Post-Game Talk: WCQF GAME #1: Canucks 5, Blues 2 (Horvat x2, Pettersson, Stecher, Miller)

[PG Canuck]

Damn some Blues fans are salty af in the main thread. How on earth they’re complaining about reffing is incredible. Canucks could’ve had even more power plays if the refs called the cheap shots.

Sorry but both fanbases are crying just as much as the other in regards to the refs. It's the damn playoffs, this is how it's been forever. The game within the game, and the battles are what makes it playoff hockey. I also hate when fanbases complain about cheapshots, and act like there wasn't one slash or late hit or whatever that their team committed.

It's playoffs. This is where men are born.

 

[Canucks LB]

Sorry but both fanbases are crying just as much as the other in regards to the refs. It's the damn playoffs, this is how it's been forever. The game within the game, and the battles are what makes it playoff hockey. I also hate when fanbases complain about cheapshots, and act like there wasn't one slash or late hit or whatever that their team committed.

It's playoffs. This is where men are born.

It's nice huh PG? Were in the playoffs again, this is awesome.

 

[Ozone]

This team is so likeable even from an objective POV, the only pest is Roussel and he is no where near Kesler or Burrow were

Yup.
And the media and commentators (also thanks to KB3) is showing actual feelings of empathy for some of our players..

What post-world 2011 year are we living in??

cough cough

 

[Bleach Clean]

Myers had a god awful game.

There was a particular turnover with no pressure in the third that made me want to throw my controller at the tv.

I was tempted to post every mistake he made, but thought better of it. If people don’t see it by now, they never will. Myers is so mistake prone. So unsteady.

He’s going to have to pick up his actual hockey game, not just rely on his ability to cross check.

 

[Canucks LB]

Bieksa is showing us love every time, completely changing any sort of "bad" comments to favorable ones, and he defends us.

Imagine if we had a guy like Bieksa back in 2011 in the panel, during all the hit jobs, would have certainly helped lol

 

[DL44]

That. Was. Awesome
Feels good man.
On the same tier as this team..
Let's Go!

 

[PG Canuck]

It's nice huh PG? Were in the playoffs again, this is awesome.

You can tell we are back in the playoffs because the blood is boiling a little higher, everyone is on edge, and a posters favourite team has the refs against them because they won't call a couple slashes.

 

[VanJack]

It's like we are in a parallel universe. The Canucks are finally in a situation where no team has better travel and every game is a home game at Rogers Place which was originally known as GM Place.

This an underrated reason why the Canucks might have a very good playoff run here.

Let's face it, the Canucks have the most brutal travel schedule in the league. And after an 82-game grind, in a normal year they'd have to turn around and do more cross-continent travel for a first-round playoff series. They're worn out physically and mentally.

But in this format, no team has an advantage. The Canucks third and fourth liners, who had a poor regular season, have returned healed up and refreshed. It's not much wonder that so far, guys like Eriksson, Roussel, Beagle and Sutter have all looked light years better. It's like a clean slate for them. Nobody remembers or cares how bad they were during the regular season.

So it's just a 15 game sprint to the finish line, with no planes, buses or arriving at the hotel at 3 a.m. two time-zones away. At long last, the Canucks aren't at a travel disadvantage. So there's no excuse for not playing with energy and passion.

 

[The Vasili Jerry]

Sorry but both fanbases are crying just as much as the other in regards to the refs. It's the damn playoffs, this is how it's been forever. The game within the game, and the battles are what makes it playoff hockey. I also hate when fanbases complain about cheapshots, and act like there wasn't one slash or late hit or whatever that their team committed.

It's playoffs. This is where men are born.

I don’t mind playoff hockey but I don’t like cheap shots no matter if they’re pre season, regular season, or playoffs. I want to watch hockey and I want to watch more skill and actual toughness than crap behind the play.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Boeser is just so limited by his skating, but his brain keeps making up the difference. It’s really interesting to watch.

The top line has got to be the best line in the series for the Canucks to have a chance. They have to get it together.

If Bo can continue to win his match up vs ROR, this bodes well.

Hoping Toffoli and Gaudette can make an appearance in this series (not due to injury, of course).

 

[PG Canuck]

I don’t mind playoff hockey but I don’t like cheap shots no matter if they’re pre season, regular season, or playoffs. I want to watch hockey and I want to watch more skill and actual toughness than crap behind the play.

Must not have been a fan in 2011 then. That Canucks team was far from innocent and that's exactly what we need right now, to stand up for ourselves.

 

[Ginger Papa]

undefeated with eriksson in the lineup.

get that extension done NOW

Ok. Deep breath GP

 

[The Vasili Jerry]

Must not have been a fan in 2011 then. That Canucks team was far from innocent.

I can still like the team but hate the cheap shots. I loved Kesler when he was just going beast mode but I hated when he went tumbleweed mode. I hated Burrows biting fingers but I loved him winning game 7 against the Blackhawks. Cheap shots are trash whoever does them.

 

[Bures Elbow]

I’d think less of it if he wasn’t struggling and skating in mud in his last shift of the 2nd period.

Wasn't that when he was stuck on the ice for almost 2 minutes? He looked gassed. I agree though, we can't afford Miller and Hughes to be injured, we just can't.

They were gunning for Pettersson as well, so many cheap shots behind the play and away from the puck. Perron especially got him a few times with some cheap crosschecks to the lower back, and them shoving his elbow in his face after the play while knocking him to the ice.

The camera zoomed forwards, but during that latter play didn't Edler just annihilate him seconds afterwards? Cuthbert mentioned it but there was no footage...we need more of that. No one can touch Pettersson and Hughes like that. Perron needs to get absolutely blown up by someone in a hit. You can tell Pettersson is playing within himself 5V5, he's staying peripheral and not holding onto the puck as much before making plays, need him to asset himself more and also feel the confidence that we'll have his back so no one cheap shots him.

Hughes was sensational, and then he barely played in the third, so I do hope it was just due to massive fatigue because he was playing a lot before, and not a injury...

 

[Ozone]

Just finished reading the entire GDT & PGT.

Time to check out the opposition & indulge in schadenfreude.

3 more of this and it's: FATALITY!

I will try to include more Whitman, Coleridge, and Poe in my iambic ramblings.
Nevermore!
You are a good, learned, person!!

Now, let's here your thoughts good sir!
..when you get back...

 

[Spectrefire]

The series against the Wild proved that this team deserves a spot in the real playoffs, and game 1 against the Blues proved that they could go somewhere this post-season.

By no means will a series against the Blues be easy, but the Canucks showed that they can battle hard, take advantage of lucky situations, and not shit their pants when it counts.

 

[Ozone]

Wasn't that when he was stuck on the ice for almost 2 minutes? He looked gassed. I agree though, we can't afford Miller and Hughes to be injured, we just can't.

They were gunning for Pettersson as well, so many cheap shots behind the play and away from the puck. Perron especially got him a few times with some cheap crosschecks to the lower back, and them shoving his elbow in his face after the play while knocking him to the ice.

The camera zoomed forwards, but during that latter play didn't Edler just annihilate him seconds afterwards? Cuthbert mentioned it but there was no footage...we need more of that. No one can touch Pettersson and Hughes like that. Perron needs to get absolutely blown up by someone in a hit. You can tell Pettersson is playing within himself 5V5, he's staying peripheral and not holding onto the puck as much before making plays, need him to asset himself more and also feel the confidence that we'll have his back so no one cheap shots him.

Hughes was sensational, and then he barely played in the third, so I do hope it was just due to massive fatigue because he was playing a lot before, and not a injury...

Yep. Yep.

Push back is needed...huge

I understand tonight.
But not game two.

 

[Ginger Papa]

I will try to include more Whitman, Coleridge, and Poe in my iambic ramblings.
Nevermore!
You are a good, learned, person!!

Now, let's here your thoughts good sir!

I will try to include more Whitman, Coleridge, and Poe in my iambic ramblings.
Nevermore!
You are a good, learned, person!!

Now, let's here your thoughts good sir!
..when you get back...

I prefer Mr. Frost myself......

 

[just22]

Scary thing is Canucks aren’t even at full power. Imagine when we swap out floating Jake for healthy Toffoli.

Blues were missing their entire third line, including noted Canuck killer Alex Steen. Let’s hope he’s out for this whole series.

 

[sting101]

Great result but the Blues were doing what they do so well as things settled in. Gonna be a ruthless series as things wear on testing the mental and physical toughness of this team to the extreme. Fully expect Binnington back as he never lost 2 in a row in last years run. This series is far from over. Blues have some impressive half court plays to spring guys back side and will be coming hard next game.

On the negative we took some brutal hits and chops all night that will add up. Tyler Myers was just awful and i dont even blame him for yet another awful dive on his penalty and the turnover along the boards where Virtanen (who was brain dead all night) skated away from him with his back to the play. Ugly ugly game. Absolutely infuriating effort from Virtanen who should thrive in a series like this or at least be one that's punishing the Blues and making us tougher to play against. Wake up man. Also thought Loui was mostly an anchor for Pearson and Bo 5v5 but at least he was decent defensively and trying. Petey is so light and weak looking he's getting killed. Still an absolute elite skilled player and was so close to a couple more goals. Tanev had a tough go screening Marky and losing an edge after fumbling the blueline on Schwartz's goal.

Now the positive...Horvat's best game of the year couldn't have came at a better time. Looked like a vintage Toews game. I have been tough on Bo this year as i believe he hasn't been very good on a lot of nights but man that was a dominant performance. Also want to give some praise to Tanner Pearson after a couple lackluster games early in the Minny series he's been excellent. Does a lot of subtle things right and plays hard in the trenches. Markstrom looked back to the Vezina candidate level of this year before the injury. Good to see after game 4 against the Wild. Sutter Beagle Motte Edler MacEwen Fantenberg and Roussel continue to play their roles well.

Final thoughts......Boeser had a decent game but was back to taking soft ice which can be frustrating. Needs to be on his front foot more and get aggressive with his release. Drives me nuts when he skates back and then ends up on his back hand trying to go across the ice. Beauty pass to Miller late and a nice power move for Peteys goal. Hughes was with Bo the best player on the ice for 2 periods. Him and Petey are gonna continue to get attacked at every turn. Hope he's ok after playing very little late. Miller was excellent...thankfully he played after missing the warm up. Such an important player on our PP with Petey getting knocked over and off pucks often. Loved the keep away and the PP tonight.....impressive stuff.

And lastly Troy Stecher. So happy for Troy. Good game and great GWG.........."That"s for you Dad"

 

[PG Canuck]

Hughes and Miller were both banged up before this game. Even if we were to beat STL, we may be lucky to be able to ice a roster for round 2.

 

[PG Canuck]

Scary thing is Canucks aren’t even at full power. Imagine when we swap out floating Jake for healthy Toffoli.

I don't know if I'm optimistic enough to think we see Toffoli this series. Did we even get an update on him? About anything?

 

[Ozone]

Someone, or some two, needs to step up and send Perron a message in game 2.

It was beyond brutal what he did to EP and Huggy all game..

Brutal..

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

scattered observations

boeser is so smart. every game he's good for one or two really brilliant plays out of nowhere. if he can get his shot back, and if he ever get his skating to north of average, man oh man

eriksson was just really good. good stick, smart positioning, looked like he could have been playing on the blues. i literally have not seen him play this well in our uniform

st louis is intentionally keeping the puck on miller's stick on the PK so it's not on hughes or petey's. really hope brown is already going to work on creating from miller's spot

st louis is also running the same zone entry play over and over where they bank it off the side boards a specific way on myers that makes him do this awkward 180 and give up at least one step to the puck retriever. there's very little to like about this player

even without the goal, stecher has been very quietly effective. exactly what you want from your #5

horvat was phenomenal. at the end of the game, off the marky kick save that they later reviewed, ROR was right there in position for the rebound but bo just outmuscled him. i'm guessing berube will try to exploit the last change next game and have ROR hard matched on petey

 

[RandV]

Blues didn't look like a Stanley cup winning team this time around aside from a few players. A bunch of players expected to elevate their game looked ordinary . Hopefully they don't wake up anytime soon

To be frank prior to last season the Blues were never much of a "Stanley Cup" team, prior to last seasons success for 6 seasons they were a 110 point regular season team that made it to the 3rd round once, getting upset in the 1st round 3 times. Unlike San Jose but like Washington the year before them they were able to break their slump and win, but they should still be beatable for a lower seed.