★[PGT] Vancouver Canucks vs Florida Panthers • Dec 14, 2023 • (Roberto Luongo Night ROH Induction)★

[Veskit]

I mean if a slump is playing .500 hockey I will take that slump over what it was years past.  That kind of slump is what elite teams do.

[Canuck You]

 

[Jess]

2 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Ferraro is not the only one that won't consider the Canucks a contender yet.  And I get it.  I think it was mentioned on Canucks Central yesterday, there hasn't been enough games played yet for some to consider the Canucks a contender, and they're not wrong.  It's not the Canucks fault it's still relatively early in the season (and for some they may wait as long as playoff time).  All the Canucks can do is keep winning and people will come around.

 

Not to mention that it's nearly unheard of for a team that's been missing the playoffs for years to suddenly jump into the playoffs and be one of the best. A more likely route is for us to lose in round 1 or 2 this year and make a deeper run next year. 

[Elias Pettersson]

5 hours ago, tas said:

av's teams were notoriously better after Xmas. 

 

I doubt anyone remembers, but on December 20th, 2010 I posted a thread on cdc featuring a predictive model I devised based on the canucks improvement after Christmas under av. I arbitrarily chose dec. 20th as the fulcrum point, and worked out the average of the point percentage increase after that date in the seasons vigneault had coached, and then applied that average to the current (2010-11) season to predict the team's final point tally. 

 

it predicted 117 points. 

 

the same model, deployed the same way on Dec. 20th 2011 predicted 111 points for the 2011-12 season. 

 

I would have tried for 3 years in a row but the lockout happened and then AV got fired. 

So, do you have a predictive model for Rick Tocchet? 

[Boudrias]

4 hours ago, IBatch said:

Yes.   We had this same trickle effect when Myers first came in.   It's amazing what adding a legit player does to a team.    Myers five years ago > Del Zotto.   Gave us 3 guys to work with the bubble year.    In the last year OEL and Schenn out,  both legit players,  but Hronek >>  OEL (and a RHD),  Cole > Schenn (sorry Schenn, would have like to keep you too!)   Soucy >>> Stillman/ AHL player insert here  ... And then Zadorov >>>> AHL player insert here, and Juulsen > Burroughs.   

 

Juulsen is found money.    In one calendar year, we've gone from having one legit top four guy, to a top pairing guy, and a pile of 4/5's.   That trickle down effect is way bigger than our bubble season.    

 

NHL.com was one of the few supporters entering this season, naming us the dark horse in the West.    If the team can keep this going until the All-Star break, feel we will start getting a lot more respect.    We've already got some, getting named Canada's best hope for a cup after our start.    

 

Soucy coming back is great.    Gives the team another boost.     Nice thing is there isn't a rush anymore.   Juulsen keeps showing the coaching staff and then organization, he's too valuable to send down.    Depth.   Our D depth last season was loaded with 7-8ths.    That also hasn't changed. 

My opinion on Juulson turned really positive over a month ago. He made mistakes in the d-zone but not that many that I thought he should sit versus Friedman. Basically I liked his physicality and his passing out of the d-zone. At 75 games his upside is still open as the reps build. Last night against Florida he actually drove some ozone plays and had 2 solid shots off the point. He was holding the blue line well with some passes over to the left side. With his play he cannot be waived as he will be claimed. 

[CanucksJay]

9 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

So, do you have a predictive model for Rick Tocchet? 

Too soon lol

but if any indicating of how we finished last year holds true, we look to be in great shape haha

[SV.]

24 minutes ago, Moeknows said:

Ah the glass iis half full perspective...whatever floats your boat

Just being real.  The team is very good and doing better than expected, but it still lacks a few components that separates them from the true contenders.

[TheGuardian]

GREAT GAME LUONG .....ERR..DEMKO!!!!!!!

 

They scored enough but only one shot on net in the third? Enough for a goalie steal?

 

A rather "plastic" ceremony, plain, simple. A fan should hang a jersey on the ring of honor lettering indicating fans choice. To not retire his jersey is sort of arrogant of the Canucks, this player's achievement's will never be equalled. Maybe if there is a cup awarded but not overall.

 

Canucks were energized instead of flat. Kuzmenko looks to be making his line dangerous. There looks like there is a reversal of roles with the top two lines holding the line and the bottom six driving the play.

 

Myers and Zadorov are simply a huge foundational part of improvement, they had the second goal scored against them while they were on the ice since the Calgary game. They also played the most last night and bingo, another shut out.

 

Still only one shot on net in the third is a problem that can bite them, Florida had such momentum if they started getting one it might not have stopped

but it didn't. Demko needs another syllable in his name so it comes out like LU   ON   GO,,,DE MEN KO GREAT GAME DE  MEN  KO!!!!! Great cadence!

[Sophomore Jinx]

2 hours ago, Dr. Crossbar said:

It's funny seeing people trying to rationalize and adjust that this is a good team. The hot start wasn't an anomaly. We were a good team from the get go.

 

It's like all the Hronek skeptics ... the guy was a good Dman all along before he even got here.

 

The slump over the past month wasn't the norm. We had injuries and those struggles were bound to occur. Some were too eager to pounce on the negative.

 

Facing and overcoming adversity early in the season will pay off later in the season.

 

We're now seeing how good we are when we stay healthy but we're also seeing - although not perfect - that we do have the depth to not fall of a cliff if we do get hurt.

 

Suter is more of a key piece defensively responsible wise than we thought, also on the PK. Zadorov is feeling more comfortable and Juulsen is growing into his potential.

 

That was a smart decision by Tocchet to up the ice time of the depth guys. 

Absolutely, and I'll go even further and say watch out out come playoffs time, this group can go all the way, especially if they add a key piece (or two) at the TDL.

 

We've got the goaltending, we've got a great bottom 6, we've got a top 6 that can match up to anyone, JTM will be even more snarly come playoffs, and BB6, Petey, Kuz.

 

There's the understated players like Lafferty, Pius, and Blueger, as well as Joshua...these guys will be HUGE factors, and I also believe we will see the monster within awake in Myers (and I've been one of his biggest detractors) along with Big Z, who is already settling in nicely....and do I even need to mention Hronek and Huggy??? OMG the luxuries we have!

 

We also have one of the best coaching staffs in the league....Gonchar, Foote, RT....and how about having the Sedins mentoring the youngsters, and sharing their wealths of knowledge on a daily basis?

 

And last of all, the FO.

JR, PA, FA (yes, Aqua, the guy who opens his wallet every year, and wants a cup as badly as we do), Castonguay and Granato, et al....I see competence, experience, and expertise throughout

 

               Defense       

               Goaltending  

               Forwards     

               Coaching     

               Mgmt           

                

Edited December 15, 2023 by Sophomore Jinx

[tas]

14 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

So, do you have a predictive model for Rick Tocchet? 

not enough data. 

[CanucksJay]

7 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

My opinion on Juulson turned really positive over a month ago. He made mistakes in the d-zone but not that many that I thought he should sit versus Friedman. Basically I liked his physicality and his passing out of the d-zone. At 75 games his upside is still open as the reps build. Last night against Florida he actually drove some ozone plays and had 2 solid shots off the point. He was holding the blue line well with some passes over to the left side. With his play he cannot be waived as he will be claimed. 

 

Juulsen's main knock is his foot speed followed by his processing speed (when he has the puck and needs to move it) 

Im starting to think both of these issues can be masked with good systems play. 

If he gets to the right spots automatically as a result of systems, he makes up for his lack of foot speed by getting to pucks faster. With better knowledge of systems, he can then move the puck faster because he will already know his 2/3 options when he gets the puck and will start reading the play earlier. Myers was another one that had issues with processing and systems has cleaned up his play

[Mordekai]

Canucks might have only 2 counted shots in the 3rd last night but they were the closer team to scoring in the 3rd with Hronek's bomb that hit the post. This team is playing the right way!

[Jaimito]

My sister who was at the game last night said he was at the game and was interviewed during the intermission. He said he's in law school.  The crowd cheered.  

 

Edited December 15, 2023 by Jaimito

[Moeknows]

3 minutes ago, SV. said:

Just being real.  The team is very good and doing better than expected, but it still lacks a few components that separates them from the true contenders.

Oh c'mon....not true true contenders!!! give your head a shake they are contenders...not saying they"ll win the cup but AT THIS POINT of the season they are in the discussion

[Nucker67]

Luongo's Shutout record for the Canucks is 7 in one season. He did it twice. 

 

Can Demko challenge this record? He already has 3 this season. 

[RJCF96]

1 minute ago, Nucker67 said:

Luongo's Shutout record for the Canucks is 7 in one season. He did it twice. 

 

Can Demko challenge this record? He already has 3 this season. 

It's also harder to get SO these days with increase in scoring and the game plays differently than it once did. Hoping he could get there though!

[NoCupSyndrome]

I shouldn't be surprised but have to smh regarding the negativity from the "standard few" re: ring of honour vs number retirement. 

 

It looked like a great night, everyone seemed to have fun, and RL will now be recognized as a key part of the franchise forever. Not sure what the problem is haha

[NoCupSyndrome]

2 minutes ago, Moeknows said:

Oh c'mon....not true true contenders!!! give your head a shake they are contenders...not saying they"ll win the cup but AT THIS POINT of the season they are in the discussion

 

And their style of play definitely fits what is successful in the playoffs. Play the game right ("little details done well"), not reliant on one or two players for offence, and great goaltending.

[Gawdzukes]

1 hour ago, 6of1_halfdozenofother said:

 

No, as I mentioned on other threads, he didn't screw us - the league did.

 

If anything, his choice to retire shows integrity.  If he goes on LTIR, he'd probably be expected to file an insurance claim.  But for what?  For being out of shape?  And if he does, the insurance company can sue him for insurance fraud.  If he doesn't go on LTIR, he'd be on the active roster - and then what?  Play like a sack of potatoes because he's out of shape?  Nobody wants to ruin their legacy by not performing up to their own standards.

 

I don't begrudge him his decision to retire.  The circumstances pretty much dictated that.  What I do hate though is the league's insistence to retroactively apply the penalty to contracts that were accepted by the league as legitimate at the time they were signed.

 

I disagree completely but that's fine. I totally respect your opinion.

 

You've only got it half right though. The league had their share in the CBA agreement but it was actually signed by the players and the players union. They are the ones that voted to allow the re-capture penalties, so people should be mad at them as well if anyone. They collectively decided Luongo's contract was worth throwing under the bus to move forward.

 

I posted this in the GDT so I won't bother posting the whole article again but I'll post the link I found describing the situation. If you recall, he repeatedly said he would play out the contract and that was the only reason he signed it. Well you know what, he didn't did he? So yeah he screwed us. He knew full well at that point it was going to cost us $9 mil in re-capture penalties. If he couldn't play because he was hurt, he should have went on LITR. He certainly had a case to do so and we all know how easy it is to do so after Robidas Island. He had lots of already documented ailments.

 

If he was thinking about the Canucks at that point he could have made one of two decisions that didn't cripple us moving forward. He didn't give a sh!t about us though going back on his own word saying he would fulfill the contract. Whether he couldn't be bothered to continue playing hockey for a measly $1 mil a year, whether he was mad at the Canucks, whether he was only thinking of the Panthers, whether he was mad at how the contract played out, he certainly didn't have the Canucks interests in mind. There is no denying it resulted in seriously crippling the franchise during that period.

 

I still love the guy and how he played here but I still call a spade a spade. It was a tough situation as well so I allow some leeway. Not mad at all. Anyways cheers and have a good day 6of1.

 

https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/traikos-panthers-luongo-unlikely-to-fulfill-final-years-of-contract

Edited December 15, 2023 by Gawdzukes

[Combover]

great first 40 laid back to much for the third. 

however 

The big phyical d thats hard to play against 

bottom six that forechecks and are effective at it 

and a top six that’s a threat every Night. 

All playing with pressure and physicality 

Oh and don’t forget the vezina caliber goaltending. 
 

I’m a big fan of the way Tocs team is  playing and the direction PA and JR have us going. 
I wasn't sold on Tocchett at first but I’m a fan now, this  is the type of system and physical  play I’m love to watch. 

a few moves and some  key (re)signings and we should be a good team that’s hard to play against for the foreseeable future. 

 

 

[KoreanHockeyFan]

1 hour ago, Gawdzukes said:

 

I couldn't really care any less. He's an odd duck lol. A really awesome guy though.

 

Great little ceremony yesterday. It brought a little tear or two to my eyes going down memory lane. You could tell he really cared about the time and the hockey he played in Vancouver.

 

I agree with @stawns he is a Panther first, although maybe this honor changes the perspective a bit. Either way he screwed us on his retirement. I'm not really overly bitter but it was a pretty crap decision that I'm sure involved his ego, and the way everything played out. He didn't show any allegiance to us whatsoever though in that situation. I can understand he probably felt jilted at the contract he signed, blaming the Canucks, and I get it. It was more so that everyone got caught trying to circumvent the cap. It's too bad the Canucks were the only ones to really pay the price.

 

Anyways it's all water under the bridge. Great night, great game, great goaltender.

 

I disagree entirely. That's a big stretch. 

 

For him to go on LTIR would mean that the Panthers would have to approve that. Why would they give up LTIR space when they know their recapture penalty would be minimal? 

 

The fault lies with the NHL on that whole contract debacle, full stop. 

[Crimson JH]

2 hours ago, Rip The Mesh said:

 

…Meanwhile in Toronto…

 

[SV.]

22 minutes ago, Moeknows said:

Oh c'mon....not true true contenders!!! give your head a shake they are contenders...not saying they"ll win the cup but AT THIS POINT of the season they are in the discussion

Yeah, Canucks will make the playoffs and "contend", but let's not act that they're on the level of VGK or LAK *yet*, which is all I'm saying.

It's about being reasonable.  You just saw VGK come here a few weeks ago and beat this team 4-1 without getting out of second gear.  Whether you like it or not, there's a gap in quality.  Not an insurmountable one, but one that exists nevertheless.

We can get there with a piece or two more, but for now, we're still in that process.

[R3aL]

40 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

My opinion on Juulson turned really positive over a month ago. He made mistakes in the d-zone but not that many that I thought he should sit versus Friedman. Basically I liked his physicality and his passing out of the d-zone. At 75 games his upside is still open as the reps build. Last night against Florida he actually drove some ozone plays and had 2 solid shots off the point. He was holding the blue line well with some passes over to the left side. With his play he cannot be waived as he will be claimed. 

Hes been very impressive lately.

 

quiet game.

 

Some strong physical plays.

 

And a really nice breakout play / read / pass to Lafferty that lead to a grade A scoring chance for Petey.

 

Game is trending in the right direction, and huge difference from the start of the year.

[KoreanHockeyFan]

46 minutes ago, Veskit said:

I mean if a slump is playing .500 hockey I will take that slump over what it was years past.  That kind of slump is what elite teams do.

 

^This.

 

Reminds me of the President's Trophy teams we had with Lu and the Twins. An occasional .500 stretch were our "slumps." This 4-game win streak is really showing how .500 hockey could really be the shallow bottom for this team.

 

That kind of a skid would easily turn into 5 straight losses for past Canucks teams.