Post-Game Talk: GM 31 | Utah def. Canucks | 3-2 (OT) (Heinen, Joshua) | Soaked.

[Sedinery]

lets go get Cozens and Byram so Tocchet can ruin then as well

Canucks problem is simple, fire Tocchet and trade JT

Miller cost us this game with his pure selfishness in ot.

 

[tantalum]

Garland really isn't that good on the power play, never has been. He should not be on the 1st unit unless we're missing forwards, and Tocchet knows that. He isn't stupid.

I would not be surprised to see a coaching change in short order here. It's not just some weird deployment or a couple of specific things, it's a whole bunch of things at once that are just way, way off.

I was too young at the time to have any understanding of what was going on during the Messier/Keenan era but I've heard and read lots, and the vibes right now are starting to remind me of it.

Agreed on Garland. He is good at recovering pucks but beyond that he just doesn't fit on the top PP unit. His shot is a muffin and his passing isn't high level. That and Miller looks lost on the RW boards compared to the LW boards.

Coaching change? Not going to happen. Rutherford all but admitted management screwed up the back end in the off season the other night. They are going to address that and get the coaching staff a better foundation to work from. Failure at that point is when you start looking at a coaching change. And really I don't see the team tuning out the coach. I see players lacking some consistency at the start of games. Interestingly it seems once the first goal goes in (no matter which team scores) the switch gets flipped and they come alive. It's like they are paralyzed when the score is 0-0.

Miller...I didn't like his standing around. When an NHL player is stationary it stands out and there were several times last night where he was standing still. It was strange. I also thought his reaction at the start of OT looked strange. He was talking to Blueger about a plan and Quinn comes in and mentions something to Miller and his face seems to drop. Not reading anything into it but it was something I noticed for whatever reason. May not have even actually happened....it was late!

 

[dez]

Caught part of Sat Shah and Dan Riccio on the Sportsnet 650 post-game. I thought I heard them say that Blueger and Suter have more even strength points than Miller and Pettersson.

Is this even possible? Not much wonder the team is up and down, if true.

Pettersson is second man the team in even-strength points so that’s not true. Both have more than Miller but have played 9 & 10 more games than him.

However, Sherwood, Blueger, and Suter have more 5v5 points than Pettersson & Miller.

It was in reference to Even strength Goals not Points, Petey only has 4 and Miller has 5.

 

[ManVanFan]

Yep....The ghost of Jim Benning will haunt the Canucks as long as Guenther in in the league.

Probably a fair result though. The Canuck blueline was once again exposed by Utah's speed up front, and a lack of mobility and a poor first pass. They're just so ponderous and slow without Hronek in the lineup. But no quick fixes.

What gets me is that Maata and Valimaki were picked up by Utah for a song. And both looked good tonight. Skated and transitioned the puck far better than almost anyone the Canucks have right now.

Not sure what they'll have left in the tank for Vegas tomorrow night.

Canucks forwards definitely helping other teams defences look great most nights.

 

[Nick Lang]

Wrong on this one Nick. That was a low shove with the stick that happens ten thousand times a game. Keller is tiny, Myers is huge, and Keller wasn't even close to going down. That was a HORRENDOUS call.

Hmmm, hey Nas I'm not going to fight you too hard because I understand it was technically weak (and you're a freaking awesome poster).

You're right it was weak ... but I will point out, we both know that the rule book and the way the game is called has almost nothing to do with the force exerted. Additionally, neither are other calls during that game, that period, or even on the same play used as a comparison for the call. It also has absolutely nothing to do with whether the opponent falls down or not.

What they do look at is timing, intent, decision making, direction taking, advantage, game flow, and the like. Which in this case Myers blew it all. Sure it's a weak penalty but why on earth are you crosschecking a completely non dangerously situated player facing the side boards with 4 minutes left while the entire arena is staring right at you? Just don't. Especially a guy like Keller who has been twisting opponents in knots for years and during this game. Obviously the refs were looking for that very infraction and he served it up right in front of them. Game, set, match.

 

[ManVanFan]

Problem was that Garland wasn't on one knee or crouching to accept that pass.