Tonight’s Game
- Everybody contributed; good team identity
- Lots of good efforts from a lot of different lines; defencemen were scrappy; Lankinen had a great game
- A start in the right direction
- Was able to get guys into the right situations and match-ups
- Made a switch in the 2nd period that helped
- Need to stay even-keel
- Adversity has hit this team and likes the fact they are 7 games over .500
- Heinen was really good tonight; one of his best games of the year
- Sasson did a hell of a job holding pucks
- Getting Miller back slots everyone in the right spot
- Loves the fact that Sasson wants to stay up and is doing everything that he’s been asked to do; if he can hold on to pucks and be good defensively there’s a spot for him
- Every team goes through some type of adversity
- Handle injuries with depth
- Sasson, Heinen, Friedman, and Forbort gave the team good minutes
- Really good at boxing out the Panthers
- Panthers are one of the best teams in the league at getting to the net
- When there was a save to be made, Lankinen was there
- Defencemen were really sharp tonight
- Were good against the Panther’s rimming the puck around the boards
- He drags people into the fight
- Is a good skater
- Tocchet is a Righty-Lefty coach and Friedman is a righty
- When you play teams that rim the puck around a lot, you need the defencemen to be on the right side of their forehand
- Panthers like to get the puck to the net with a lot of people around the net
- Did a good job at being aggressive at the right time
- This week, a lot of the players were talking about the start of games
- There was a bit of a buzz amongst the players; they weren’t happy about the way they’ve been starting games
- Individual thing and need to show up at the right time
- Need to do something early in the game
- Struggled earlier in the season
- Foote and Gonchar have been talking to him about a couple aspects of his game
- The last month he’s been one of their better players
- His situational play has improved
- Not running around and has a good stick
- This month, has more bite to his game
- Commitment to playing without the puck was more “Canucks hockey” tonight
- Canucks asserted themselves instead of flybys
- Defencemen boxed out really well
- If a player is scratched that does not mean they aren’t playing well
- Have the luxury of rotating between players
- Keeps the players on their toes
- Play well and you stay in
- *Malhotra told the reporter that when players are sent to Abbotsford they are coming down with great attitudes. Not sulking. They are working hard to get called back up*
- Attitude is a big thing in the organization
- If you get sent down and have a good attitude, that checks a box
- Malhotra is helping the attitude down there and it permeate up
- Brannstrom was high-fiving guys
- When that guys aren’t playing are excited for their teammates, that’s what a real team does
- Arguably one of the best players in the league
- Big part of the Canucks
- Hard to not play for a month and jump back in
- Did a good job against Barkov
- Can play with Miller & Boeser
- Needs to really forecheck and come up with loose pucks
- Needs to know where to go in his own end; doesn’t have to be great and will something he’s always going to have to work on
- If he can be consistent on the forecheck he’ll have a spot
