Honestly what bothers me most is that the 2010/11 team was far tougher than this team, and even when they didn't respond physically they responded on the scoreboard with a record-setting powerplay. It dried up due to injuries and we lost in a close series, but that approach is a significant part of why we were there in the first place. Gillis was vilified for the soft team in the press and the whole thing had to get torn down to play Bruins/Kings tough hockey.
Even that team had more grit than this team. Burrows, Kesler and Hansen weren't fighters but they would get involved as would Ballard when he was in, Torres was Torres, Lapierre, Bieksa and Glass would go as would Rome and Alberts if they were in. Even guys like Higgins, Samuelsson, Hamhuis, Edler and Malhotra would engage in scrums even if they wouldn't drop them. I remember one time Ehrhoff got knocked down and came up swinging. Hell I remember one playoff game Daniel went at Bolland and the linesman was literally holding Daniel back. This was met with "Sedins need to not engage and play whistle to whistle", but obviously the following year they were too soft and need to stand up for themselves.
This team has nothing, and the worst part is they should.
I love Hutton but come the f*** on man. He has 3 NHL fights, 2 of which I believe were him getting engaged on and one where he aided Boeser. Do something.
Gudbranson is our tough-guy D who, unlike Hutton, is actually marketed as a tough guy and just like Ben only seems to fight when someone on the other team wants to go.
Roussel I kind of like, but again he falls short. I have no problem with him "attacking" people like he is doing. Someone has a problem with him and goes to engage with him, well I don't think they should be complaining when the other guy drops em. If I go up to someone, especially behind the play, and start shoving a guy in my mind I may as well be asking if he wants to go. I would rather he grabs them by the jersey and gives them a moment to prepare to defend themselves but whatever. Anyway, while I like that he not only stands up for himself but aggressively does so, not once this year has he stood up for anyone else.
We try to play the same f***ing "punish them on the PP" type game that got so much shit from our fans and stupid clueless media except this time we're not even contenders and can't even deliver. We must be the softest team in the NHL without even having the ability to score despite our near-championship team getting blown up to try to reinvent themselves as a tough team. It's just so f***ing frustrating that not only do we have to see absolutely no response from this team but to know the sad f***ing state of this franchise is the result of people demanding toughness and this is what the Canucks delivered.
The fans do not enjoy watching this. Make them pay on the PP instead of retaliating? Sure. Do it. Score the goal, win the game, and play like an elite competitive team. You can't do that? Then turn the physical play up to give the fans who feel sick and dejecting watching Pettersson leave the game something to enjoy about the game. Not winning a cup, not winning games. Entertainment. Entertainment isn't a byproduct of your job, winning games/championships is a byproduct and method of entertaining your fans.
It almost certainly will not deter anyone from going after Pettersson, but at least it will be a spectacle and putting on a show, though if I were a dirty player playing for say Buffalo I may think twice about body slamming Pettersson if it mean Torres was going to just chase Dahlin all night. Accidental injury from an accidental play? Pettersson got hit by a shot and it broke his foot? Oh well, don't head hunt anyone but your job is to entertain your fans so go do it. Finish every check and start scrums in front of both nets and between whistles.
Dance monkey dance, entertain us. You get paid 7 figures to do so.