Post-Game Talk: GM 17 | Preds def. Canucks | 5-3 (Raty, Pettersson, Sherwood) | Pain.

[MS]

Miller Pettersson Blueger Joshua Hoglander Myers Soucy Silovs Debrusk

Now obviously there is reasons for alot and maybe they over performed from last year.

But anyone here can safely say this team has another gear in them and it's very frustrating they can't reach it.

Edit: Obviously Joshua just got back but point being that without him at full capacity this team just has to many other players not living up to expectations that we are going to lose to teams like Nashville.

Blueger has been great. Joshua had f***ing cancer and no offseason and has been back for 3 games. Debrusk is a career 45-50 point player on pace for 50 points.

Hoglander, yeah. I mean, sort of. This is pretty much what I expected and why I thought we should have sold high on him during the summer.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

If he’s not hurt and doesn’t respond the next game

We are in deep trouble

Maybe last season was just a one year wonder

 

[thecupismine]

How many players are actually playing under expectations, though?

Miller, who was clearly hurt for much of the season so far even if it isn't being used as an excuse now.

Pettersson and whatever the f*** was going on there dating back to last year but it looks like he's finally coming out of it.

Myers-Soucy pairing.

That's really about it.

Yeah, the issue isn't the number of guys playing below expectations, it's the degree to which the guys that are below expectations are struggling.

Petterson has turned his game around the last little bit, and Miller has since been injuried/reverted to some of his soft Beaudreau habits that led to the benching today. They're both pacing significantly behind last year, and it's being felt offensively. Their good games aren't as explosive, and their poor games are a lot weaker.

The Soucy-Myers pairing has been written about ad naseum, but pacing below last year would be dropping from a 49% expected goals for last year to 45% - they're at 37% right now (Myers numbers are a bit better because he's gotten time with Hughes). Their defensive zone starts are tough but not significantly different than last year, and the quality of competition hasn't been particularly high.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

looking forward to 3000 posts arguing whether he's injured or whether he just hates the city, the fans, his teammates and playing hockey for a living

I know he personally hates me.

 

[quat]

I know he personally hates me.

He's just jelly

 

[quat]

There was one play where Myers and a Nashville player were chasing the puck to the corner boards, and Myers just let the guy beat him to the puck, but could have at least battled hard on the boards, but the Predator won the puck very easily. I think he has just checked out, collecting a paycheck til retirement. The desire and fight isn't there at all.

Yeah, I don't know what it is, but having a player of his size skate himself out of position or play like how you posted, confuses everyone. It give the opponents so much more time to be creative and to weaponize their offence.

I don't get the feeling Myers is a guy who's simply happy with the paycheck. It genuinely seems like he just can't play the game reliably very often.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

If he’s not hurt and doesn’t respond the next game

We are in deep trouble

Maybe last season was just a one year wonder

Miller is clearly hurt just like EP was clearly hurt last year.

But Miller won’t take himself out and Tocchet needs him for atleast something given there is no one else to step up.

The only thing to think is to go EP-Suter-Blueger-Raty down the middle and give Miller some time off.

But the d is good enough and Lankinen is getting ridden into the ground.

So really, your trying to manage the situation as you go along but it’s not working.

 

[afrocentric]

He did that last night against the hawks as well, stops skating to the puck, takes the body and then gets walked.. its so frustrating to watch.


Edit: Not sure why it didn't grab the quote from logan5 - but this is the post I was referring to:
There was one play where Myers and a Nashville player were chasing the puck to the corner boards, and Myers just let the guy beat him to the puck, but could have at least battled hard on the boards, but the Predator won the puck very easily. I think he has just checked out, collecting a paycheck til retirement. The desire and fight isn't there at all.

 

[valkynax]

I swear I have nothing to do with this.

 

[VanJack]

Something is going on in the room right now, and it isn't good. If Miller is playing nicked, then come out and say it.

But to come on the post-game show and say Miller's benching in the third period, was 'performance-based' is a big red flag to me.

Miller is one of their emotional and on-ice leaders. If he's healthy, there's no way he shouldn't have been out there in the last five minutes, not matter how the previous two periods had gone.

Said it before......you wonder if Tocchet's coaching style has a 'shelf-life'.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

Me forgetting there was a game tonight coming in hot to the thread:

Did we do good? Or another embarrassing one?

 

[Regal]

If he’s not hurt and doesn’t respond the next game

We are in deep trouble

Maybe last season was just a one year wonder

I don’t think that answer suggests that he’s not hurt, only that he was underperforming regardless of being hurt. Miller wasn’t really much better last year than he was in ‘22 or ‘20, so I can’t see it being a one year wonder. Though he seems to alternate his good and bad years.

 

[Regal]

Blueger has been great. Joshua had f***ing cancer and no offseason and has been back for 3 games. Debrusk is a career 45-50 point player on pace for 50 points.

Hoglander, yeah. I mean, sort of. This is pretty much what I expected and why I thought we should have sold high on him during the summer.

Half of DeBrusk’s points are secondaries. He’s on pace for 27 primary points when he’s paced for 42 per 82 over the previous three years combined. Granted that’s partly inflated by his big ‘22 season, but he was brought in to score goals and he’s on pace for 15 and he hasn’t been forechecking or creating space with his speed like he should either. He’s supposed to be a less physical but more productive Sherwood but he’s been largely invisible.

 

[Zaddy91]

Is anyone else not really concerned?

I know the expectations are super high from last year. But what a series of fluctuations that have happened.

Zadorov walking. Petey going ice cold. Joshua with cancer. Then first play of season Miller gets a fractured hand. Demko still injured. Silovs single handedly losses us 3 games. Myers and Soucy just evaporate.

As of today we don't remotely look like the team last year.

But there's still nice highlights. Sherwood, Brannstrom, Lankinen.

Petey back to form. Raty and Lekk appearing to be able to wade water.

I dont think this is a contender this year, but the pieces are in place for 2 from now. Just find a top 4 defensemen and have one develop from our prospects.

 

[Szechwan]

Tocchet says Miller benching wasn't injury related

Rick Dhaliwal (@dhaliwalsports.bsky.social)

Rick Tochett says Miller was benched in the 3rd - just 2 shifts. It is not injury related.

bsky.app

Brendan Batchelor (@batchhockey.bsky.social)

Rick Tocchet said “I just went with the guys that I thought could get us back in the game” when asked about JT Miller’s limited ice time in the 3rd period. When asked if it had to do with any sort of injury to Miller, Tocchet answered with a blunt “no” #Canucks @sportsnet650.bsky.social

bsky.app

I appreciate the Bluesky embeds, Twitter is awful now and the embeds always break anways if I use Firefox.

 

[VanJack]

Is anyone else not really concerned?

I know the expectations are super high from last year. But what a series of fluctuations that have happened.

Zadorov walking. Petey going ice cold. Joshua with cancer. Then first play of season Miller gets a fractured hand. Demko still injured. Silovs single handedly losses us 3 games. Myers and Soucy just evaporate.

As of today we don't remotely look like the team last year.

But there's still nice highlights. Sherwood, Brannstrom, Lankinen.

Petey back to form. Raty and Lekk appearing to be able to wade water.

I dont think this is a contender this year, but the pieces are in place for 2 from now. Just find a top 4 defensemen and have one develop from our prospects.

This is post with a lot of truth to it. This isn't the same team as a year ago, personnel wise and in most other ways as well. Last year's team probably 'overachieved' and the hockey gods are evening it out this year.

I suppose it's possible that as the new players integrate better, and Boeser/Demko return, that they can be as good as they were last season. But that probably won't occur until at least Game #40. And unless this blueline shows a lot more than it has, then even that won't be possible.

 

[valkynax]

Is anyone else not really concerned?

I know the expectations are super high from last year. But what a series of fluctuations that have happened.

Zadorov walking. Petey going ice cold. Joshua with cancer. Then first play of season Miller gets a fractured hand. Demko still injured. Silovs single handedly losses us 3 games. Myers and Soucy just evaporate.

As of today we don't remotely look like the team last year.

But there's still nice highlights. Sherwood, Brannstrom, Lankinen.

Petey back to form. Raty and Lekk appearing to be able to wade water.

I dont think this is a contender this year, but the pieces are in place for 2 from now. Just find a top 4 defensemen and have one develop from our prospects.

This is the benefit of being a nurse, I spent almost the entirety of my adrenaline and stress capacitor at work, to the point where I hardly gives a shit if the team loses.

 

[Szechwan]

You lose 2 players off your top line and any team is in trouble. Injuries this year have been critical and with Miller like he is, this team is obvioulsy in trouble. Good third period effort but overall team looked tired and were penned in their own end far too much

Some good for the team in this game

Pettersson shot showed he's still got it. But again not good enough around the net.

Raty again showed he has NHL potential.

Sherwood is a great pick up. Heart and soul player. Put Garland in that category as well.

Hughes is all-world. Him and Hronek did all they could to give forwards a chance to do something

Better game out of Juulsen. One of the better efforts by our sixth d-man this year. (not saying much however)

Branstrom ice coverage again very good

Some bad in this game

Lankanin not able to carry them. Maybe over worked or Preds knew something. Stops the 4th goal and Canucks got a real chance. That's the save he's been making all year, but didn't in this one. Maybe the work toll is adding up.

Has to be clear worry about Hogalnder being NHL standard. Disaster of a shift early in the second helped create the momentum Nashville needed. (couldn't get the puck out which was similar to most of the game) and then next shift puts the puck over the glass. Looks terrible. At this point Bains might be better although don't believe Bains is an NHL player. Makes you wonder about just keeping Podkolzin and not giving Hoglander the big increase.

Myers was hopeless at times. People recommending shuffling the defense (such as putting Branstrom with Myers together) may have a point.

deBrusk looks like a mistake. Flubs up most every chance he gets. Knocked on his butt with ease. Can't create anything or complete anything. Just a non factor.

Blueger line got burnt.

Lekkermaki not ready

Big concern after the last spate of games is what to do with Miller. Hasn't been right all year - I'd say right from the start of training camp.

It's telling that it took 80+ posts to even see anyone mention Debrusk. He's getting a very easy ride so far, considering how much he's struggled.

 

[theguardianII]

It is total crud that the highlight is how many hits Sherwood has, who cares? He could be penalized on quite a few of those being late, high or just interference.

This is a brand new assembly of divererse Tocchet guys.
Tocchet guys will make losing close a thing again

31rst and 32nd in the league

Tocchet doesn't know why and now Miller sat in favour of Heinen?
DeBrusk struggling, trying hard but so much is dependant on him
Petey finally snipes a goal, PP but okay where are the primary assists? This has been going on for almost a year now.

Couldn't afford Zadorov? Apparently they should have found that extra 275K and kept him because the 4+ million they have spent spends most of the time watching or getting less than 11 minutes a game forcing Myers to play too much again.

Next game is against a good team but it will probably look a lot like this one, the group is built to make losing look good.

This Tochhet/Allvin creation is a failure.

I predicted a repeat of 2016, don't see any reason to change my mind

 

[Vector]

Thoughts on the Game

• Liked their 5-on-5
• Penalty kill wasn’t good and that made the difference
• Were up 2-1, couldn’t capitalize on chances, and then kept taking penalties
• Liked the effort in the third

Miller

• Wasn’t one of the guys that he thought could get them back in the game
• Injured wasn’t a factor in his benching

Penalty Kill

• Ran around too much
• Gave the flanker shot to them and overplayed one side
• Didn’t like their structure
• Didn’t execute the game plan

Raty

• Really liked his faceoffs
• Good that he scored

Making Progress

• Liked their 5-on-5 play but need some key guys to make plays for them

Soucy-Myers

• Need to keep chipping away
• They need to tighten up, like everybody
• Too many goals at home; need to protect breakouts and the guys of the ice

Younger Players

• Liked Brannstrom tonight; thought he really tried
• Still chipping away at Lekkerimaki’s game; couple of things they need to keep working with him on
• Need to get some young guys and youth onto the team
• Lekkerimaki will get better at body position and knowing where the pressure is coming from with experience

 

[Tinhorn1]

How many players are actually playing under expectations, though?

Miller, who was clearly hurt for much of the season so far even if it isn't being used as an excuse now.

Pettersson and whatever the f*** was going on there dating back to last year but it looks like he's finally coming out of it.

Myers-Soucy pairing.

That's really about it.

It turns out Tocchet isn't very honest when it comes to his players' obvious injuries. How interesting.

 

[Tinhorn1]

We're not even 20 games in and Tocchet is already being forced to ride Hughes like a rented mule. It isn't sustainable over the longer haul.

Tonight he was expected to carry just about every d-partner. In the third period alone, was out there with Myers, Soucy and even Brannstrom. Hughes needs some help--and fast.

And he's starting to make uncharacteristic mistakes born of fatigue. It isn't good.