Blueline Boost: Conservative Play No Longer An Option - Gallagher
by Sean Zandberg on Aug 30, 2009 8:29 PM PDT
in The Gillis Era
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PrintThese five defencemen (Sami Salo, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, Mathieu Schneider and Christian Ehrhoff) need to be in the rush, and often. Nobody is saying defensive responsibilities are not important or that defence doesn't come first, but Vigneault will have to fight his instincts and make sure he consistently reworks his traditional emphasis to that more upbeat approach.Gillis wants his team to play that way, they're successful when they do, and pretty hideous when they don't. Now it has been underlined by all this firepower at the back and if Vigneault doesn't make it happen it's his head that is likely to roll.
-Tony Gallagher's Piece from The Province on Sunday.
Kind of hard to argue with most of his article. I don't want us to become the Oilers or Leafs either. I still think it's about balance and not solely the run-and-gun style. Entertainment be damned! If these offensive defenceman get involved in the rush often there's going to be out-manned rushes going the other way. Check out the article and let a potential debate begin!
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He makes some good points, but here’s a good counterpoint: Tony Gallagher is a douchebag.
by Beantown Canuck on Aug 30, 2009 9:58 PM PDT reply actions
I usually argue his pov’s as well, but I thought this one was good.
by Sean Zandberg on Aug 30, 2009 10:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Gallagher, Iain McIntire, and Jason Botchford are my 3 fave journalists writing about the Canucks.
by Bobby Canuck on Aug 31, 2009 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions
Gallagher may be a douchebag, but I generally agree with him. I don’t want run and gun hockey per se, but I am drooling over the possibility of quick forwards taking good outlet passes from the blueliners (here’s hoping that Ehrhoff to Raymond becomes a frequent connection this year).
I am kinda envisaging the Canucks 09-10 edition as somewhat similar to Buffalo a couple years ago – no forwards who are scoring machines, but a couple stars and a balanced offense with a lot of guys who are capable of hitting 20 goals (obviously from the article, Gillis is hoping for the same thing); and a defense that can, and does, chip in with some goals. Except we also have Luongo, who is superior to Ryan Miller.
Gillis has gone and got this Canucks fan giddy for this year’s squad!
am drooling over the possibility of quick forwards taking good outlet passes
But he’s talking about the forwards rushing the puck up the ice. I like the concept, but they had better not cough the puck up and create 2-on-1’s the other way, or we have Marc Crawford hockey all over again, except a better goalie.
forwards rushing the puck up the ice.
He’s saying that, more or less, but I’m also anticipating that being the case. The PP is going to be insane though!
by Sean Zandberg on Aug 30, 2009 10:25 PM PDT up reply actions
Okay yeah, I see your point. Still, I think our outlet game should be improved this year.
There were many years in the Crawford era where a Luongo-calibre goalie could have brought us the Cup… sadly we had Cloutier instead. So a return to Crawford hockey wouldn’t upset me too much, though I wouldn’t mind a TAD more defensive awareness (which AV will certainly encourage, so we should be okay).
It’s a better idea than that stretch pass that so rarely converted even a scoring chance.
And yeah, I hope having Luongo makes it easier on the defence than having Cloutier, Toskala, or Roloson back there. There’s something to be said about having the confidence and trusting your goaltender when pinching up.
Oh, so we’re the Avalanche of 1996? haha
It will be some form of balanced attack for sure. You can’t look at the recent Cup winners like Pitts, Detroit, Carolina and Tampa Bay and say that they didn’t have superb defensive strategies.
by Sean Zandberg on Aug 31, 2009 1:18 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah…it’s madness there. Tim Thomas is a freak! Didn’t get them to the finals did it?
by Sean Zandberg on Aug 31, 2009 5:40 PM PDT up reply actions
Nope.
But do you doubt they can?
Balanced scoring; world-class goalie; points from the blue line… It all has a familiar ring to it, no?
I wouldn’t say they are a lock at all because of that. Even Pittsburgh had a system.
by Sean Zandberg on Aug 31, 2009 7:33 PM PDT up reply actions
As does AV...
…And every coach in the league. What the best system is, and who can execute, is the team that’s gonna win.
Along with everything else that goes on behind the bench and on the ice, of course. Look at Boston’s injuries, and tell me again if you don’t think they’re a favourite going into the season.
Actually, I’m favoring Pitts or Philly :) True story
Boston is up there, of course, but you can’t convince me that run and gun hockey wins championships. It doesn’t. To me, Boston is too eratic
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 1, 2009 2:07 AM PDT up reply actions
Pittsburgh, which had 11 players in double-digit goal scoring (and no 40 goal scorer); Philadelphia, with 7 players in double digit scoring (and a 40+ scorer). Which got furtherÉ
Now that Phillyès lost their obsession with big, sow defencemen, they have a better chance; but Boston is still the better team, by far.
Top-3 Goalie
When you have a top-3 goalie, I’ve always thought it makes more sense to play an up-tempo game anyways. Isn’t the point of having a quality G the ability to take some risks, because you know he’ll make the saves?
exactly
Can I start my inevitable ‘fire vigneault’ stuff now?
Na, I’ll wait. Give him at least the preseason to start pissing me off
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Aug 31, 2009 3:09 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Like I said..emulating the Avalanche of 1996. No, this is not an decent option. We have to have a defensive system that doesn’t include defencemen pinching in every shift.
by Sean Zandberg on Aug 31, 2009 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions
Well as the FTF guys keep saying, our new guy has a bit of jovo in him. That alone is a bit terrifying (unless he’s playing mitchell I guess).
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Aug 31, 2009 3:17 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
As time goes on, and Gillis is saying what he does…I get a feeling we shouldn’t get too attached to Ehrhoff or Lukowich.
by Sean Zandberg on Aug 31, 2009 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Definitely not lukowich
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Aug 31, 2009 3:37 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Unfortunate, because I don’t mind the guy.
by Sean Zandberg on Aug 31, 2009 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions
We’ve got Scott Arniel waiting in the wings, so that’s a positive if Coach V ends up getting shitcanned.
I loathe Tony G, but we can both agree that the plan for Game 4 against Chicago should never happen again.
Yeah, the Moose looked pretty damned good under Arniel last year. Without Schneider though they would have been toast. He was gold. Arniel’s system had an up-tempo game, but the guys had to be responsible defensively. It wasn’t much different than what AV started doing last season
by Sean Zandberg on Aug 31, 2009 3:29 PM PDT up reply actions
I like the coaching.
I think AV does a good job, and I like the way he uses his players. It doesn’t lend itself to 100-point players, but you won’t find a forward playing 5 minutes a game or a D playing 30. He’s good at matching lines and holds his players accountable defensively.
I got no problem keeping him.
The Aqiulini’s must like him. It’s pretty rare that the GM (Nonis) gets canned, and the coach stays around.
I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.
Coach V:
He has been one of the top coaches the Canucks have ever had.
Remember the Mike Keenan experiment?
(everyone at Nucks Misconduct suffers a seizure from the memories)
How about the Hustle Desire…whatever coach?
What the hell was that disaster’s name?
I agree with Snep-ish…bet coach for me since Quinn anyhow…
vancitydan
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