Post-Game Talk: Wild def. Canucks - 6-3 (Pettersson x2, Highmore)

[ahmon]

It was very surprising to me to see Garland apparently on the trade block at the deadline. At this point, he appears to bring more energy, offensive opportunity and speed to the game than Boeser, with the ability to put up similar stats, on a better contract, yet Boeser apparently wasn't being shopped. I'm not sure if this is indicative of the direction management wants to go, but with Boeser due for a raise, skating like Tony Tanti and invisible in far more games than Garland this season, I'd rather move forward with Garland if the choice is between the two.

management clearly shopped Boeser, teams didn't want him especially with the QO.

Teams reportedly wanted Garland, well no shit, hes good thats why.

I'm sure teams would be interested in Thatcher Demko too, that doesn't mean we should trade him.

If Garland got the pp time that Boeser got their production will look even more 1 sided.

 

[VanJack]

Slowly but surely, the Canucks are running out of games. Tonight's result pretty predictable. Canucks, playing their third game in four nights, just ran out of gas in the third period against a better team.

They played hard most of the night.....but the only way they were going to steal two points in this one was if Demko basically stood on his head. Unfortunately that didn't happen.

Still, the Canucks probably finish around the 90 point mark, which has to be considered some sort of miracle considering how they started the season.

But the reality is, as soon as they cleaned house in November, the dialogue was really all about 'next season'.

 

[AzNightmare]

Just so happy to see Pettersson playing the way he has been...
24 pts in first 45 games...
41pts in the last 31 games.

Whatever issues he had before, it's behind him now. He'll be over pt/g player next season.
Can't wait.

 

[orcatown]

Two guys who have carried the team came up with sub par performances and that really hurt in this game. Likely the dagger but no one can fault the try.

Good

Highmore - has established himself as good fourth liner. Important on the PK and, as always, puck management was extremely good. Nice goal at an important time in this game and a player that keeps to game every minute he is out.

Garland - working well with whoever he is out with - in this case Pettersson. One of these years he is going to have a real breakout in offensive production. Doubt there is anyone who puts in more of an effort than this player.

Dermott - starting to warm up to this player. Each game gets better at moving the puck D to D and up to the forwards. Skating is better than advertised. Looks like a bona vide NHLer at this point. Might have been the best Canuck defenseman in this game.

Lockwood - HIs range of play is outstanding. No one on the team is better in defensive transition. No matter how deep in the o-zone he is, he always seems to be able to get back. Very pleasant development and you can write him in for next year. Hope would be, he can developed some scoring touch. Moves puck well so you can have some hope that he can show more touch around the net.

Pettersson - continues his second half surge. Best thing is he can have a night off and then come back with a game like this

Not good

OEL- Myers combo - forced into mistakes all game. Had a tough match up and everyone is going to have trouble against the Wild first line. But you have to admit they had the worst of that match up in this one.

Miller - continuous lost puck with his poor passing and couldn't stay with his check in the defensive zone. Looks to be out of gas.

Demko - few those goals were stoppable. If the Canucks are to win he must be better than this. Too bad about Halak since the team couldn't afford Demko with any rest.

Dickinson - so weak on the puck. Lockwood is clearly better than him. In fact everyone is. Best he can do is stay in the play. But he accomplishes nothing offensively and is weak defensively. Had a couple of mediocre games and people got hopeful but I don't think there's anything there. Just buy him out to get some cap space and move on.

Chaisson - got to cut him some slack cause of the illness but his defensive transition was awful in this game. First goal against was a good illustration. So many players get eliminated b/c they just can get back fast enough. Unless you are a totally elite scorer (and even then you have to be somewhat good in transition) , you don't stay in the League without any ability to get back in transition and this flaw has caused Chaisson to bounce around a lot. Chaisson has been a little better of late in this aspect but tonight he just wasn't getting there. Line with Miller and Chaisson very much hurt the team defensively in this game.

Bad as this loss was, the development shown by some of the players is up-liftng.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Impressed with the heart this group has shown. Win or lose, I do love a hard working crew. These past two losses are gutting, but they’re certainly laying it all out on the ice.

Pettersson’s incredible second half continues. Who saw him leading the team in goal scoring in the first half? Man. So glad he’s back in form.

Agree with orcatown on two guys specifically - Highmore and Lockwood. Really pleased with their games. I think that’s 2/3 of a fourth line for next season.

Demko with an off night, but I think it’s clear fatigue is a factor right now. The Ottawa game really screwed things up. Still steamed that the refs didn’t blow the whistle / call a penalty when Halak got pitch forked, and the Wild were pitchforking Demko a ton tonight too. Just bothersome.

Also glad to see Garland back in form. He had a significant mid season lull/slump, but he’s book ending the year with the feel goods. His compete level is crazy right now.

Honestly hope Myers is okay. It’s not like he was doing great to start the game before the elbow in the face - but man, was he brutal after. Have to wonder if a trip to the quiet room wouldn’t have been the safe move for him.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Oh, one guy I forgot - Richardson. Dude’s a warrior. Broke his nose, bleeding like a stuck pig - stitched up and back out there. Miller needed two ice packs for his leg after blocking that shot, and he was back out there too.

Have to admire the heart.

 

[CanucksSayEh]

Deserved better, but it was just too tall a task without Bo.

Myers has had some good stretches, but damn, he loses way too many battles, pucks in his feet etc.

Great game from Garland again.

OEL makes a lot of soft bozo plays

JT... has earned a lot of leeway but yeesh

To pull it off Demko really needed to be at his best the last few weeks and just hasn't. I get it's his first starter role, but he's young, and there was a lengthy covid break. There was still a lot of games left when the soft goals started to become regular.

Bounce back from EP, but this is gonna be a season of too little too late. Needs to take the offseason seriously. Bo went from a rookie slug to the teams best skater over his first few seasons by putting in the work.

Boeser has looked better the last couple games, but nothing like last season.

 

[David71]

they will be back stronger and better next year. that 8-15-3 whatever the hell it was with green/benning ruined it. boudreau hired on december 5th made the team exciting to watch win or lose. this offseason will be important, get rid of the deadweight contracts and add more speed/toughness to the squad next year. culture change.

 

[Play]

While it sucks to lose, it sure is nice seeing the Wild captain get a important goal on home ice. You can't hate moments like that

 

[settinguptheplay]

Team has been playing playoff hockey for a long time now. Simply out of gas after 3 in 4. Held it together until the third. It was fun but the hole was just too deep. Have to admire the sacrifice to get to where they are. All those injuries are not flukes. They have been in a war. Seasons not over but ya... Many reasons to be excited about the future.

 

[geebaan]

Remember when Gudbranson came off our team and the D instantly got betre

I’d bet everything same things Happens with Myers. Absolutely useless player.

 

[Bettman Returnz]

My takeaways:

Dickinson was brutal. Bad turnovers all over the ice.

Demko was tired, no s***! Could’ve used a game off (cough Ottawa)!

Myers is Myers. Not a fan, never will be. Chaos Giraffe explains his play very well. Please find a way to move him this offseason.

Dermott is steady Eddie. Doesn’t do too much. Not flashy. But always seems to be on the right side of the puck. Nice not to have a liability on the back end.

Garland was one of (if not) our best player (again).

Wild were and are the better, faster, heavier team.

 

[Breakers]

Past 2 games Garland has been on both lines
what ever line he was on was doing very well

Pumped for Lockwood, if he continues to do what he is doing he is going to get his first NHL point.
Dermott was an absolute monster in his minutes

 

[supercanuck]

If mostly the same team comes back next season, I expect them to be in a similar position as this year (fighting for the final few playoff spots). The team won't /can't go balls to the wall like they have the last half of the season, but you also don't expect them to be as terribad as the Benning/Green parts of the season. I expect the lift from EP will be partly nullified by a decline in Miller's play. Everyone else will be about the same.

Hopefully Allvin will make some much needed changes this offseason.

 

[theoriginalBCF]

If mostly the same team comes back next season, I expect them to be in a similar position as this year (fighting for the final few playoff spots). The team won't /can't go balls to the wall like they have the last half of the season, but you also don't expect them to be as terribad as the Benning/Green parts of the season. I expect the lift from EP will be partly nullified by a decline in Miller's play. Everyone else will be about the same.

Hopefully Allvin will make some much needed changes this offseason.

I suspect THey will change the bottom players hardcore. Dickensen, Poolman, Hunt, smaller players. I really feel the loss of Gadjovich and MacEwen hurt them more than helped them. Bigger players like that have made differences for other teams.

 

[AzNightmare]

This team has been riding on Demko for so long. He's clearly burnt out.
He really needed that rest vs. Ottawa and it looked like we were getting the good version of Halak that game.

 

[HeLord]

I suspect THey will change the bottom players hardcore. Dickensen, Poolman, Hunt, smaller players. I really feel the loss of Gadjovich and MacEwen hurt them more than helped them. Bigger players like that have made differences for other teams.

LOL, Gadjovich and MacEwen haven't done anything of note. Don't overrate them.

 

[John Belushi]

LOL, Gadjovich and MacEwen haven't done anything of note. Don't overrate them.

MacEwen has been a rousing attribute to their lockeroom and a bright spot in a poor season.. considering some of the schlock we've employed on the lower lines this year, he'd have been a revelation had we kept him. Become quite a good fighter and between him and Schenn we'd enjoy some pushback rather than faulter physically most games

 

[vancityluongo]

It was Arthur Griffiths.

The club was considering wholesale changes & almost didn't re-sign Green.

Then Griffiths intervened & talked to Aquilini.

According to Griffiths:

"I told him, 'Look, you’ve got a great young core group of players, a great coach and management..'"

Aquilini listened & the reign of error continued.

eh, if Green doesn't get the extension, have to imagine Aquilini hires Boudreau to start the year - then the team is probably in the spot LA is in, and Benning is still the GM...

 

[krutovsdonut]

that game and the last few games is sort of like a game 6 first round exit for an eighth team seed where we were in every game. we can be pleased at what we just saw but recognize we were ultimately over our heads.

we played well, but currently we just do not have our shit together top to bottom to the same degree as the wild, and our best players have worn themselves out trying to compensate for that and do it all. demko, miller, hughes, and myers all showed fatigue to me, and i think schenn got hurt in the benn fight. we were not going anywhere if we made the playoffs with those guys worn down and horvat out.

i really think we lost our momentum in the second period of the sens game. the halak injury and the dermot hit on stutzle waking up the sens broke the rhythm we had built up over the proceeding games.

as for individual play

starting to notice dermott in a good way. i think him being able to switch sides might work well with hughes.

lockwood has not looked out of place as a bottom 6 winger since he joined.

 

[canuckking1]

I wonder if they give Martin some games. Demko looks like he has been run into the ground. First full season and he's playing over 60 games likely 65-66.

 

[VanJack]

I'll never count Demko out, but he just looks mentally gassed to me. Last three goals of the night are ones he normally stops in his sleep.

But he's played more games than any season in his career, and the Canucks as a group give up so many quality chances every game. Over an 82-game schedule, facing life-and-death games' night after night where a huge save here and there is a virtually necessity, it can wear down any goalie.

Can hardly fault Demko for the odd -off-night. Without him, they're nowhere.

 

[Tomatoes11]

Anyone faulting demko for this tire fire is off their rockers. But I do notice a correlation with the demko haters actually thinking our team is good when they are not. That might have something to do with it.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

I'll never count Demko out, but he just looks mentally gassed to me. Last three goals of the night are ones he normally stops in his sleep.

But he's played more games than any season in his career, and the Canucks as a group give up so many quality chances every game. Over an 82-game schedule, facing life-and-death games' night after night where a huge save here and there is a virtually necessity, it can wear down any goalie.

Can hardly fault Demko for the odd -off-night. Without him, they're nowhere.

Part of me suspects that Demko was fighting a bug when he was the backup against OTT

Having Halak go down was a worst case scenario.

 

[Tomatoes11]

Part of me suspects that Demko was fighting a bug when he was the backup against OTT

Having Halak go down was a worst case scenario.

John Garrett said he was sick on air but it never came up again. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to say and bungled his Canucks PR NDA. But he said it. Nothing to suspect. He most likely is.