Abbotsford Canucks | Season Starting

[Tables of Stats]

Raty's shootout attempt being blocked by the crowd is just...

The camera angle is so low the crowd actually blocks the entire view of the screen

WHL games streaming for free on the local cable channel usually have better quality than this.

 

[Blue and Green]

First star: Tolopilo by a mile. Colorado's goalie was solid but not as good.

I thought tonight was Pettersson's best game so far. Solid defensively and looked more comfortable with the puck. Conversely, thought it was Kudryavtsev's weakest game, too many passes/clearances onto Colorado's sticks although he wasn't terrible.

None of the forwards had eyecatching games.

 

[orcatown]

Bad when probably your best offensive player is Neilsen.

Tolopilo was 1st, 2nd and 3rd star in this game. Both teams took turns being awful and, in both cases, getting out their zones, was a wild adventure. Trunover after turnover

Of the Canucks:

Thought Pettersson was the best of the young d-men. Did not seem out of place and was more mobile than he previously showed.

Kudryavstev had a good first but then seemed to disappear.

Woo was given plenty of game time (maybe trying to move him) and was decent. However, there is just not enough smoothness in his play. Never showed much control over the play which he must if he can be considered for a callup.

Brisebois - was best overall d-man. Maybe a consideration for the Canucks on a limited basis

Hirose - don't see how he is a consideration. Has to an be outstanding skater to overcome size, etc.. but he isn't

McWard - some glitches but was generally solid. Good skater and did hit some stretch passes. Still needs to play his blue line better.

Klimo - just not happening. Way too individual and can't read play.

Blais - can see the pedigree but at times too casual. If he could up the intensity would be consideration for Vancouver. Really the closest to NHL standard when he bares down.

Mueller - can't handle puck well enough. Thought he had a real tough night in his zone.

Kambeitz - good on the PK and positionally sound

Twarynski - never got much done. Provided some size but that seemed all.

Raty - played a ton and got better as the game moved on. Giving it what he's got

Karlsson - did little all game. If he isn't scoring, he's of little use. Got very awkward at times. Write off as far as the NHL is concerned

Sasson - overall the best forward. Always seemed the most likely to create something offensively

Stevens - useless waste of a vet position. Buddy of Johnson so isn't going anywhere. Average ECHL player in reality.

Thought the most promising thing, in this game was play of Pettersson and Tolopilo.

Otherwise, it's disappointing that some of our so called major prospect can't dominate more at this level. There is always the talk that Abby is doing a great job of development. However, that seems more lip service than anything else. In truth, no one has come up and shown much over the last couple of years. You can legitmately say that no one has emerged from the minor league club to improve Vancouver in any major way. Maybe Hoglander but he wasn't there very long and most of his development seem to have happened with the big club.

 

[Blue and Green]

Time to give Felton a game; I'd like to see him draw in tomorrow over Hirose.

 

[Tables of Stats]

I didn't watch closely enough to make reports on individual players, but I will say that the game was very choppy and had little flow. Neither team seemed able to get clean breaks through the neutral zone and even on the PP both teams often looked in over their heads just making simple passes to get a clean shot away. I'll need to watch more to see if this was just an off day for the AHL team or if we're in tough to play a simple clean game.

 

[VanJack]

Is Tolopilo getting enough love from the Canucks? He just looks so huge and composed in the net, and moves so well down low for such big man.

He actually 'outplayed' Silovs in Abbotsford last season. And tonight he was toying with those Colorado shooters in the shoot-out. As others have observed--he was the first, second and third star tonight.

 

[Lindgren]

Abbotsford/Colorado is underway.

No Lekkerimaki. The D is unchanged. Brisebois and McWard are the pairing to start the game. Patera has the net

 

[logan5]

Ok, nobody misses 4 games because of "an illness".

 

[Lindgren]

Ok, nobody misses 4 games because of "an illness".

Covid, maybe.

 

[Diversification]

Covid, maybe.

Recurrent mono

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Covid, maybe.

Mono?

 

[orcatown]

Missed first but assume Patera doing well given shot totals

 

[Jay26]

@orcatown are the shot totals reflective of the lack of skill in this lineup or is it just how this game is going?

 

[tradervik]

Recurrent mono

Duo

 

[orcatown]

@orcatown are the shot totals reflective of the lack of skill in this lineup or is it just how this game is going?

Sorry but I didn't watch enough to have much of an opinion.

Last night's score could easily have been worse than this game if not for Tolopilo so don't think team is off to a very good start. Lots and lots of defensive breakdowns.

 

[Blue and Green]

Tonight's game ended 6-1 for Colorado. Abbotsford was outplayed for most of the game but was hanging in at 2-1 until the final eight minutes. No aspect of the team was strong tonight but I thought the forwards were the biggest problem. Generated little and did some bad chasing around to leave Colorado players all alone to score the second and fourth Eagles' goals.

Forwards:

Sasson, jeez. Ate a -5, missed a glorious opportunity to score with the goalie down, got a beautiful blue line to blue line pass from Kudryavstev to set up a breakaway except that he fumbled the pass. Nielsen also ate a -5.

Raty didn't sparkle this weekend. Needs to do better. Chased the puck carrier and left a guy wide open in the slot for the fourth Colorado goal. His straight-line skating is still a real issue in terms of sticking in the NHL.

Blais, you can see why he used to be in the NHL. Used to be. Is a bit lackadaisical at times but his size and skill with the puck and occasionally surprising agility make him a useful player in the AHL.

Klimovich played okay in a game where the forwards were largely ineffective. Noticeable improvement in his defensive play this season and is a useful forechecker. Still has plenty to work on.

Defence:

Kudryavtsev was back to good form in this game after being a bit dodgy with his puck plays on Friday. One thing he needs to be careful with: he likes to pinch forward in the neutral zone and sometimes is in danger of getting caught with a pass to create an outnumbered situation on the other side with him caught up the ice. Just needs to make sure that he picks his spots well. Good defensive game tonight with smart reads, quick feet and good stick-checking.

Pettersson was mostly okay except for getting walked 1-on-1 for the opening Colorado goal.

Brisebois, Woo and McWard played to their respective levels. Brisebois would be the guy to call up if a spate of injuries hits Vancouver's D.

Hirose was rather weak, similar to last night. Got beat at the blue line on the third goal and just doesn't do much to help the team. Not a strong defensive or transitional player and no offensive punch. And he's getting paid 775k this season. The new Josh Teves.

Goalie:

Patera got ventilated in the final eight minutes but there was only one goal where you could really point a finger at him. A fairly typical AHL goalie showing on a night where the team in front of him was lacklustre. Tolopilo is #1 for now.

Hopefully the team gets some of its better talent back soon (Lekkerimaki, Phil D, Wolanin).