Pre-Game Talk: GM 12 | Vancouver Canucks @ Los Angeles Kings | 7:30PM PST | SPAC

[Mr. Canucklehead]

WHEN: Thursday, Nov 7th, 7:30PM
WHERE: Crypto.Com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
RADIO: Sportsnet 650

Canucks Line-Up:

DeBrusk-Miller-Boeser
Suter-Pettersson-Garland
Heinen-Blueger-Sherwood
Höglander-Raty-Sprong

Hughes-Hronek
Soucy-Myers
Brännström-Desharnais

Lankinen

Kings Line-Up:

TBD

​

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[bandwagonesque]

Reserved

 

[Coffee]

Let’s get those Kings

 

[Vector]

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

If Joshua is ready to go, my guess is he slides in with Petey and Garland, Suter drops to center the fourth line, and Raty comes out.

 

[tantalum]

It's funny...I don't think any of us really think the team has actually played well this year (overall). But 5-on-5 they are actually 3rd in the league for xGF% (LA is 2nd!). They also rank high in scoring chance and high danger chance share.

 

[strattonius]

It's funny...I don't think any of us really think the team has actually played well this year (overall). But 5-on-5 they are actually 3rd in the league for xGF% (LA is 2nd!). They also rank high in scoring chance and high danger chance share.

They've had their best game on the road and been way too fancy on home ice.

 

[MS]

It's funny...I don't think any of us really think the team has actually played well this year (overall). But 5-on-5 they are actually 3rd in the league for xGF% (LA is 2nd!). They also rank high in scoring chance and high danger chance share.

It should be noted that those stats are in the context of a very soft schedule where we've played 6 legitimately bad teams in our first 11 games (Pit, Phi x2, Chicago, SJ, Anaheim) and gone 5-0-1 in those games.

But yes, expectations skew impressions.

 

[Nick Lang]

It's funny...I don't think any of us really think the team has actually played well this year (overall). But 5-on-5 they are actually 3rd in the league for xGF% (LA is 2nd!). They also rank high in scoring chance and high danger chance share.

I think they've been not too bad at all considering the landscape. I for one am happy with the start of 2024. One of the biggest concerns with having a great season like we did last year is a slide right back to where you came from. We've showed that we kept building on the team concepts and pillars provided all last year. While the result haven't been perfect and we've hit some bumps on the way its been pretty realistic and a great platform to keep moving the team forward.

I feel there was way too many expectations by some. We're sitting in a solid top 10 spot pretty much and have Joshua and Demko yet to play. Things are pretty good from where I'm sitting.

 

[StreetHawk]

I've always looked at the first 15 games as just getting points to maintain a good pace to be in the PO race. Of the possible 30, you want to get at least 18 to be in around the WC spot. Ideally, it's 20 and over. Then from games 16-40, you work on your weaknesses from the first 15 games to get better.

Don't want to be what the Canucks were and that's out of the race by game 15 at like 10 points or something.

 

[Flik]

Win this one and complete the road trip sweep, lets get on a roll here now. Yesterday's game was very, very encouraging overall, we looked more cohesive than I've seen in quite some time, we need to build on that.

Tomorrow's game should be a good test for us since LA seems to be a much stronger opponent than either San Jose or Anaheim.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Win this one and complete the road trip sweep, lets get on a roll here now. Yesterday's game was very, very encouraging overall, we looked more cohesive than I've seen in quite some time, we need to build on that.

Tomorrow's game should be a good test for us since LA seems to be a much stronger opponent than either San Jose or Anaheim.

I think LA is overachieving a bit to start the year, but their old dogs always seem to kill us. That damn Kopitar...

At least Doughty isn't playing. I hate his face.

 

[tantalum]

It should be noted that those stats are in the context of a very soft schedule where we've played 6 legitimately bad teams in our first 11 games (Pit, Phi x2, Chicago, SJ, Anaheim) and gone 5-0-1 in those games.

But yes, expectations skew impressions.

I get that but you currently have half the teams at or below 0.500. There aren't a lot of "strong" schedule teams.

And from naturalstattrick.com for 5-on-5 xGF% has been over 58% for all but 4 games (Devils obviously, lightning, panthers, and first flyers game). Penguins and Ducks while certainly weak teams the canucks had impressive control of the play (73 and 83% xGF respectively) as you would hope.

Certainly not everything is rosey...special teams need to improve. Some areas need to be addressed yet. But the underlying numbers are reasonable and gives hope to what the team could become if they sort things.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

If Joshua is ready to go, my guess is he slides in with Petey and Garland, Suter drops to center the fourth line, and Raty comes out.

Probably the easiest move. I'm divided between wanting to see if Joshua helps Petey find his scoring touch again and seeing how much of an absolute wrecking ball line Joshua and Sherwood would be together.

 

[thecupismine]

Good teams tend to dominate bad teams, as it should be. If you can’t dominate those games, it’s usually a bad sign if you’re hoping to be a contender.

Can’t watch this or the Edmonton rematch in all likelihood as I’m traveling for a wedding, but I expect this one will be much closer than Anaheim. 3-2 for the good guys, Hughes continues his dominance and Debrusk starts a little streak here with another goal.

 

[wonton15]

If we start slow again, I could see us going down 2-0 or 3-0 early and losing. I don’t understand why we always come out flat, but hoping Joshua comes in and energizes us.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

If we start slow again, I could see us going down 2-0 or 3-0 early and losing. I don’t understand why we always come out flat, but hoping Joshua comes in and energizes us.

I'd imagine Lankinen gets the next two starts. If they want to get Silovs into some games, there's a few coming up next week that look like good candidates.