because of the raw skill), but I really really doubt it.

He's a better fit with a guy like Horvat, complementing his power-game and adding to the havoc around the boards and the front of the net. Just as Booth was a better fit with Kesler.

Boiling it down to RH shot, size/strength is a gross oversimplification.

 

[VanillaCoke]

I don't know. Virtanen is a right-handed, one-shot scorer who's not afraid of going to the dirty areas. If the Sedins get set on their cycle and he can make himself open, this could be tantalizing.

I dont think hes got the hockey sense to play the cycle game with them, especially as a rookie. Hes much more north south rush.
Kenins atleast has the experience of watching them for a year and more of a cycle game.

 

[CherryToke]

it's worth a try for sure.. if he can use his strength/speed to cause turnovers and jump on loose pucks and get it to the Sedins it could work out great. he could be like Kesler with them.

 

[MS]

I agree-- completely incompatible. Reminds me of the people clammering to see David Booth play with the twins. It fundamentally doesn't work. I'll eat crow if it works (it might just because of the raw skill), but I really really doubt it.

Yup. The Sedins work well with high-IQ guys who are decent passers of the puck and who can play a strong cycle/board game.

Virtanen is basically a one-man army who doesn't use his linemates, has suspect positioning in the offensive zone, and a weak cycle/board game. But can be lethal in 1-on-1 situations.

He's a better fit with a guy like Horvat, complementing his power-game and adding to the havoc around the boards and the front of the net. Just as Booth was a better fit with Kesler.

Boiling it down to RH shot, size/strength is a gross oversimplification.

Yeah, Horvat is the most 'ideal' Sedin linemate on the roster but obviously we don't want to move him from center right now.

That said, given that we know that Sutter will be glued to the center spot on the #2 PP unit all year, hopefully they give Horvat a look on the #1 unit alongside the Sedins, with Vrbata on the point.

 

[Powder]

I dont think hes got the hockey sense to play the cycle game with them, especially as a rookie. Hes much more north south rush.
Kenins atleast has the experience of watching them for a year and more of a cycle game.

While potentially true, Kenins doesn't have a great shot while Virtanen does. I know people point to Kenins' early goals, but the reason people were surprised by them is because of how easy they should've been to stop. Not surprisingly, things went cold for him in terms of goal-scoring as things wore on hinting that it was more of a statistical anomaly than something to be depended on.

Plus, the Sedins do like to make plays off the rush, so we'll see how it goes. One can hope.

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

If Vey can't succeed with Baer and Vrbata, he should be toast.

 

[CherryToke]

no Horvat? I guess he made the team

 

[Rex Banner]

no Horvat? I guess he made the team

He's on his way to London for his overage year.

 

[Powder]

If Vey can't succeed with Baer and Vrbata, he should be toast.

On that note...



This just goes to show how Willie is admitting that Vey isn't performing well in a bottom-6 role. I essentially read this as "well, that didn't work... umm... maybe he can play in an offensive role? I don't know what else to do..."

 

[DFAC]

I really hope that line works. It would create so much more depth in the lineup.

Sedin - Sedin - Virtanen
Baertschi - Horvat - Vrbata
Gaunce - Sutter - Burrows
Higgins - McCann - Hansen

Kenins, Prust, Vey, Dorsett as your choice of spares. Now you'd really have a youth movement going with one rookie on each line, covered for by the vets. This would be a dream.

I like that lineup alot but it won't happen. Management has invested so much in Prust, Dorsett and Vey that I don't see them not playing

 

[banme*]

At least we're icing an interesting lineup.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

On that note...



This just goes to show how Willie is admitting that Vey isn't performing well in a bottom-6 role. I essentially read this as "well, that didn't work... umm... maybe he can play in an offensive role? I don't know what else to do..."

That's how I see it, too. Although I think most of us on here could have told Willie and Co. that Vey as a gritty fourth line center was never going to work. It's an offensive role or bust for Vey.

 

[Shareefruck]

Yeah, Horvat is the most 'ideal' Sedin linemate on the roster but obviously we don't want to move him from center right now.

That said, given that we know that Sutter will be glued to the center spot on the #2 PP unit all year, hopefully they give Horvat a look on the #1 unit alongside the Sedins, with Vrbata on the point.

I actually meant that Virtanen would be a better fit with Horvat (just as Booth was more effective playing with Kesler, Kassian is another guy that I think Virtanen would have been great with), not that Horvat would be an ideal linemate with the Sedins (Horvat would be an ideal linemate for just about anyone, though)

 

[MS]

I actually meant that Virtanen would be a better fit with Horvat (just as Booth was more effective playing with Kesler), not that Horvat would be an ideal linemate with the Sedins (Horvat would be an ideal linemate for just about anyone, though)

Agreed with this, too.

 

[CherryToke]

speaking of Horvat linemates. I'd like to see this for 3on3 OT

Sedin-Horvat-Sedin.

 

[Shareefruck]

On that note...



This just goes to show how Willie is admitting that Vey isn't performing well in a bottom-6 role. I essentially read this as "well, that didn't work... umm... maybe he can play in an offensive role? I don't know what else to do..."

Still pretty troubling logic on Desjardins part though. He's been tried in an offensive role so many times already.

While potentially true, Kenins doesn't have a great shot while Virtanen does. I know people point to Kenins' early goals, but the reason people were surprised by them is because of how easy they should've been to stop. Not surprisingly, things went cold for him in terms of goal-scoring as things wore on hinting that it was more of a statistical anomaly than something to be depended on.

Plus, the Sedins do like to make plays off the rush, so we'll see how it goes. One can hope.

Kenins does have a very deceptively good snapshot, IMO. I think the style of game is way more important than pure overpowering shot. Kenins, at this point, also appears to be better at getting into open scoring areas.

 

[brokenhole]

Wlllie is giving his boy every opportunity to keep him on the team.