[PGT] San Jose Sharks at Vancouver Canucks // December 23, 2023

[Taphouse Canuck]

Number one at Christmas, are we daring to dream now?

 

Just gotta make sure we are down to second by the middle of April. We don't want the curse of the President's Trophy!

[TheGuardian]

26 minutes ago, JayDangles said:

Huberdeau chose to sign in calgary so can't say he wanted out. 

Guy is just not an elite talent. A couple good seasons on a good Florida team in an easier division. 

Just not cut out for the west.

 And yeah Calgary is one of the 4 worst places to play.

Wpg,edm,cgy and arz 

Huberdeau is a player like Boeser.

More a product of who he plays with than outright high end talent.

That and the system played and what his role or position was.

57 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

It will hurt less than paying over $6 million a season for a underachieving defenceman.

Don't know if this was responded to by me already but,

 

Don't blame Myer's for taking what was offered. Blame Benning for making the offer and then having the player play outside his comfort zone. Myers had 8 different partners and over 20 min a game. Now matched with Zadorov and down to 18/19 it has made a difference.

In 3/4  years 6 mill for a 4/5 dman might be very good.

Not that the team would need to sign him for that much again. 4 mil maybe, Zadorov 5+ to 6 mil with term. Pretty much the same cost as now.

[TheGuardian]

Just now, Hammertime said:

4 first round picks I'd take that.

Ya but 29 to 32 aren't the star level players usually and that is another 4+ years then development time.

Better to make a trade for 2 unprotected firsts and two AAA prospects, younger NHL players or add some more.

The cap space would be used.  

 

But Garland is increasing his trade value now and Boeser also has a higher value. Their agents and Allvin may be able to execute trades now.

Hronek aught to bring back a pretty good package too.

[Kragar]

Was hoping for a Christmas Miracle from Boeser (him helping someone win a million with 5 goals) to get him ahead of Matthews again, but when Kuzy got two quickly, I was perfectly fine if it was him.

[Attila Umbrus]

1 hour ago, EdgarM said:

A lot of talk about Kuz's defensive play but I watch how Petey plays in the defensive zone and he doesn't go into the corners and many times he is standing alone not near anyone he can check. Last night was no different.

I have always thought the center has more defensive responsibilities yet we are critiqueing Kuz more who is the winger?

Petey has not had a strong game in quite awhile and I just think that Kuz gets far too much attention compared to Petey. 

On a positive note, Blueger's line could be called the top line lately and I don't think anyone would argue. This line reminds me of how the 94' team played in the playoffs. It is like poetry in motion out there how they play the system so well. 

All in all, we are progressing nicely and we still have things to work on. 

Wishing you all have a good and safe Christmas too. 

I think the difference is usually Petey is defensively engaged. This is the first season where I’m wondering the same as you about him.

 

I also think it’s because he doesn’t trust kuz defensively. As a center it’s your job to act as a cover for your wingers. It’s a hard position to play. It’s why Mik is so great with Petey, one less guy to worry about and cover. With Kuz I see Petey having to play back and be softer on plays because Kuz is an absolute wild card on what he will do next out there. He would be a frustrating player to play with imo.

 

This to me is why Petey is off. Last year worked because teams had no idea who kuz was or what they needed to do to shut him down. Now teams are keying in on Petey and Kuz and know how to disrupt their play.

 

Once Kuz figures out how to tighten up on his defensive assignments I think we will see Petey relax more and get back to playing more naturally…imo he’s over thinking things out there…petey is at his best when he just lets it go and trusts his instincts.

[Dr. Crossbar]

It's a good thing our coaching staff and management supports and helps players work through their struggles. Just look at Joshua, Hoglander, and Boeser ... Kuz last night. His attitude is great! He's not whining about the scratches. He's coming back stronger while still improving.

 

Struggle and adversity is an essential to learning from mistakes. It takes time. It requires support. It was great to hear from Tocchet that they were working with Kuz in Dallas while he was scratched. That's the support he needs.

 

What our core has learned from previous struggles and overcoming adversity from last season and earlier is paying off this year in maturity and experience.

 

#1 in the league. 

 

Savor the moment. Enjoy it. We've got work to do after the break.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2023 by Dr. Crossbar

[Chicken.]

Love Kuzy, hope he gets the system and forecheck side of things soon. His positive attitude is so good to listen to, just happy to win even if hes in the dog house. It is good. Yes.
 

 

[Attila Umbrus]

1 hour ago, steviewonder20 said:

I think Alfie should stop calling Garland the garden gnome. Without him feeding his line mates on the Life Line, we certainly wouldn’t be number 1.

In Alfs defence he did recently say he was wrong about Garland

 

He said something along the lines that he’s one of those “solid concrete” garden gnomes, not those cheap plastic ones…or something along those lines lol

[-dlc-]

49 minutes ago, Dr. Crossbar said:

It's a good thing our coaching staff and management supports and helps players work through their struggles. Just look at Joshua, Hoglander, and Boeser ... Kuz last night. His attitude is great! He's not whining about the scratches. He's coming back stronger while still improving.

 

Struggle and adversity is an essential to learning from mistakes. It takes time. It requires support. It was great to hear from Tocchet that they were working with Kuz in Dallas while he was scratched. That's the support he needs.

 

What our core has learned from previous struggles and overcoming adversity from last season and earlier is paying off this year in maturity and experience.

 

#1 in the league. 

 

Savor the moment. Enjoy it. We've got work to do after the break.

 

So true. Thing is, in order to get people to "buy in " and learn, you have to gain their attention (and respect) first. Clearly, there's good communication happening and the players understand that the team first mentality benefits everyone. It's important to have players who do get this concept and don't take it personally if they're asked to do things to improve their game, as well as the overall team game.

 

We've had players in the past who get pissy over stuff like that. It seems we have the right mix and players who are committed to the overall program that the coaching staff have put into place. It's obviously working.

[EdgarM]

18 minutes ago, TheGuardian said:

Ya but 29 to 32 aren't the star level players usually and that is another 4+ years then development time.

Better to make a trade for 2 unprotected firsts and two AAA prospects, younger NHL players or add some more.

The cap space would be used.  

 

But Garland is increasing his trade value now and Boeser also has a higher value. Their agents and Allvin may be able to execute trades now.

Hronek aught to bring back a pretty good package too.

Those picks could be used to acquire players too like we did to acquire Hronek? Assets and Cap space could be used to our advantage and luckily this management group knows what to do with it.

[EdgarM]

14 minutes ago, Attila Umbrus said:

I think the difference is usually Petey is defensively engaged. This is the first season where I’m wondering the same as you about him.

 

I also think it’s because he doesn’t trust kuz defensively. As a center it’s your job to act as a cover for your wingers. It’s a hard position to play. It’s why Mik is so great with Petey, one less guy to worry about and cover. With Kuz I see Petey having to play back and be softer on plays because Kuz is an absolute wild card on what he will do next out there. He would be a frustrating player to play with imo.

 

This to me is why Petey is off. Last year worked because teams had no idea who kuz was or what they needed to do to shut him down. Now teams are keying in on Petey and Kuz and know how to disrupt their play.

 

Once Kuz figures out how to tighten up on his defensive assignments I think we will see Petey relax more and get back to playing more naturally…imo he’s over thinking things out there…petey is at his best when he just lets it go and trusts his instincts.

IMO, a player seeking to be the highest paid player on the team, should not have any of these concerns. He should be able to play with anyone and he should be making those players a lot better(ala Bure and Odjick or Sedins and Burrows), I am not seeing that.

[arsenalian]

11 hours ago, Sharpshooter said:

Hmmm indeed as Joshua isn’t a Center and the post doesn’t actually give any comparable information. 
 

Did you read before reposting? 
 

Please read what you re-post.  Thanks. 

So how do I block someone, when using an iphone? I hate seeing all BIGGESTCANUCKSFANFOREVER’s annoying re-posts that take up more than 1/2 the PGT

[Attila Umbrus]

Just now, EdgarM said:

IMO, a player seeking to be the highest paid player on the team, should not have any of these concerns. He should be able to play with anyone and he should be making those players a lot better(ala Bure and Odjick or Sedins and Burrows), I am not seeing that.

Definitely don’t disagree, he isn’t playing up to the contract he apparently wants. You got no argument for me there.

 

I think this is good for Petey tho. He wants to be a number 1 guy. Well then you have to learn how to take the heat and play with anyone the coach throws on your line. 

 

IMO I think he has the talent to get there. It’s all about learning. And he’s always taken his career seriously.

 

He’s really improved at face offs too. Every year he’s adding more and more.

 

I can see Petey signing another 3 year deal and then cashing in after that once he’s proven what he really is…or he tapers off and this is the best we’ll ever see of him. Still a great player to have and worth 8-9 mil no question.

[arsenalian]

10 hours ago, WHL rocks said:

I blocked him a while ago.. too annoying for me

I wish the admins would block

the spam bot. Soooo annoying

[Dr. Crossbar]

42 minutes ago, -dlc- said:

So true. Thing is, in order to get people to "buy in " and learn, you have to gain their attention (and respect) first. Clearly, there's good communication happening and the players understand that the team first mentality benefits everyone. It's important to have players who do get this concept and don't take it personally if they're asked to do things to improve their game, as well as the overall team game.

 

We've had players in the past who get pissy over stuff like that. It seems we have the right mix and players who are committed to the overall program that the coaching staff have put into place. It's obviously working.

 

Good points! It's much harder for guys to be prima donnas or even lone wolves when we have guys like Tocchet, Gonchar, and Foote leading the team. They command respect and attention from their pedigrees. Players would look foolish bucking those guys. 

 

The buy in is a lot easier when you're learning from guys who have walked their talk and won at the top of league. That period late last season after Tocchet was hired really was to identify the passengers and leaders. 

 

Kuz is a great example of not taking it personally with a great attitude and being open to improving, knowing he has holes in his game. He's making a choice to be open and positive rather than being butt hurt and negative. That's obviously working too.

[Ghostsof1915]

42 minutes ago, TheGuardian said:

Huberdeau is a player like Boeser.

More a product of who he plays with than outright high end talent.

That and the system played and what his role or position was.

Don't know if this was responded to by me already but,

 

Don't blame Myer's for taking what was offered. Blame Benning for making the offer and then having the player play outside his comfort zone. Myers had 8 different partners and over 20 min a game. Now matched with Zadorov and down to 18/19 it has made a difference.

In 3/4  years 6 mill for a 4/5 dman might be very good.

Not that the team would need to sign him for that much again. 4 mil maybe, Zadorov 5+ to 6 mil with term. Pretty much the same cost as now.

I was talking about OEL and how for two years his cap hit will jump. But I'll take 2 years of $4.7 of the buyout than $6+ million a season.

Myers lives up to his nickname. Sometimes he's solid, physical and does a good job. Then he will be baffling for part the game.

It will be interesting if he stays and if he does at what cap hit.

[EdgarM]

4 minutes ago, Attila Umbrus said:

Definitely don’t disagree, he isn’t playing up to the contract he apparently wants. You got no argument for me there.

 

I think this is good for Petey tho. He wants to be a number 1 guy. Well then you have to learn how to take the heat and play with anyone the coach throws on your line. 

 

IMO I think he has the talent to get there. It’s all about learning. And he’s always taken his career seriously.

 

He’s really improved at face offs too. Every year he’s adding more and more.

 

I can see Petey signing another 3 year deal and then cashing in after that once he’s proven what he really is…or he tapers off and this is the best we’ll ever see of him. Still a great player to have and worth 8-9 mil no question.

I would prefer a shorter term deal too, we still don't know what his potential is. He improved in face offs, yes, but he has got to get rid of those "Bambi" legs sometime. 

Seriously, it would probably be benficial for both sides to sign a short term deal to see what his real worth is, long term.

[Gawdzukes]

1 hour ago, Captkirk888 said:

That makes no sense. 

 

Actually, it might. You don't get plusses on the PP so he gets a plus for his first goal and then -3 for the goals he was on the ice against would give you a -2.

 

I think lol. It's all good though. At least he had a bounce back game. Good for him and the team.

 

Who would have thought 1 month and a half ago our biggest problem would be Petey barely being a ppg player. 

[JeremyCuddles]

16 minutes ago, arsenalian said:

So how do I block someone, when using an iphone? I hate seeing all BIGGESTCANUCKSFANFOREVER’s annoying re-posts that take up more than 1/2 the PGT

Click the 3 lines at the top right of the page, go to account, then go to ignored users, type their name. Profit.

[Gurn]

2 hours ago, JayDangles said:

Ugly goal. I can't stand the Michigan goal.

League should make a rule against balancing the puck on your stick to get rid of it.

NHL isn't about showboating or trickshots.  Leave that to the NBA.

IMHO of course.

I'm against the Michigan, but for me it's about safety.

Someday a player is going to crush the windpipe of a goalie, because the goalie got back to the other post, fast enough to get a stick blade in the throat.

[arsenalian]

11 minutes ago, JeremyCuddles said:

Click the 3 lines at the top right of the page, go to account, then go to ignored users, type their name. Profit.

Hmm, thanks. I don't seem to have that option. Only Share and Report   I'll log into my PC and block them. Thanks

[Attila Umbrus]

2 minutes ago, Gurn said:

I'm against the Michigan, but for me it's about safety.

Someday a player is going to crush the windpipe of a goalie, because the goalie got back to the other post, fast enough to get a stick blade in the throat.

Never thought about it like that Gurn. Good point.

 

It’s borderline high sticking, and it could easily go wrong if more players start trying it.

 

Luckily most aren’t good enough or brave enough to do it.

 

Although I do say that with some hesitation. Because the young kids these days are doing insane things with the puck.

 

It may very well become a prevalent thing in the new NHL and with its increased use you could as you say see more injuries.

 

Interesting to think about.

[Dr. Crossbar]

10 minutes ago, Gurn said:

I'm against the Michigan, but for me it's about safety.

Someday a player is going to crush the windpipe of a goalie, because the goalie got back to the other post, fast enough to get a stick blade in the throat.

 

I get the popularity, it does look cool, but ultimately not a fan. It doesn't feel like hockey to me. 

 

But you make a great point ... on two levels ... potential injury ... can totally see that happening ... and also another good case for wearing neck guards. 

[arsenalian]

15 minutes ago, JeremyCuddles said:

Click the 3 lines at the top right of the page, go to account, then go to ignored users, type their name. Profit.

Oh oh, managed to block them on PC. Ahhh it’s glorious scrolling through and not seeing one of their re-posts every 3 replies

[JeremyCuddles]

1 minute ago, arsenalian said:

Oh oh, managed to block them on PC. Ahhh it’s glorious scrolling through and not seeing one of their re-posts every 3 replies

Yeah PC is easier. I usually only use my phone when I am at work. Lol. Not a huge fan of ignoring people. But some people just don't add much to conversations. I am probably on a few ignore lists myself.