-Buzzsaw-

Exactly... have some patience. The same bozos who complained about Boeser or Garland in the past are complaining about Pettersson.

He's being paid 7.35 million... and by NHL standards he is way out producing the average pay for 89 points... not even counting last years 102 points. Mitch Marner has been paid 11.5 for the past few seasons and has fewer points than Pettersson. Next year if he regresses below 89 points, you can complain... Bozo.

He is not invisible... anyone with half a brain could see he contributed multiple key defensive plays... including as I said, breaking up a McDavid breakaway 4-4. And he got ONE chance, during the PP, which he nearly converted... most of the time that shot goes in. And he set up his linemates a couple times, but both Hoglander and Mikheyev weren't able to do anything. His line was perfect defensively... but he would do a lot better paired with Miller and Boeser, who would do a lot better with him instead of Suter.

Yeah, just keep hoping Pettersson will fail... as you have all season. But remember, the Canucks will not win the Cup without the whole team performing. You seem to have a problem with thinking this through... the Canucks can't make a trade in the middle of the playoffs bozo. Instead of thinking of solutions which would allow Pettersson to get back on track, you prefer to hate.

Like when he puts up 102 points? Or 89 points this year? Or maybe you think that is nothing? How many players hit over 100 points in their career?

You are full of shit... he put up lots of points in the post season during Covid. But he is not going back to being a 100 pt player till he actually has some linemates to play with.

Oilers PR are saying Draisaitl's injury is 'cramping'... but I don't buy it. I think its his ankle again... the way he lost his edges on a mild cut tells me he has no strength. Too bad for him, he's a great player... but obviously good for Vancouver. And the Canucks will have no mercy... they will hit him till he collapses. That's hockey.

Actually Friedman like a lot of the Canuck players and compliments them regularly. And I think he is predicting Dallas will win the Cup.

Pettersson made multiple key plays, including preventing McDavid breakaway 4-4.

Great comeback win for the Canucks. Big credit to the Lindholm/Garland/Joshua line. 2nd, big credit goes to Zadorov... he was a monster... hits, passes, and of course the goal. A bit of a shaky game for Silovs... hard to say whether he should start Game #2... maybe time to give DeSmith a start. 4 on 4 was key... I thought the Canucks dominated it and the Miller goal was the spark for the comeback. Pettersson is being wasted on his line... his linemates are not converting or passing with him.... better he is added to Miller/Boeser... Suter is not doing anything. Pettersson is playing extremely well defensively, he made a couple key plays to prevent goals. Add him to Miller's line and then you have some real firepower. I think the Canucks overall deserved the win... they were maybe lucky Draisaitl got injured... although maybe not so lucky... since it was the combined hit by Joshua and Zadorov which likely gave him the injury. I said before the series they should focus on hitting Draisaitl and it looks like the Canucks thought the same... and if he is out or damaged, it will be a big advantage.

That's a good Canucks fan.... (or maybe an Oiler's fan trolling) ... yeah bash our team, spread the hate around. Negativity doesn't solve anything... smart coaching solves problems.

You mean cause he got the opportunity for ONE shot? Boeser got two similar opportunities... Mikheyev got one... so are they getting it handed to them on a platter too?

Tocchet is being out-coached. Kevin Bieksa, who knows his hockey says: "Gotta get Pettersson going... put him on the Lotto line"... do something...." Tocchet does nothing. Cause yes, even the commentators noticed Hoglander missed two golden opportunities to put Pettersson in the clear... ('cause Hoglander doesn't pass... he can shoot... but passing... no) The other guy on the line Mikheyev has a golden opportunity at the side of the net... hands of stone. Meanwhile the boneheads will blame Pettersson... although in fact, he has played well... offensively making a couple excellent passes, defensively broke up a potential breakaway. Meanwhile the other top line... Miller's.... has been able to control the puck... but no finish... no real 5 on 5 chance. So we are dependent on the Lindholm line for offense? Cause the 4th line is not doing anything. --- So what should Tocchet do? Re-unite the Lotto line, make Lindholm's line the 2nd line... responsibility for checking McDavid... when they have been on the ice vs McDavid they have done a good job. Put Suter as the center for Hoglander and Mikheyev, that's your new 3rd line. Do something... cause right now its not working.

I doubt Pettersson's problems are physical. The reasons for the drop off in his production are very simple... he didn't have a winger to play with. The facts are there. - 30 points in his first 20 games when he played with Kuzmenko. - Production drops off for both players when Kuzmenko is yanked from the line. - Pettersson is re-united with the Lotto line and wins Player of the week... huge point totals in just a few games. - He's put back with 3rd and 4th liners for the rest of the season... production goes into a tailspin. Tocchet refuses to match Lindholm with him... he was on Petey's line only two-three games... production continues to fall. Gradually he loses all his confidence.... no one to pass with, no one on his line is setting him up to shoot, no one on his line has the creativity to see open ice. Point production between when he had Kuzmenko on his line + when he was on Lotto Line.... compared to when he was playing with 3rd/4th liners... difference is huge. Tocchet needs to stop thinking exclusively defensively and put someone creative with Pettersson. Either Lindholm or Garland... or re-unite the Lotto line.

Josi is in entirely another league from Bouchard... he is up there with Hughes. You don't win the Norris and put 23 pucks in the net unless you are elite. Josi drove the Nashville offense last series... he is an exceptional player.

Bouchard is an excellent PP quarterback, with a good shot and decent puck distribution skills and passing, but he doesn't have the dynamic puck carrying ability of Hughes and is the opposite when it comes to speed... he is slow. A lot of his points came from simply being on the PP with McDavid and Draisaitl and being the initial puck distributor... a lot of 2nd assists.

Keys to winning this series: - Silovs continues his excellent play - Bottom 4 defense pairings continue their dominant play (they upped their play and more than compensated for Hughes' suppression by Nashville forwards in the first round) - Getting Pettersson going. This is not just on Pettersson... it requires that Tocchet puts a decent winger with him to replace Mikheyev. Hoglander can stay on the line as a shooter, but Pettersson needs a playmaker/passer/shooter on his line to be creative with. First choice Lindholm, but if for some bizarre reason Tocchet doesn't want to do that, then it should probably be Garland. Without all three of these factors addressed or maintained, the team's chances to advance are much lower.

I think this will be a very close series... I picked the Canucks to win in 7 games. I don't see a blowout of either team. Gonna take a lot of very tight, error free play to win.

I disagree. The Oilers have failed the last 4 seasons.... but they have learned a lot from those failures... especially McDavid. I have watched their playoffs, the first couple seasons you could see he and the team were arrogant and convinced they would win... but that has changed over the last few seasons as they realized what it takes to win... last two seasons McDavid has upped his play... much harder and more determined. Canucks cannot depend on the Oilers to choke... we will need to beat them fair and square. Underestimating the Oilers is a mistake.

Whitney is an idiot... who is pumping his own tires... trying to be the most annoying guy on the net... thinking this will get him higher ratings. Just ignore him. He has nothing intelligent to say. The opposite of Juice... big mouth, no substance.

Key here is the Canuck big D and their physical play. They need to hit McDavid/Draisaitl/Hyman/Nugent-Hopkins, but they also have to be smart in how they do it. The slightest indication of a head hit or high elbows and the NHL will throw the book at the Canucks... especially if the target is McJesus. Hit the body, use the shoulder. With McDavid, the key is eye on his body, not eye on the puck... forget the puck... let the other D pick it up... just stop McDavid's body. Personally I think the Canucks should focus their physical play on Draisaitl... he is easier to hit, but if he goes out of the series or gets slowed down, then McDavid and the OIlers PP becomes much easier to handle because Draisaitl is the primary shooter and the go-to target for McDavid passes.

Pettersson had 3 points in the series... and was one of the keys to the winning goal in game 7. But unless he gets someone on his line who can pass and playmake with him, it is unlikely Pettersson will put up a lot of points. Tocchet's linemate matchup for Pettersson hasn't worked for close to 40 games now, you'd think Coach Rick would figure it out. But no, he prefers to put a top sixer who supposedly was the target of a trade to find someone to play with Petey... on the third line.

Really happy the team is being labeled an underdog. Excellent motivation to go out and pummel the Oilers.

They only got away with it because the greasy little sh*t Bettman let them get away with it... they cheated last year... any decent Commissioner would have changed the rules after that... but he is happy to have his pet project in Vegas get the odds advantage... he is up to his nose in it with the way the NHL is pandering to the gambling syndicate.

Vegas did not deserve to win... and their cheat didn't work. Their LTIR guys didn't have the wind or the endurance... ran out of gas. Hertl was not a difference maker. Glad to see Tanev have a chance to see some playoff glory. Who wins vs the Aves? Hard to say. Probably depends on how well MacKinnon plays vs how well Oettinger plays.