Pre-Game Talk: WCSF | Game 6 | Vancouver Canucks vs. Vegas Golden Knights | Sep 3 | 6:45PM PST | SPAC

[krutovsdonut]

I now have no idea what the term 'lopsided' really means. Canucks were outshot 43-17 and didn't even have 10 shots on goal through two periods. I counted at least six for seven scoring chances where the Knights forwards skated right into the slot an unleashed point-blank shots from 15 feet. Then there were the tips. deflections and crease-crashing.

Sure Demko was a stone wall. But there's no sugar-coating the fact that the Canucks have been badly outplayed so far in this series. And unless they miraculously find another gear in the next two games, it's impossible to see how they can win both and move on.

But I guess that's why they play the games.

let me try it another way.

the way the canucks have played these games out of necessity makes the teams look more lopsided than they are. as one example, the canucks at even strength are containing on defence and not sacrificing position to recover possession even if that results in lengthy vegas or blues ozone possession.

the canucks could play them straight up and generate more offence and possession, but the canucks would lose because they would bleed scoring chances.

 

[Canucks1096]

Yep.

Came oh, so close to it being 5, with the '94 Final.

This is just my opinion, I truly believe that if game 6 and game 7 was 1 day apart instead of 2 days apart. Canucks win cup. After game 6 Rangers was definitely banged up bad, that extra day off helped Rangers recovered.

Anyway, it is what it is

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

wait, wait — do i have this right? cliff ronning was a part of four 3 - 1 comebacks? 1992, 1994 canucks, 2003 wild x2?

yeah, but keith tkachuk was part of two. 1992 jets, 2003 blues.

 

[NoShowWilly]

I’ll take over here.

John Paddock was the coach for the Jets and played some solid defense going up 3-1 in the series. Pat Quinn adjusted and the Jets did. It, exposed the defense and Rick Taberraci was a sieve.

tabaracci is one of those goalies i always think of when i think goalie sieves of my childhood.

 

[Canuckle1970]

The team was in a defensive mindset to protect Demko. After seeing him have such a solid game, I think we'll see the guys take more chances in gm 6. We'll see if that proves successful.

I don't think Vegas played "desperate to put it away" hockey last night, either. Tomorrow should be one hell of a battle.

 

[krutovsdonut]

I have no recollection of that series. How did that team go down 3-1 in the first place, if they can dominate like that in G5-7?

that was the series keith tkachuk appeared as a rookie basically out of nowhere and shot out of a cannon and gave them a new look out of the gate. at the same time bure was not scoring early in the series. we took some time to rally.

what i recall is we keyed on and crushed housley until he stopped going into corners and started getting rid of the puck quickly and things then did a dramatic 180. i also want to say there was a specific tsn turning point goal where housley bailed on a puck and we scored but i don't recall it clearly enough. it might also have been ulanov.

there was more to it than that involving some clutch work by the canucks and some craziness with ulanov

 

[Flik]

A few select players for the offense and stellar goaltending. We knew what this was going to be about before the series started.

The top players, even though Hughes is struggling, are the only reason this team is here. This is despite the weakness of the depth on the roster. (Not just localized to the abysmal bottom6, who are a clear net negative)

I think if you had even just an average performance from the depth of the roster, the Canucks could have secured game #4 and turned the series around. As is, it's just hoping the depth doesn't screw things up before the top players can get back on the ice.

Win or lose, I just want the Canucks to show that they belong in game #6. Right now, they don't. They are there, but they don't belong there.

Get to a relatively even shot total. Have the PP clicking. Scare VGK a little. Gain recognition for ability even if you lose.

I'm very curious as to how they will respond.

Just show up and punch them in the f***ing mouth, win or lose, show the f*** up and make the Knights bleed a little.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

I have no recollection of that series. How did that team go down 3-1 in the first place, if they can dominate like that in G5-7?

the long version is winnipeg was red hot going into the playoffs. at the end of february, they added four young guys to their roster. three were from the olympics, the fourth was rick tabaracci from the farm. in their last eight games, they went 6-0-2 to separate themselves from calgary and take the fourth seed in the smythe.

s0 for first three games of the playoffs, winnipeg was riding this high with the four new guys. rick tabaracci played vezina hockey (2.00 GAA and .932 SV%... in 1992), young keith tkachuk was running around and just mauling our guys, evgeni davydov was darty and scored a couple big goals, igor ulanov was big and scary.

the turning point was at the end of the first period. vancouver is up 1-0 on a bure goal. then with something like four seconds left in the period, sandlak tips a bure powerplay point shot from far out and it goes in. in a lidstrom/cloutier-esque way, it deflated the jets. we opened the second period with four more goals, tabaracci was pulled after the third one, with us up 5-0. that game was awesome. we forechecked winnipeg to death and phil housley was basically passing it directly to our guys on the breakout so they wouldn't hit him. ulanov was a complete and total pylon. i don't have a clear memory of it but i'm pretty sure bure also laid a big hit on tkachuk.

in game six, winnipeg puts tabaracci back in instead of going to essensa (who was a vezina finalist that year) and bure scores a hat trick. in game seven, the clutchest of all canucks, geoff courtnall, scores a natural hat trick. tabaracci never starts for anyone ever again.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i really really hate the sharks but

 

[EpochLink]

tabaracci is one of those goalies i always think of when i think goalie sieves of my childhood.

Also, the Jets that year had a Vezina finalist in Bob Essensa, whom Padddock refused to start.

 

[BB06]

 

[mriswith]

I have a much better understanding now of how Vegas choked against the Sharks last year. Their mental game is their biggest weakness - overconfident, overly emotional and very prone to tilt. MarcheSalt is the prime example of that this series.

I don't expect to win tomorrow, also didn't expect to win yesterday. But if we do somehow win tomorrow, and we roll into the back to back the next day with momentum, I could see Vegas choking in game 7 again.

We need our bottom six to step up in a big way for these last two games. You can't win a series against a cup favourite with only half your lineup doing anything and so far all the players we've complained about for years are still horribly useless.

 

[I am toxic]

If it was BOS, guaranteed the game gets rescheduled.

No slight on Benning - in fact. good on him for trying. League is BS.

 

[Zombotron]

I'm sure it was posted already, but here's the lineup readout from last night's game, done by... Roussel

 

[PavelBure10]

This is just my opinion, I truly believe that if game 6 and game 7 was 1 day apart instead of 2 days apart. Canucks win cup. After game 6 Rangers was definitely banged up bad, that extra day off helped Rangers recovered.

Anyway, it is what it is

Yep, agreed 100%.
There was a former Ranger on that 94 team, I forget who said it , "Graves" I think. He said the travel to Vancouver was brutal, and if they didn't have the extra days rest, he was sure Vancouver would of won the cup.
This was my greatest heartbreak of being a Canucks fan.

I'm hoping for a mircle in this series and the Canucks take it to 7 and win it.
If this team gets past, Minnesota, St Louis, and potentially Vegas, Then I think they could make it to the finals.

Hopefully onetime in my lifetime they'll win it.
Go Canucks

 

[AzNightmare]

Canucks so didn't deserve to win last game.
They dodged a bullet and have a 2nd chance.

Vegas probably underestimated Vancouver again since they have no respect for this team.

They'll come out hard next game. Hopefully Canucks can play a much better game where they don't just rely on Demko, cause I don't think that'll work twice in a series.

 

[Zombotron]

watch as vegas dresses their backup and gudbranson gets lit up again, f***ing jim benning and his 100-point delusion #teamtank #thisisnotaplayoffteam

/s

 

[Bleach Clean]

let me try it another way.

the way the canucks have played these games out of necessity makes the teams look more lopsided than they are. as one example, the canucks at even strength are containing on defence and not sacrificing position to recover possession even if that results in lengthy vegas or blues ozone possession.

the canucks could play them straight up and generate more offence and possession, but the canucks would lose because they would bleed scoring chances.

This would be plausible if the connection from the defense to the forwards was not so porous. I could buy the turtle structure as a planned strategy, rather than a last resort.

As is, nope. This is flawed execution more than it is planned strategy.

 

[VancouverJagger]

You can argue Canucks showed they belong in games 2,3,4. You can argue Vegas got better goaltending in games 3 and 4 and Vancouver could have won either game. Obviously in games 1 and 5 Vegas dominated. The Canucks are full value to be down 3 games to 2. They have played quite similiar to what SJ did last year. The Canucks are a flawed lineup as the have weak puck retrieval. If you cannot get and you cannot keep the puck you will be outplayed. The Canuck count on other team not being able to shoot puck through bodies, it is a loser way to play. However. it matches the Sutter, Horvat, Beagle, Edler etc. personnel. I hope we change personnel to be more active defending.

Well lots of people here could argue about pretty much anything..............(I've witnessed it). Fact of the matter is we have been noticeably outplayed for the vast majority of this series. We rely on our ability to limit chances to the outside and countstrike when able.

Last game we literally looked like a team that had their bags packed and was resigned to going home. There is really no way we should have won that game.

Let's hope they get some momentum from that and step it up (is it just me or does it seem like we always end up losing around 65% of all board battles? Geezus......). If they don't the chances of them getting outplayed like they did last game and coming out with a victory are slim to none...........and slim is pretty close to leaving the building.

We can hang with these guys if we are going on all cylinders. Anything less and it's an extremely dicey propostion.

 

[Grub]

If you'd told me heading into this whole thing that we'd get to Game 6 of the second round vs. Vegas of all teams, winning 2 games in regulation (for the first time ever), I'd have taken that in a heartbeat and thought you were nuts.

I think the team has a lot more to give than they did last night; here's hoping they bring the noise tomorrow.

Yea, I think we all expect this team to bring more than what they brought yesterday. It's like they lost confidence and that swagger... they need to get it back for game 6 and take it to Vegas... play loose, fast and hungry..

 

[Canucks1096]

I am predicting 3-2 Canucks. I am hoping Col and Dal goes into 3 or 4 periods of ot so game 7 will be postpone to Sat instead.

 

[supercanuck]

Makar just over took Hughes for the rookie Dman playoff scoring record. I'm thinking a big game from Hughes to retake the lead next game. 1G 2A

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

Lol they made an obnoxious banner for Makar too

 

[mouz135]

Fix your f***ing shit, Canucks. You do that, we’ll be seeing a game 7.

Get it done

 

[The Vasili Jerry]

I probably won't get much support for this, but I would replace Fantenberg with Juolevi. I know Juolevi only played about 6-7 minutes in the game he played, but his advanced stats were really good -- Fantenberg's advanced stats are brutal. Whoever is paired with Fantenberg just gets swamped in the Canucks end. I know Myers isn't 100% so he has a reason why he hasn't been as good since he came back, but when he's paired with Fantenberg they have seriously long shifts chasing Vegas in their own zone, which won't help Myers to get any healthier. Juolevi will also get more experience for the future.