[PGT] Canucks @ Oilers (i.e., the DeSmith apology thread)

[Hairy Kneel]

10 hours ago, Canuck You said:

Pretty impressive to still be tops in the Div considering we haven't had our starer for so long.

 

[Bure10Kuzmenko96]

2 hours ago, NucksNation said:

Miller, Hughes, Boeser, Garland, Joshua, Hronek, Zadorov, all have bigger impacts almost every game than Pettersson. He’s usually the worst player on his own line. He better pick it up in the playoffs. Not sure how he will since physical play is going to ramp up greatly and he can already barely stay on his skates. 
 

Team and Casey played great. 

Oh, you mean the 18 points in 17 playoff games he had?

[Dr. Crossbar]

11 hours ago, IBatch said:

A few wet blankets on this site are noticably quiet.    Expect they are making their own blankets wetter secretly right now. 

 

Beautiful post. They're crawling back out today wanting to trade everyone. 

[JayDangles]

6 minutes ago, Bure10Kuzmenko96 said:

Oh, you mean the 18 points in 17 playoff games he had?

Great point. He might as well not even bother playing then right? Because he had a good playoffs 4 years ago, then we should basically just use his past performance and not worry about how he's playing now?

Can we just tell Nashville that Petey is a point per game in the playoffs, so they will just spot us 1 goal a game?

 

Sorry man but the post you were responding to made a lot of valid points about how Petey is playing NOW. You pointing out how he has played years ago is just ignoring the argument. 

Edited April 14 by JayDangles

[-dlc-]

One thing I'm hearing is that we're too "this or that". (Confident, getting ahead of ourselves, "cocky"). Not just here....out there.

 

For me, I know how difficult this is. I've seen playoffs where we came within a game of it all. How it can just be ripped away at any second. What it's taught me is to enjoy the ride. I don't look back on '94 and 2011 as bad memories....they aren't for me. I had a great (bleepin) time and that's what I remember. The feeling. The electricity in the city. The car flags and the honking. People in the streets (like 2010).

 

Immediately following the loss in '94 they had a fan appreciation event at BC Place...it was wild. It felt like we'd won, and that's ok. We celebrated our team and despite not being awarded the cup, they were champions to us and we had a great time that day. Lemonade.

 

So whatever happens, it's all out of our control but that doesn't mean we can't be excited. Even celebrate the small victories along the way (like sweeping the Oilers this season...keeping them in check) ...even if we don't get the end result that we'd like, this has been a great year. Sky's the limit is what I've been saying. Right now, it's as much a "who knows" as the teams being penciled in by some. It's ok to feel good about it all rather than dwelling on what might be and a negative spin. 

 

At exactly this time last year we were officially.....out.

 

So let's party while we can, shall we?

 

 

[Dr. Crossbar]

14 hours ago, HKSR said:

MVP = DeSmith

 

Honorable mention = Our big bad defence core keeping the Oilers to the outside

 

Oh, and can't fail to mention the 4th line here either.  Grind shift after grind shift keeping our energy and momentum going.

 

 

Another beautiful post. It was a measured, consistent effort in getting the job done. 

[Canuck You]

14 minutes ago, Hairy Kneel said:

 

Took me a sec..

[Goal_thecup]

13 hours ago, Rip The Mesh said:

 

Its going to happen.  Big Z's gonna put those flammes to ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZLEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!

9-0 Mercy Killing.  Put 'em outta their misery.

"Coulda been thirty-nothin' if'n we din Let Up on 'em!" - said Elias Lindholm sometime in the future...

 

Who's a Happy Canucky, you are!  Yes, you are.  (Nice game Lindy.)

[OldFaithfulcap]

6 hours ago, OldFaithfulcap said:

 

He's fine without the puck and on faceoffs but he was a black hole with joshua and garland. That line struggled to cycle with him and got outmuscled a lot in front. With blueger that line is a two-way with great control. 

 

I stand by my opinion. Lindholm is great at faceoffs and uses his hockey iq to break up plays when he's without the puck. He is a decent passer but he isn't great at shielding the puck and doesn't help us own the puck on the attack. I'm not devaluing his importance at our own end but he does not contribute the same way as blueger (or miller but he's needed for brock). Blueger, garland and joshua are a menace, able to battle and cycle the puck constantly and wear down teams. They are hard to play against physically. Lindholm isn't the same.

 

Not here to beat up on lindholm at all but blueger had the same number of assists in 4 games with josh/garland as lindholm had has in all his games here. We need that line back in my opinion as it can take advantage of the opposition in ways that lindholm can't.

 

 

 

 

[Hairy Kneel]

9 hours ago, IBatch said:

 Where are the  EDM cheerleaders, where you guys at?  What was "all but a certainty", just like that changed on a dime.   Just goes to show how hard it is to catch up and dig yourself out of a hole.   Sure glad our team didn't dig ourselves a hole to dig out of, can continue to rest Demko (was a fan of not starting Demko even if he was cleared,  Flames is a good tune up, maybe WNP too).    Watching EDMs coach, obviously he felt resting McDavis and other guys later is more important than winning the division too.  

Save him till the 3rd game. Away game.

Let him seal the deal physically, heal up Demmer's.

[Hairy Kneel]

17 minutes ago, Dr. Crossbar said:

 

Beautiful post. They're crawling back out today wanting to trade everyone. 

Get rid of Mik and get a big body for the 4th line.

[WHL rocks]

Canucks vs NSH was my wish and it looks like that's the way its going to play out.

 

Didn't want VGK or LA in 1st round. 

 

[Dr. Crossbar]

This dance is called the Lindy Hop ... and a lot of fans today are doing this after Lindholm's great game last night ...

 

Glad he's back in the lineup at the right time.

 

 

 

[Bure10Kuzmenko96]

15 minutes ago, JayDangles said:

Great point. He might as well not even bother playing then right? Because he had a good playoffs 4 years ago, then we should basically just use his past performance and not worry about how he's playing now?

Can we just tell Nashville that Petey is a point per game in the playoffs, so they will just spot us 1 goal a game?

 

Sorry man but the post you were responding to made a lot of valid points about how Petey is playing NOW. You pointing out how he has played years ago is just ignoring the argument. 

Let's see what the playoffs bring. I think Petey is gonna turn it on in the playoffs and be a beast

[Hairy Kneel]

10 hours ago, JamesB said:

Great to get the win. Just one more point or Edmonton loss clinches the Division. Edmonton had gone 12 home games in a row without a regulation loss before tonight.

 

1. I have to start with another common goalie adage: "They call it hockey. They should call it goaltending." DeSmith was excellent tonight. If he played like he did in his last couple of starts he probably would have given up a couple more goals, the Canucks would have lost and we would all be talking about what is wrong with team. Instead we can focus on all the positives that came out of tonight's game.

 

2. DeSmith has shown all season that he is good as a backup. But playing him every game for an extended period was too much. After a couple of games off, tonight he seemed focused. The rest and the ability to go through his usual practice reps probably helped a lot.

 

3. Speaking of positives, it is nice to see some of the recent acquisitions coming through. Lafferty and Suter both scored and played well. Lindholm was matched up against Draisaitl and was able to shut him down. And his line picked up a nice empty goal (Joshua from Lindholm and Garland). And Cole and Z. were very good -- with the best underlying stats of the three defensive pairs despite getting their share of time against the Draisaitl line.

 

4. I like the lines. Lindy with Joshua and Garland are a very good "third line" that can play shutdown and provide an offensive threat. I like putting Miller and Boeser back together again and those two with Suter have been the best Canucks line this season in the underlying stats. (And they have looked good at both ends of the ice.) Putting Petey with Mik and Hoglander makes sense to me, although the risk is that Mik's hands of stone will waste a lot Petey's skill. Tonight Mik again played well in the sense of getting good chances but could not finish. In the first over a few shifts he had his stick break on a good chance, had the puck just bounce off his stick on another chance, and had a great chance in front but some combination of a good save and not putting his shot in the corner prevented a goal. And a 4th line of Blueger, Lafferty and Podz is a good 4th line.

 

5. The first Canuck goal was similar to a couple of goals the Canucks have given up in recent games. Lafferty was able to skate to the right face-off dot and get a good shot away thanks to poor gap control by Nurse. Gap control is often overlooked when watching a game but it is a very important part of being a good D. Hughes has great gap control, aided by his exceptionally good skating.

 

6. Even without McDavid, the Oilers are a good team, but not a scary team. The McDavid injury is obviously the key for them.

 

7. Overall, the Oilers were the better team in the underlying stats. The all-strength expected goals differential was 3.69--2.38. But most of that edge came late in 3rd period when the Oilers were the chasing team along with early in the first when the Oilers came out strong. But I would say that the Canucks played a good game, not giving up much defensively after opening up a 2-0 lead. They got a solid win without undue expenditure of energy. I was glad to see the Canucks avoiding scrums and turning down potential fights or pushing matches. Joshua, Zadorov, Soucy and others showed a lot of discipline tonight.

 

A satisfying win on a Saturday night, finishing off a 4-game sweep of the Oilers this season.

I disagree about DeSmith. I think DeSmith has been good overall. That was his 15th game where he allowed 2 goals or less. Those tough games weren't all on him. Our team chemistry wasn't that great then. Our lines were all over the map too.

[Gawdzukes]

1 hour ago, Hairy Kneel said:

Kuz has 13 goals since the trade, Mik has done jack shit scoring wise.

 

Kuz has also given up probably 50 odd man rushes and many goals as well. He's a fun player with elite goalscoring skill but zero understanding of the team game. He would get absolutely, and royally stomped if he was ever on a team capable of making the playoffs.

[Steamer4GM]

5 hours ago, Redhdlois said:

Nvm

Hey!

 

I said it was a goofy post!!

 

Just having some silly fun with numbers and am now determined to run with it until I can't

 

Canucks over Flames on Tuesday night 4-0

 

Bank it!!

[Dr. Crossbar]

14 hours ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

DeSmith had one hell of De Game.

 

Did what he needed to do at the right time. Proved people wrong. It was beautiful.

[Hairy Kneel]

3 minutes ago, Gawdzukes said:

 

Kuz has also given up probably 50 odd man rushes and many goals as well. He's a fun player with elite goalscoring skill but zero understanding of the team game. He would get absolutely, and royally stomped if he was ever on a team capable of making the playoffs.

Flames ate 3-7 in their last 10 games so that's not all on him

[kilgore]

2 hours ago, Sonoman said:

Staying with the Canadian Children’s TV theme…

 

2 hours ago, Barnstorm said:

No special effects , no cgi, no voice overs .

 

Three of the greatest actors in television history right there! 

 

Rusty one of the greatest method actors ever.  Forced to live in a bag and practice his harp for hours.

 

[Steamer4GM]

5 hours ago, spook007 said:

If Mika worked as hard as Hansen, he would be hailed here. he was a proper 3rd liner with speed. 

While I agree about Hansen, I can't agree with any suggestion that Mik isn't working hard. He's been a puck hungry battler for weeks now since his knee has clearly improved but has just been absolutely snakebitten around the net and hands have been cold all season.

 

If he could just bump this damn slump sometime soon, get the merciless monkey of his back, he'll be another dangerous weapon in our currently well-balanced, killer arsenal

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, Hairy Kneel said:

Flames ate 3-7 in their last 10 games so that's not all on him

Cruise Missile is fun as hell. He’s just not going to help a winning club, which we are. 

[Dr. Crossbar]

14 hours ago, Darius said:

1. It was a defensive masterclass tonight. Stick in lanes, coverage in the slot back checking.  

 

2.the coilers rely on McDavid for literally everything. Hes turned a 30 yr old career 20-25 goal scorer Hyman into a 50 + goal man. Stirs the drink on the powerplay, and makes leon look competent enough for everyone to overlook that he is trash defensively.  Their bottom 2 lines are probably the worst of any playoff team.  Hes the best since Lemieux and Gretzky at generating offence imho.

 

3. math says we need one point now, but i think the coil will psychologically throw in the towel after this - especially if king mclotto misses more games.

 

 

 

Great post @Darius We got the monkey off our back. So many thought we'd be the ones suffering today. A loss to them last night could have been demoralizing going into the playoffs. Instead we showed how good our defensive game really is and how our secondary guys can win games ... including DeSmith. 

 

 

[Hairy Kneel]

5 hours ago, Hogs and Podz said:

You could clearly see that they're used to getting favorable calls.  They rely on their pp.  Whine a awful lot.  Unfortunately... Don't like to compare but they remind me of our 2011 team.  Really, really skilled but crumble when leaned on by a bigger team.... Get frustrated, whine to the refs for calls.  That's why the 2011 team wasn't liked outside of Van.  The Coil won't be like outside of Deadmonton.

So many plays their players staring directly at the refs after the whistle, LOOKING for a call. 

Ridiculous. 

[Hairy Kneel]

Just now, Alflives said:

Cruise Missile is fun as hell. He’s just not going to help a winning club, which we are. 

We'll see, especially if he goes and gets 39 goals again.