The Official 2011/2012 Canucks Thread

[DanHibiki]

Anyone else had a dream/nightmare about the Canucks?

[murd0c]

Originally Posted by DanHibiki

Anyone else had a dream/nightmare about the Canucks?

Yes for the past 2 weeks

[7seven]

Looking back on this season, I really think the problem for the Canucks was that they got away from what made them good, being an up tempo offensive transition team. They got too focused on building a tougher team to battle the Bruins.

Everyones only focus on why the Canucks lost to the Bruins was that the team got physically dominated and Lu sucked, everyone just turned a blind eye to the offense and powerplay disappearing with Kesler, Ehrhoff, Burrows, Edler and Hamhuis hurt. Those were pretty significant pieces out or playing through serious injuries and still they were 1 game away, so this season the Canucks seemed to get away from their up tempo offensive style by going to a more defense first grittier style when they just do not have the right personnel to make that work effectively.

They let Ehrhoff walk thinking Edler was ready to setup into that role successfully, they went from a 3rd line who could play an offensive role to a traditional shut down defense focused 3rd line and traded away some offensive talent to bring in bigger bodies. To me it just seems the Canucks this year were stuck in a transition phase and lost/had no clue of their identity. Right from January, it just seemed that they always had trouble scoring but lacked the personnel and talented big bodies to play the way the coaches/management wanted them to transition to (like the Kings, Bruins, Blues). Kesler also didn't look right the whole year, I think that hip injury/surgery was still bugging him, he just looked really uncomfortable and seemed to have lost that burst of speed he used to have which turned into not much goal support from the 2nd line.

On a brighter note, Schroeder has looked good with the Wolves this year and he should easily be able to replace Raymond next season, and Jensen has looked fantastic since his pro debut with the Wolves. Hopefully the Canucks' coaches can be patient with younger talent next season and trust in them more than in the past.

[Tapioca]

Everybody in the media and on the internet will call the Canucks chokers, etc. I'm going to have to avoid reading people like Gallagher for a few days while I soak this all in. But, ultimately, this team got what it deserved. There's not enough heart on this team.

But, what's nice about the season ending early is that I can go out and take advantage of the nicer weather without having to worry about matchups, injury reports, etc. Also, it'll be easier on the wallet and on the gut too.

[Acura604]

[MR_BIGGS]

Here are my thoughts on the season:

The Canucks underlying problem following the Bruins series was they could not score! They lost a dangerous offensive threat in Ehrhoff because he could create odd man rushes. Then they traded Hodgson and got no scoring in return, hedging their bets that two solid lines could get the job done with a third checking line. Kesler did not show up this series, or during the regular season.

A team gets rid of three scoring lines and goes with a third line checking line, and then changes their style to play 1-0, 2-1 games – just doesn’t work.

Regarding Hodgson, all we know is:
1) AV was not playing him enough
2) It was reported that Hodgson’s camp requested a trade
3) Gillis only made aware a handful of GM’s about Hodgson before trading him

Knowing this, I wish Gillis would have gotten a better return for Hodgson NOW. Maybe a full summer of training with Canucks coaching will make Kassien a more dangerous power forward, maybe it will not. Seeing this kids board work, I am actually pretty stoked to see him develop, because honestly, no one can take him off the puck. Couple that with the 21-year old actually developing and I think they may see results next year.

Regarding Kesler, after his off-season surgery, he has simply not been the same. I hate to say it, but do you cut the guy a break? Long, heart-breaking season ends, you go and get off season surgery done. Do you come back from that fresh? He just didn’t seem to have that extra gear all season. No legs. He is a good 2nd line centre.

I’m too tired to go on with the rest of this post, but I will follow intently this off season to see what Gillis does. A goalie will be moved, but who and what the hell do they get in return. Do they go sign a free agent in the off season?

Here is what scares me. Flyers beat Penguins in six without Pronger and JVR (played games 5 and 6). We lost Sedin for two games and noticed it on the rest of the lines.

[cliffhanger33]

Have nothing to look forward to every day now

[UFO]

Originally Posted by EmperorIS

this city is too unfair to Luongo... he deserves a better city to play in

It's only inevitable that Schneider will have to deal with the same crap if he ends up sticking around. Once he ends up playing more, we pick up on his bad habits, a few soft goals here and there, then what?

Originally Posted by Ch28

The only two UFAs that I can think of that are remotely worth a damn would be Parise & Allen. I'd love to get Bryan Allen back on this team. Big, gritty, hard nosed Canadian dman that would have no issues breaking your face if you tried to take liberties with our players

I think the Canucks have a good chance at landing Justin Schultz and he would be a great fit here but Bob Mckenzie thinks otherwise TSN’s Bob McKenzie Thinks Justin Schultz Could Sign With The Edmonton Oilers | Edmonton Journal
, right handed d-man who can run a PP and play with Edler, and he would be signed to just an entry level contract.

Originally Posted by Bonka

What's the word with the Pens? Fleury took a hot dump. Man that's something if you get outplayed by Bryz...

What are the Pens going to do, hand the starter job to Brent Johnson? A big reason why the Pens were even in the playoffs was Fleury's play through the regular season, and Malkin's regular season dominance.

[RiceIntegraRS]

7seven, a thanks is coming ur way. I think u hit it right on the nail

[spideyv2]

Yup, 7seven nailed it. This team looked confused out there. Our "big" players were liabilities

[pastarocket]

One of the big questions in the NHL offseason is how the owner Aquilini, and management will respond to this first round exit from the playoffs.

I think Aquilini is really pissed at his team losing to the LA Kings in such an awful way, especially with three losses at home. He won't get to see his team advance in the playoffs. Playoff revenues are way down from last year.


I'm thinking that that owner is gonna put huge amounts of pressure on Gillis to make offseason changes to the coaching staff, resolve the goaltending situation, and come up with answers on why this team played so bad against LA.

It's gonna be an interesting summer for the Canucks.

[pastarocket]

What is concerning is the lack of urgency and clutch play from the team's forwards.

Where was the clutch play, the clutch goals from Burrows? Kesler didn't show the beast mode pushback that he displayed against the Predators last year. Zero goals in SIXTEEN games for Kes. No points from Booth, Higgins, etc.

Edler made brain cramp turnovers in the playoff series.

-The inability of Coach AV and his assistants to make adjustments in strategy fast enough in the series to counteract the LA strong forecheck.

It was so frustrating to watch the LA constantly getting turnovers in their favour as a result of their strong forecheck.

I'm gonna call team 1040 just to share my thoughts about this playoff failure.

[411ken]

Originally Posted by UFO

It's only inevitable that Schneider will have to deal with the same crap if he ends up sticking around. Once he ends up playing more, we pick up on his bad habits, a few soft goals here and there, then what?

That's easy... then everyone will question MG's decision of keeping Schneider instead of Luongo.. lol
Then everyone will campaign to have Lack as #1 the following year lol

[Tapioca]

Some random thoughts:

Higgins: probably played with an injury of some sort, or he's suffered from yet another Staph infection which lowered his energy level

Kesler: hip surgery affected him, but I'm betting that we will never see 40 goals from him again. I knew the "Beast Mode" switch was never going to come on.

Booth: considering that he's a workout fiend, he's very weak on the puck. He has good speed, but he needs to raise his battle level and get stronger. He has only 2 moves: drive to the net or stop on the half-boards and pass (unfortunately, he has no vision)

Raymond: his best hope for the rest of his career is to settle into a PK specialist role. He won't do it with this team, however.

Malhotra: he should hang up his skates and call it a career. His play along the boards was terrible thos year and it's likely his reduced vision is playing a larger role than we've been led to believe.

Tanev: he'll never be more than a 5th/6th defenseman if he can't shoot. He needs to take 300 shots a day in the off-season to develop the confidence to shoot the puck.

Kassian: he needs a supportive coach who'll let him be the player he needs to be. He's strong on the puck (in contrast to David Booth) and has hockey sense. He should be free to take the man, even if means a bone-headed penalty every so often.

Ballard: great guy, but a victim of the system. He needs big minutes to flourish.

[highfive]

Listening to Team 1040.

Vancouver is out.
Pittsburgh is out.
Detroit is out.
San Jose is out.

Top 4 teams of the past few years are all out in the first round.

Potentially getting knocked out in the first round.

Chicao. New York. Boston.

WTF is going on?

[Tegra_Devil]

its a new generation

[411ken]

I enjoy reading CDC armchair forum lol... someone should troll in there if you have an account and put

Van gets Hodgson
Buf- gets Kassian

lol

I did like when someone put Kesler for Getzlaf though

[spideyv2]

Kesler for Getzlaf...i'd do that any day

Getzlaf is actually capable of making his linemates better

[Not really racist!]

Bob Muarry would get chopped to pieces if that happened lol

[GrapeDrink]

no offense to the fans of Vancouver, but in reality the only people that are calling Vancouver chokers are the guys that don't know the game and just see #1 seed falling to #8 seed, like I've said prior to the series starting, whether you believe in corsi and fenwick statistics or not, LA was posting superior underlying statistics than the Vancouver Canucks all season, and was literally #1 after the jeff carter trade.

[trancehead]

Originally Posted by GrapeDrink

no offense to the fans of Vancouver, but in reality the only people that are calling Vancouver chokers are the guys that don't know the game and just see #1 seed falling to #8 seed, like I've said prior to the series starting, whether you believe in corsi and fenwick statistics or not, LA was posting superior underlying statistics than the Vancouver Canucks all season, and was literally #1 after the jeff carter trade.

its more than the 1st seed falling to the 8th seed

go outside in the park and take a look beyond the roses. dont choke while youre at it

and tell me more about how much you know the game

[spideyv2]

OMGYOZ CORSI AND DAT DERE FENWICK STATISTICZ B TELLIN DA GAME GNOME SAYN

[7seven]

Flyers eliminate Penguins, advance - Philly.com

ABOUT 10 SECONDS before the puck dropped on Sunday afternoon, shortly after "my home sweet home" simultaneously slipped from the mouths of Kate Smith and Lauren Hart, Claude Giroux circled by Danny Briere at the Flyers' bench.

"He came over to me and said, 'Watch the first shift,' " Briere said.

In one 32-second burst, Giroux quelled the fears of a quiet, on-edge, capacity crowd at the Wells Fargo Center with a first shift out of a scene in the cult-classic flick "Slap Shot." Bodies decorated the ice after three big hits. Giroux drilled Sidney Crosby, collected a pass in the neutral zone and broke across the Penguins' blue line.

"From start to finish, he made sure that the Flyers moved on to the second round," coach Peter Laviolette said. "When the best player in the world comes up to you and tells you, 'I don't know who you're planning on starting, but I want that first shift,' that says everything you need to know about Claude Giroux."

G is just pure awesome, what a leader.

[The Hype]

Originally Posted by Not really racist!

Bob Muarry would get chopped to pieces if that happened lol

I'd personally fly down to Anaheim and go Bill the Butcher on him.

Centers like that do not grow on trees.

[Gh0stRider]

CanucksTV - Thank You Fans - YouTube

heh..coldplay eh