[PGT] Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators // December 19, 2023

[Goose]

Zadarov got Gudbranson going again in CGY.

 

Hard to believe how confident Myers is looking w him now too.  

 

 

[JamesB]

7 hours ago, Curmudgeon said:

 

Always enjoy your thoughtful post game analyses. Here are a couple that stood out for me:

 

1. I can't remember the last time I saw a Canucks team this strong on the forecheck. They are like dogs on a bone and force turnovers regularly. 

2. I sense this team is starting to gain a little swagger, like they believe in themselves, the system and each other. Great to see.

3. When Rutherford was hired, and then hired Allvin, the message was that major surgery was necessary. Two and a half years later Allvin has added about a dozen roster players along with some good prospects in Abbotsford. Surgery seems to be going well.

4. I really like the way the players support each other in the defensive zone in keeping the threats to the outside and closing off the middle. Really sound coaching.

5. Adam Foote and/or Sergei Gonchar has worked miracles with Tyler Myers. Paired with Zadorov, he's playing with confidence and making the simple plays with the puck.

6. Quinn Hughes always thrills and amazes with his skating. Vancouver has never had a defenceman who can skate like that. And he only seems to get better.

7. The bottom six hasn't been this solid since the 2010-2011 season. While there are nights when they don't accomplish much in the way of offence, there isn't a soft spot there at all.

8. Life is so much nicer when the Canucks are winning.

Great points. 100% on target in my view. Like many people here, I have been critical of Aquilini for the past dozen years or so (pretty much ever since Torts was hired) but I have to give him credit for getting JR to come in as president of hockey ops.   It still mystifies me that he stuck with Benning for so long.

[Rip The Mesh]

[Attila Umbrus]

22 minutes ago, IBatch said:

Yep.  

Batch! This is the shortest reply you have ever wrote lol!

 

I love your posts by the way. Always good stories.

 

cheers

[-dlc-]

7 minutes ago, Barnstorm said:

Curious what media was calling this organization a country club or suggesting things are easy here recently. I’m not hearing that anywhere nor have I been.

I'm not going to go back in time....I've heard it thrown around in the recent past. 

[stawns]

5 minutes ago, Tofu_Bud said:

Zadarov got Gudbranson going again in CGY.

 

Hard to believe how confident Myers is looking w him now too.  

 

 

 

Myers has been good for most of the season.  That said, they do look good together

[Rubik]

31 minutes ago, tas said:

even once would strike me as remarkably out of place.  

 

does @Grandmaster's profile pic strike you as out of place?

[EdgarM]

13 hours ago, HKSR said:

Enough chit chat.  Sign on the dotted line already Zads.  DO IT.

If we are going to be handing out "blank cheques", he would be getting one of them if I was in charge. In my 30+ years of watching this team we have never had a player like him. Same with Hughes. Having both of them at the same time is like a dream come true. 

Hated seeing other teams over the years come in with these weapons and taking advantage of us, NO MORE!  

[Blitz-Pix]

11 hours ago, Hogs and Podz said:

Wilson old and contract way to long.   Tuch though... Would be perfect!

 

IF... we were trading Kuzmenko...Tuch would be PERFECT in our top 6.

Big, fast and hard hitting, plays a strong North/South game that RT loves.

Kuzmenko offers a little more offence (IMO) so maybe Buffalo considers it with a sweetner (mid 4th round draft pick)

 

 

[Goose]

1 minute ago, stawns said:

 

Myers has been good for most of the season.  That said, they do look good together

 

No, he wasnt.

 

He was an anchor for his early defence partners like Cole.  The stats showed them being heavily outshot in comparison to Cole playing w other players.  

 

His propensity to not cleanly handle the puck leading to scoring chances against were all there to start the season.  He had his big blunders.

 

All that has quieted down over the last 15-20 games. 

[stawns]

Just now, Tofu_Bud said:

 

No, he wasnt.

 

He was an anchor for his early defence partners like Cole.  The stats showed them being heavily outshot in comparison to Cole playing w other players.  

 

His propensity to not cleanly handle the puck leading to scoring chances against were all there to start the season.  He had his big blunders.

 

All that has quieted down over the last 15-20 games. 

 

Yes, he was.

[SilentSam]

10 hours ago, bh90 said:

Watch Devon Toews post game interview from today and than let me know if you still think Tocchet is being hard on him.

 

I put alot of weight in what Toews says because he is a recent cup winner and playing on one of the best teams this decade.

 

Kuzy needs to play to our system

I’m not saying he dosent want to play, or isn’t trying to play our system.

Im just saying that some players learn, comprehend, and respond differently than others.

As much as the NHL is a learning curve for Kuz,.

Tochett might be learning something about different player types with Kuzmenko.

 

Ive heard many coaches over the years, who have said that the generational changes of players and the game, is something they need to realize as well.

… this is not a “knock” against Tochett.

 

it’s a statement about how the game and Coaching is always evolving.

 

either way ,   there is no fire here and I think this situation will resolve itself.

The only reason Kuz is out at times is because Tochett wants to dress a line up to win the game..   and that’s what we all want.

 

[CanucksJay]

13 hours ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Any doubt that this is a playoff team is fucking ridiculous. 

Lol no no.. They are a wild card team.... 

We better watch out though. The oilers are coming

Edited December 20, 2023 by CanucksJay

[NHL Tyranny]

2 minutes ago, EdgarM said:

If we are going to be handing out "blank cheques", he would be getting one of them if I was in charge. In my 30+ years of watching this team we have never had a player like him. Same with Hughes. Having both of them at the same time is like a dream come true. 

Hated seeing other teams over the years come in with these weapons and taking advantage of us, NO MORE!  

It's a huge improvement and we could still use a big, talented, nasty, top 6 winger to become tougher to play against (more Miller types please). I spent too many years watching the Nucks get pushed around. The response to my criticism was often to the effect that the toughness will be easily acquired once we have established an elite core, suggesting you don't need toughness within your elite core.

[Barn Burner]

I like the way Tocchet's holding all players accountable.  

 

He even benched Miller the rest of one period, many games ago. Which I agree with. 

 

Unless we get an offer we can't refuse, let the issue resolve itself, like SilentSam said. 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2023 by Barn Burner

[Inkidu]

2 hours ago, stawns said:

 

Well unless they figure out a way to alter geography, that's how it's going to be.

I always figured we would have an advantage in a playoff series against an eastern team because we're more used to the lag issue but it never seems to work out that way.  

[Goose]

10 minutes ago, stawns said:

 

Yes, he was.

 

His minutes were heavily reduced for games in October by Foote.

 

Called Tocchett to even say he was playing poorly.  

 

Facts only.  

[Inkidu]

1 hour ago, Jaimito said:

I'm a fan of this big guy. 

 

 

https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-qa-engaging-educated-nikita-zadorov-comes-to-the-emotional-rescue?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1703024621

 

 

Canucks Q&A: Engaging, educated Nikita Zadorov comes to the emotional rescue

Nikita Zadorov has opinions, lots of opinions. From the state of the Canucks to the war in Ukraine, he's not afraid to dish as hard as he hits.

 

Ben Kuzma

Published Dec 19, 2023

 

Nikita Zadorov is fresh, frank and funny.

 

The hulking Vancouver Canucks’ defenceman considers himself a fashionista — yes to turtlenecks, yes and no to chains — and his quick wit is a delight amid the daily drone of locker-room cliches.

 

Zadorov has come to the emotional rescue to ensure nobody messes with star players — like Sunday in Chicago when he fought to answer a hard hit on Elias Pettersson — and as a well-educated citizen of the world, the Moscow native also has strong opinions on the war in Ukraine.

 

All this is bundled up in a 6-foot-6, 248 pound frame that addresses a continuing need for size, bite and possible offensive potential. Zadorov has played just nine games since being acquired from Calgary, but has lit a flame about parameters of a possible contract extension.

 

Zadorov, 28, will have a lasting place in the North American game that captured his imagination after competing in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in 2008. And when he hangs up the skates, there could be a place for him in world diplomacy.

 

Zadorov was asked in September about the continuing war and Russian atrocities in Ukraine, and his responses were like punches to the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

“I’m a pretty straightforward person,” Zadorov told Postmedia News. “As hockey players, we can use our platform. If people ask me a question, I’m going to give an honest answer.

 

“They (Russia) call it an invasion but it’s not an invasion. That’s bulls–t. It’s a war. They’re sending rockets and killing people and when you cross the border first, that’s a war. They make up cool words so it doesn’t look so bad, but that’s part of propaganda.

 

“They’re literally killing people who we have lived beside. I don’t know what (Putin) is trying to do or the U.S. (financial and arms support). There’s a lot of stuff that goes into politics and I’m trying to educate myself.

 

“With his regime, it’s impossible to go back to Russia. I don’t see a future of myself or my kids in that country.”

 

Here’s the hockey side of Zadorov, a 2013 first-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, in our weekly Canucks Q&A:

 

Q: What was the famous Quebec pee-wee tourney like?

 

A: It was more like we’re not good enough. We got smoked. L.A. Selects and Detroit Honeybaked were the two best teams and we got beat 4-1. It was just a crazy and cool experience with 17,000 fans. That’s when I realized I wanted to come over and play here.”

 

Q: You played defence, so why idolize Steve Yzerman?

 

A: He was my favourite player growing up. A lot of Russians grew up with the Red Wings — The Russian Five (Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Slava Kozlov, Slava Fetisov and Igor Larionov) — but I didn’t like the Russians. I liked Yzerman, I don’t know why. I liked Darren McCarty, too, because he was fighting a lot (1,447 penalty minutes).

 

Q: How did figure skating factor into the development?

 

A: I worked with a coach from age seven to 13. It’s impossible to change your skating after you’re 18. You can add some skill stuff, but it’s important at a young age. I played a little basketball in middle school, but you have to commit to one sport if you want to be good. My parents always invested. I had 6 a.m. practices.

 

 

Q: What do you recall about first NHL goal on Oct. 19, 2013?

 

A: With Buffalo against Boston and (goalie) Chad Johnson. It was a backhand. I went around Brad Marchand and put a backhander far side. I was a rookie. Marcus Foligno and Steve Ott got the apples (assists).

 

Q: Ted Nolan was a tough Sabres’ coach. Hurt or help you?

 

A: I had a really good relationship. One GM drafted me and new GM had different goals. I got traded for (Ryan) O’Reilly and that’s what Buffalo wanted. So, that was cool. My first year in Colorado, I was up-and-down because coach (Patrick) Roy liked veterans more than young guys.

 

Q: How do Adam Foote and Sergei Gonchar aid your game?

 

A: Foote had a coach on top of him all the time, so he knows how to treat players, what we want to hear and what we don’t. He helps my style for sure. And Gonchar is saying stuff I’ve never heard. He shows where to create more shooting lanes and where to put your feet and body to make better passes.

 

There are so many coaches. You can learn a lot from this staff.

 

Q: You’re still finding your way. What’s the potential?

 

A: I’m not even close to what I can do and what coaches want to see. I can skate more and make more plays. When I get used to it (systems), it will show for sure.

 

What a great guy, helping an injured player on the other team to the bench. 

[Rocket-68]

20 minutes ago, Rubik said:

 

does @Grandmaster's profile pic strike you as out of place?

 

Grand Maester, fixed it

 

[PhillipBlunt]

10 minutes ago, CanucksJay said:

Lol no no.. They are a wild card team.... 

We better watch out though. The oilers are coming

[Kragar]

24 minutes ago, JayDangles said:

But again, you're using information now to bolster your position.  It's much easier to say "hey look, 7 game point streak so i guess you were wrong"

Reality then was this team was slumping. You can point to a number of different reasons or excuses, but thats all they are. On the ice the team was playing poorly and everyone should be in agreement with that. At that point they hadn't rebounded with a 7 game point streak like they just did.

 

For sure if the team slumps again in January I would have a different viewpoint and not be as critical because they have proven they can rebound. They have proven they are more of a .650 team than a .500 team. But 3 weeks ago all they had proven was they had a hot start and reality seemed to be catching up.

But they are growing as a team now and rallying back. Thats good for everyone.

 

I just cant stand the smart assess that use hindsight to act superior. 

 

IIRC, there were some people who were predicting trouble for the team before those slumps happen.  You may have thought that reality was catching up, but others didn't feel that way.  Reality is, teams can have slumps.  Suggesting that the schedule was a significant factor in the decline in play is a legitimate theory, and one that IMO has holds more water than to expect the team to continue to suck.  Some people chose not to buy into that theory, and that's on them

 

And, for those people who were saying they were a .500 team because of the slump... weren't they just using new information to bolster their opinions?

 

Too many people were outright ignoring the impact that weird travel/schedule has on a team.  Elite teams can more easily overcome those situations, but they too can succumb to schedule hardships. I think I had shown back when it was happening that all of the division leaders who had had some 3-in-4 days struggled and lost to weak teams.  There weren't many pegging the Canucks as elite this year, so there's no shame in them having trouble when that happens.  When you're tired, and practice time is limited due to schedule, it is tough to fix problems.  Recently, after the latest slump, our boys came home, got some rest, and the proof is in the awesome pudding we've enjoyed these past couple weeks.

 

It's a forum, where a bunch of people get together to share opinions and predictions.  Sometimes reality supports them, sometimes it doesn't.  For now, those that were more faithful can enjoy being right while those that were less faithful can eat a little crow.  At least those who were less faithful still get to enjoy the W's.  When the faithful are proved wrong, it sucks for all of us.

[Bure10Kuzmenko96]

3 hours ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

CFF I think was even going off with the win last night to fire Ric Tocc. And nerves were strained to the point Ribs banned him. For how long dunno.

But enjoy the peace while it lasts. He was pretty much grasping at straws last night. So the question is. Does CFF have the distinction of being the first banned person on here? Temp or other?

I didn't want him to get banned. I was actually enjoying the trolling, lol. It was entertaining 

[Inkidu]

30 minutes ago, Tofu_Bud said:

 

No, he wasnt.

 

He was an anchor for his early defence partners like Cole.  The stats showed them being heavily outshot in comparison to Cole playing w other players.  

 

His propensity to not cleanly handle the puck leading to scoring chances against were all there to start the season.  He had his big blunders.

 

All that has quieted down over the last 15-20 games. 

 

He's pretty good but I wouldn't say he's the anchor of the defense -- he's not THAT good. 

[Ballisticsports]

7 hours ago, Blue said:

PDG. Next game ,(1) we will probably need a clutch goal from the top line and Kuz won't be on the ice. Just like the loss after he sat the first time. Let's not make that error again. Talent doesn't go away. Kuz is in a funk. He just has to play his way out of it.(2) Put him on the 2nd or 3rd line. Not this 4th line bullshit. 

 

Kuz is a one way player.(3) It's ok to have one of them. And it's not just about effort on the back check. Kuz is probably having a hard time managing his energy. He is gassed at the wrong times. Maybe that's just the way he's built and why (4) he's a one way player and not a Selke candidate. Ilya Kovalchuk was a one way player. Would Tocc put him on the 4th line too ?  (5) This is bullshit.

In response to highlites

 

1- Or he is on for a goal against with lazy play  or not backchecking

 

2- When he is showing in practise and not before that- (Too bad a player like him cannot be sent to the farm to work and improve his play (It would be nice if you could send a regular player down a few times a year to let that player get a reset and get a  better opportunity for him and the team)

 

3- I disagree, everyone has to play responsible, RT has even told Kuz, don't worry about scoring goals just play to the staples A 39 goal scorer playing on a non playoff team playing wrong is not as good as a responsible 25 goal scorer on a winning team playing the right way

 

4- Don't need him to be a Selke, just play a game that benefits the Team

 

5- It is when the team played as individuals in years past, RT has them playing as a team with responsibility and even players like Garland that were  sat or moved down ,have stated they are having the most fun now than they have ever had in their career

 

Kuz is a very likeable guy. but no one is above the better of the team

When he sits, he is still rewarded and paid well, so I don't feel sorry for him

I hope he can break old habits and excel in a team game that RT wants 

I believe he is being handled the best way possible and things will work out for the best as things with this management team have been doing even with their arms handcuffed and yet still making 1/2 of all trades, without selling the future

[Barnstorm]

20 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said: