Post-Game Talk: GM 48 | Canucks def. Capitals | 2-1 (Hughes x2) | Follow your Captain.

[Zippgunn]

Tonight’s Game

• Played a little fast and their breakouts were better
• Had intensity from everyone
• Grinded out a win and hopefully gives them confidence
• Have to make sure they push back
• When protecting a lead, don’t back up in the neutral zone, don’t let the other team skate
• Turned down some shots instead of taking the puck to the net
• Sometimes they defer and throw the pucks around; saw better aspects of that today

Elias Pettersson, Defenceman At Large

• Is a really big fan of the kid
• Not sure how many games he will play but will just get better
• Has swagger
• Goes into piles and blows people up; unafraid to do that
• Stops cycles
• A young defenceman you can really build off

Washington Capitals Goal

• Canucks video guy didn’t believe Lankinen had full possession so they didn’t challenge
• Only saw one angle

Hughes

• Not scared to go to the interior and that’s how he scores goals
• First goal was incredible

Going to the Interior

• Trying to dive into this
• Not sure if it’s a confidence thing
• Coaches have to keep preaching it and practicing it
• Need to really harp this, more than ever
• Last 30-40 games have been interior stuff; going to the net
• Deferring low-to-high too much
• Hopefully can build off Hughes goal
• Not a lot of guys can score that backhand goal, though

Hoglander

• Hoglander came to Tocchet’s office and they had a talk
• Told him to build off his identity
• Need to see this again in St. Louis
• Is getting a little bit better in his own end
• His forecheck is something they desperately need from him

Avoiding a Letdown in the Next Game

• It’s on the coaches and players
• Need to continuously preach the good things
• Remind them they can’t let the foot off the gas
• It’s a confidence thing but is a responsibility to be ready
• Need to want the puck and not shy away from tough situations

Blueger’s Line

• Blueger had a good game; moved his feet
• PDG was good on a forecheck
• That 4th line really helped; was unafraid to use them against the top line
• Thought it was too many men when Lindgren made the save on the empty net

First Two Minutes

• First shift was a tough start but once they held it, saw some guys breath a little bit and responded with good back-to-back shifts
• When they had 2 bad shifts, the 3rd regained their momentum; lately it has snowballed
• Stopped the Capitals' press

Road Trip

• Sometimes you want to be on the road and others you want to be at home
• Wherever they play, need to get some traction

How to Get to the Middle of the Ice

• Need to use your quickness
• If opponent is man-on-man, they will behind you so need the patience to have a guy on your back and take it to the interior
• Need to have some courage
• Don’t panic

Deferring to the Point

• When asked if he feels there’s too much deferring to the pointman “One million percent”
• Have talked about this all year
• Will have a game where they go “wow!” but haven’t been able to sustain it
• Have talked about tweaking their practices; focus on interior offensive stuff for 30 minutes and not even worry about the defence
• On the coaching staff to keep preaching it

...and on and on but nary even a mention of the guy who played a .969 game and was an ace away from a shutout neither by Tocchet nor by this board. It has become apparent, at least to me, that there are two different Canuck teams; the one that plays in front of Lankinen like they have total trust in his abilities or the one that plays in front of either Silovs or Demko who play like they are afraid that every shot is going to go in. Demko has had only a couple of decent games this year and poor old Silovs has had exactly one by my count. The rest of the time both were completely abandoned by the team and left to fend for themselves which, for the most part, they were unable to do. Despite this disparity in play by the team the Canucks seem hell bent on almost willing Demko to get better which isn't working; if anything he's getting worse. It would be so Canuck-like if they were to re-sign Demko long term and he gets hurt forever weeks after Lanky walks and they trade Silovs for a bag of pucks...

 

[PuckMunchkin]

I got the Inner Circle Task Force before the thing sold out in...seconds after its pre-order opened. The minis in that box are UNBELIEVABLE.

Thats what Im building currently!

 

[valkynax]

Thats what Im building currently!

F*** yeah. It's the best box of 2024. I actually sold my Lion stand alone just so I can buy this box without losing out on its value.

I really liked the aesthetics, because I don't play the game I buy minis purely based on how cool they look. Those who play the game said the box itself is pretty much perfect for anyone who's interested in getting started with Dark Angels.

 

[Quinning]

I really noticed how slow Ovechkin looks since breaking his leg. I mean, it makes sense, the guy is almost 40 and missed about a month and change in playing time...ludicrous. I think he'll get to the record next season, but I also think it'll be his final year in the league.

Going to see him on Tuesday and my seats are in his corner on the glass, so it should be a pretty awesome experience.

 

[valkynax]

I really noticed how slow Ovechkin looks since breaking his leg. I mean, it makes sense, the guy is almost 40 and missed about a month and change in playing time...ludicrous. I think he'll get to the record next season, but I also think it'll be his final year in the league.

Going to see him on Tuesday and my seats are in his corner on the glass, so it should be a pretty awesome experience.

I can't recall if it was commentator or the panel taking some mild potshots at Ovechkin not interested in defense and...I don't see that on ice.

A younger Ovechkin back in the days for sure couldn't careless about defense, but the years that lead him up to the cup showed him maturing and working to round out his games. It's not like he's Selke level player or something but he's certainly far from the young hothead who wanted and only wanted to score flashy goals.

 

[Quinning]

I can't recall if it was commentator or the panel taking some mild potshots at Ovechkin not interested in defense and...I don't see that on ice.

A younger Ovechkin back in the days for sure couldn't careless about defense, but the years that lead him up to the cup showed him maturing and working to round out his games. It's not like he's Selke level player or something but he's certainly far from the young hothead who wanted and only wanted to score flashy goals.

He's turned into a Dany Heatley type forward who is great in front of the net, still has an elite shot but doesn't play an explosive game anymore. His physical game obviously wound down with time.

 

[valkynax]

He's turned into a Dany Heatley type forward who is great in front of the net, still has an elite shot but doesn't play an explosive game anymore. His physical game obviously wound down with time.

For someone of his age, still in the thick of chasing all time scoring record and a good chance to surpass it? Hell yeah the guy still looks great.

Some people are just a bit too critical of him.

 

[me2]

Better than VD, worse than Hughes

So on a scale of 1 to 10 he's somewhere between.-1 and 10.

 

[God]

heard ovi was kicking back 3 beers at miku on friday

 

[Kryten]

So on a scale of 1 to 10 he's somewhere between.-1 and 10.

But Hughes goes up to 11

 

[me2]

I can't recall if it was commentator or the panel taking some mild potshots at Ovechkin not interested in defense and...I don't see that on ice.

A younger Ovechkin back in the days for sure couldn't careless about defense, but the years that lead him up to the cup showed him maturing and working to round out his games. It's not like he's Selke level player or something but he's certainly far from the young hothead who wanted and only wanted to score flashy goals.

His effort on Dpete was brutal. Even VD would have been ashamed.

 

[LordBacon]

How about a Happy Meal + toy at least?

And a foot massage

 

[Nuckles]

Did they combine the Peteys? Just missing D-Petey on that graph, did he not play enough to count?

It has been corrected to show both Elias Petterssons