Vancouver led the league in points at Christmas, Can they continue this run into the New Year?

[NOTENOUGHRYJOTHINGS]

How did the Canucks manage to miss the playoffs so often when they had Petterson Hughes Demko Miller and Horvat for a combined 20 millions in cap.

Was Horvat really sinking them? Or was it the addition of Hronek?

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

At the end of the day, the Canucks can be the best team in the league when they don't become complacent. When they forecheck and play possession in the offensive zone they dominate everybody but when their defense says and they play the line change game they invite pressure but they also have the IQ to get away with it as Tocchet has them whipped into playing safe hockey but with higher IQ plays.

They smother the center of the ice and allow perimeter play but against teams that crowd the goaltender it can be disaster come playoff time. Tocchet still has a lot of work to do and when the team is playing right (which we have seen stretches this season) they are a contending team. They have been playing a counter offensive game the past month or so and it's not their best hockey but will win games.

With the killer instinct they had earlier in the season combined with their now fleshed out IQ and systems play, they could absolutely steamroll teams if they focus enough.

For now they're playing safe winning hockey but under a playoff format we will see if Tocchet can get the team to dial it in. I'm hopeful but cautiously optimistic. They have the tools it's a matter of will at this point.

 

[avgard]

hope league awaken soon as in league i feel they seem modern days in makin changes in like one day if leagues bigman roaring. i mean yesterday all competisors meeting all team same amount as which every way team. this sport. today vancouver meeting almost only the flood of milkteams in western rocknroll hockey stylee makin players personal numbers to risen in falsery numbers. team not getting also suffering with players for indrurylists beacause of no contact in easy western rocknroll hockey area. remember team POSTERboy of team miller coming in with problems from toughly hard impossibles very full fisttofaceeast hockey troublearea..and instantly since being best player at team with abnormal personalnumbers for him.

sir avgard hockeyprofessor

 

[olafsson]

I’m still waiting for that said regression. Any day now….. @mkatcherin00 said so

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

How did the Canucks manage to miss the playoffs so often when they had Petterson Hughes Demko Miller and Horvat for a combined 20 millions in cap.

Was Horvat really sinking them? Or was it the addition of Hronek?

Horvat sunk them a bit because he was poor defensively but they also weren't forced to be a forechecking team. When that team forechecked they dominated but when they didn't they weren't smart enough with the puck and away from the puck to be consistent. Skill was ALWAYS there which was frustrating as hell to watch and why they were a Jekyll/Hyde team.

For some reason this team has consistently been a "dump the puck in and change lines instead of forecheck" team mostly since Alain Vignault left. When they pressure they dominate (like most teams) but the core could also become complacent too (Horvat being the worst for sure).

I was stoked when we got rid of Horvat because I thought he was an anchor 75% of the time because he just didn't pressure the puck at all most games. Petey was great at it, Miller when dialed in was great at it, and Hughes is special but when coached right this team's skill shines. Always was there but they didn't set themselves up for success with their style of play. Always played too passively.

Travis Green was a horrifically bad coach too. Slowly changed the team into a park the bus defensive team and that's such a stupid way to play hockey. They almost got lucky against Vegas in the playoffs playing that way because Demko was a god but they put all the work on the goalies over the years instead of on the defenders in front of them.

Bo was extremely frustrating because he can easily be a first line player but just doesn't take the reigns like everybody knows he can. He can be similar to Kucherov that way where the skill is there to put up points but the effort can be hit and miss.

 

[docbenton]

Mike did break down the stat a bit more in a follow up tweet. Canucks chances off the Rush are of far higher quality than average

On top of that I bet a lot of their rush "chances" don't even get counted as chances because they don't take a low percentage shot but instead attempt a dangerous pass that doesn't work out or just hold on to the puck, It doesn't they didn't have to have the chance to take the shot.

 

[Angry Little Elf]

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

View attachment 815994

I’m sure you don’t need to be reminded of the 2015 Flames.

 

[Regal]

How did the Canucks manage to miss the playoffs so often when they had Petterson Hughes Demko Miller and Horvat for a combined 20 millions in cap.

Was Horvat really sinking them? Or was it the addition of Hronek?

Depth and coaching have improved things a lot, and often not all of them were playing well in a single year. Last year, Miller sucked the first half of the year, and Demko started bad then was injured for half the year. The year before that, EP sucked for half the year. Year before that, Hughes sucked, EP was injured and Miller was below standards.

This year they’ve all been healthy and played up to expectations (Pettersson has had slow periods but nothing like the first half of 21-22). Quinn has taken a further step as well. I think the team has acquired the depth and bought into the system enough that they can more easily weather the storm of missing them, but part of the reason for the team being at the top of the league so far this year if that their stars have all been healthy and playing well. The team has been really healthy all year with only Soucy missing significant time.

 

[Angry Little Elf]

Horvat sunk them a bit because he was poor defensively but they also weren't forced to be a forechecking team. When that team forechecked they dominated but when they didn't they weren't smart enough with the puck and away from the puck to be consistent. Skill was ALWAYS there which was frustrating as hell to watch and why they were a Jekyll/Hyde team.

For some reason this team has consistently been a "dump the puck in and change lines instead of forecheck" team mostly since Alain Vignault left. When they pressure they dominate (like most teams) but the core could also become complacent too (Horvat being the worst for sure).

I was stoked when we got rid of Horvat because I thought he was an anchor 75% of the time because he just didn't pressure the puck at all most games. Petey was great at it, Miller when dialed in was great at it, and Hughes is special but when coached right this team's skill shines. Always was there but they didn't set themselves up for success with their style of play. Always played too passively.

Travis Green was a horrifically bad coach too. Slowly changed the team into a park the bus defensive team and that's such a stupid way to play hockey. They almost got lucky against Vegas in the playoffs playing that way because Demko was a god but they put all the work on the goalies over the years instead of on the defenders in front of them.

Bo was extremely frustrating because he can easily be a first line player but just doesn't take the reins like everybody knows he can. He can be similar to Kucherov that way where the skill is there to put up points but the effort can be hit and miss.

Jim benning was also horrific at identifying what pieces the Canucks needed. He often targeted people from his junior scouting days. JR and PA are much better at finding pieces that fit

 

[andora]

@mkatcherin00 watches more Vancouver games than he does Oiler games

Well then that's a whole other problem

 

[Grifter3511]

He’s just changed from the PDO straw to the strength of schedule straw. Keeps grasping but hasn’t reach yet.

Chalk it up to another salty fan that is seething Vancouver is seeing success without multiple 1st. Team didn’t need a decade of darkness

Do you remember Jim Benning? Sure, it wasn't quite a decade, but it might as well have been because that hole was pitch black with zero light coming through anywhere.

 

[krutovsdonut]

How did the Canucks manage to miss the playoffs so often when they had Petterson Hughes Demko Miller and Horvat for a combined 20 millions in cap.

Was Horvat really sinking them? Or was it the addition of Hronek?

maybe a little on horvat. horvat is a solid player and person but hughes seems to be a better captain. horvat comes across more like a very good sergeant able to implement orders and lead guys, but not necessarily the guy to see the big picture and come up with the orders.

but much more than horvat, until this year everything else went wrong. people think the canucks are overperforming this year because they previously discounted this obviously talented core on the basis the team has been so bad. the reality is the canucks have since the bubble been unable to build a supporting cast for this core, so the core has quietly come into their prime with no track record of sustained team accomplishments to herald their arrival. surprise!

and yes, i said quietly.

hope league awaken soon as in league i feel they seem modern days in makin changes in like one day if leagues bigman roaring. i mean yesterday all competisors meeting all team same amount as which every way team. this sport. today vancouver meeting almost only the flood of milkteams in western rocknroll hockey stylee makin players personal numbers to risen in falsery numbers. team not getting also suffering with players for indrurylists beacause of no contact in easy western rocknroll hockey area. remember team POSTERboy of team miller coming in with problems from toughly hard impossibles very full fisttofaceeast hockey troublearea..and instantly since being best player at team with abnormal personalnumbers for him.

sir avgard hockeyprofessor

exactly

 

[TruKnyte]

How did the Canucks manage to miss the playoffs so often when they had Petterson Hughes Demko Miller and Horvat for a combined 20 millions in cap.

Was Horvat really sinking them? Or was it the addition of Hronek?

Our d core really, really sucked.

 

[BCNate]

How did the Canucks manage to miss the playoffs so often when they had Petterson Hughes Demko Miller and Horvat for a combined 20 millions in cap.

Was Horvat really sinking them? Or was it the addition of Hronek?

 

[Sykur]

How did the Canucks manage to miss the playoffs so often when they had Petterson Hughes Demko Miller and Horvat for a combined 20 millions in cap.

Was Horvat really sinking them? Or was it the addition of Hronek?

As of this post there have been 31 NHL trades since July 2023. The Canucks have been involved in 7 of them, comprising nearly a quarter of all player movements in the entire league. No team has been tinkered with more over the season than the Vancouver Canucks and its paying dividends. On top of that they also signed 6 FAs (and bought out a notable overpaid and underperforming player), so 13 total acquisitions in six months that completely revamped the team while keeping the core intact.

On top of that they also signed three coaches with a combined pedigree of eight Stanley Cups, in addition to local legends who have their numbers hanging in the rafters.

Jim Rutherford has always been a very aggressive GM and he has imparted this wisdom onto his protoge Patrick Allvin. So this is not last year's team. They kept the foundation but renovated everything else. And they're not done -- the TDL is a month away and they might be looking into getting another d-man.

They've been very lucky as well. No, not talking about PDO, talking about injuries. The Canucks have historically been one of the most injured teams in the league, and in the 2010s (the lost decade) have lost the most man-games to injury than any other team.

This year, however, the Canucks have only lost two players to extensive time off, and none of their core. This is VERY rare for Canucks teams, who typically have the most brutal travel schedule in the league.

It all looks so easy when everything comes together -- all acquisitions produce immediately (Lindholm scored two goals in his very first game for crying out loud), all coaches have total buy-in to their systems, all players hustle every game and no one gets hurt or injured. I don't know what animal they sacrificed to the hockey gods before the season started to have these kinds of results, but I hope they do it every year.

This could all end tomorrow, or next game, or just before the playoffs. Hughes could blow an ACL, or Demko pull a groin, or Covid sweeps through the dressing room, and the team limps through the first round at half strength. This team -- all teams, really -- is a bubble dancing on the head of a pin. All it takes is one sudden move to complete derail the rest of the season.

But until that happens --- WEEEEEEEEEEE!

 

[mkatcherin00]

Well, the Canucks have now dropped to 4 20% shooters from the 7/8 the previously had. Shooting % has been regressing, as history always dictates.

Guys like Blueger/Suter/Joshua were also humming along for stretches of 14-20 games at just under a PPG. Can't expect that from your third line

EP40 has like 0 points at ES in his last 9 games.

Great thing for them that they started off scorching hot. They are going to the dance anyways. Just have to see if it is against EDM/VEG/or whatever WC team

January PDO was 103.6. Still very good, but a drop from their 107 and 106 months

February PDO is currently at 97.9 (Small sample size of 2 games)

Almost like regressing to the mean is a thing...

 

[BCNate]

Well, the Canucks have now dropped to 4 20% shooters from the 7/8 the previously had. Shooting % has been regressing, as history always dictates.

Guys like Blueger/Suter/Joshua were also humming along for stretches of 14-20 games at just under a PPG. Can't expect that from your third line

EP40 has like 0 points at ES in his last 9 games.

Great thing for them that they started off scorching hot. They are going to the dance anyways. Just have to see if it is against EDM/VEG/or whatever WC team

January PDO was 103.6. Still very good, but a drop from their 107 and 106 months

February PDO is currently at 97.9 (Small sample size of 2 games)

Almost like regressing to the mean is a thing...

They are 19-4-4 since December 1.

 

[LuckyDay]

maybe a little on horvat. horvat is a solid player and person but hughes seems to be a better captain. horvat comes across more like a very good sergeant able to implement orders and lead guys, but not necessarily the guy to see the big picture and come up with the orders.

but much more than horvat, until this year everything else went wrong. people think the canucks are overperforming this year because they previously discounted this obviously talented core on the basis the team has been so bad. the reality is the canucks have since the bubble been unable to build a supporting cast for this core, so the core has quietly come into their prime with no track record of sustained team accomplishments to herald their arrival. surprise!

and yes, i said quietly.


exactly

You see the contrast in Horvat and Hughes as captains.
Horvat is a natural leader in the Linden, Messier and Luongo styles and is a sink for focus and attention. I thought it was bad to make him captain over Edler because he was already taking on too much as it was.

You contrast him how he dealt with Miller compared to Hughes. Its natural to conflict with a guy like that. Miller will argue with anybody on how a play should go - you've seen him do it Tocchet on the bench and you've seen him do it to Hughes his captain on the ice. But Hughes largely ignores his instructions and Tocchet will continue to tell him what to do and somehow the plays work and it gets through to Miller.

 

[andora]

Well, the Canucks have now dropped to 4 20% shooters from the 7/8 the previously had. Shooting % has been regressing, as history always dictates.

Guys like Blueger/Suter/Joshua were also humming along for stretches of 14-20 games at just under a PPG. Can't expect that from your third line

EP40 has like 0 points at ES in his last 9 games.

Great thing for them that they started off scorching hot. They are going to the dance anyways. Just have to see if it is against EDM/VEG/or whatever WC team

January PDO was 103.6. Still very good, but a drop from their 107 and 106 months

February PDO is currently at 97.9 (Small sample size of 2 games)

Almost like regressing to the mean is a thing...

So if they finish top 5 team in the league with a pdo you consider normal does that work in your world?

 

[Sykur]

Well, the Canucks have now dropped to 4 20% shooters from the 7/8 the previously had. Shooting % has been regressing, as history always dictates.

Guys like Blueger/Suter/Joshua were also humming along for stretches of 14-20 games at just under a PPG. Can't expect that from your third line

EP40 has like 0 points at ES in his last 9 games.

Great thing for them that they started off scorching hot. They are going to the dance anyways. Just have to see if it is against EDM/VEG/or whatever WC team

January PDO was 103.6. Still very good, but a drop from their 107 and 106 months

February PDO is currently at 97.9 (Small sample size of 2 games)

Almost like regressing to the mean is a thing...

 

[Siludin]

How did the Canucks manage to miss the playoffs so often when they had Petterson Hughes Demko Miller and Horvat for a combined 20 millions in cap.

Was Horvat really sinking them? Or was it the addition of Hronek?

The past two years they had runs where they looked like they could take anyone down.
Boudreau had the forwards flying when he got started, but it wasn't enough to push them past their terrible start under Travis Green, and they only missed the playoffs by a couple of points. They played at a President's Trophy winning pace for the final 2/3 of the season though.
Last year Demko was really brutal to start the year then went down with a long-term injury, and their poor structure was exposed and it cost Boudreau his job in his second year.
Tocchet had a similar bounce back when Demko returned and the team started playing to his system, and it continued into this year. It helps that the only regulars on defense from last year that are still on the team are Hughes & Myers.

 

[Three On Zero]

Well, the Canucks have now dropped to 4 20% shooters from the 7/8 the previously had. Shooting % has been regressing, as history always dictates.

Guys like Blueger/Suter/Joshua were also humming along for stretches of 14-20 games at just under a PPG. Can't expect that from your third line

EP40 has like 0 points at ES in his last 9 games.

Great thing for them that they started off scorching hot. They are going to the dance anyways. Just have to see if it is against EDM/VEG/or whatever WC team

January PDO was 103.6. Still very good, but a drop from their 107 and 106 months

February PDO is currently at 97.9 (Small sample size of 2 games)

Almost like regressing to the mean is a thing...

Yup, really regressing hard. Regressing so hard they are still the best team in the league

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

Yup, really regressing hard. Regressing so hard they are still the best team in the league

View attachment 820684

17 point lead on the oilers. Basically nullified any points they made up on their 24-3 stretch.

 

[Three On Zero]

17 point lead on the oilers. Basically nullified any points they made up on their 24-3 stretch.

I’m just waiting for this useless PDO stat to actually mean something