A Look Back At The Failure That Was The Canucks Losing 4-3 To The Ducks

Main problem: penalties
Secondary problem: not letting the opposing team break out like they did today
Third problem: Hordi SOB Bieksa. I will be happy if he stops taking penalties at the worst times.

On Ducks goal #4, Henrik isn’t signalling for a line change, he’s screaming at the ref for the missed too-many-men on the ice call that directly led to the goal.

That said, the coverage on those 5-on-3s was atrocious, especially considering how well the penalty kill was doing prior to this game. Still, the first 5-in-3 never should have happened as the puck clearly deflected when Kesler cleared it over the glass. Good teams have to handle bad calls, though, and also need to bury games when they have the chance. Too many missed opportunities.

Yeah, and on Ducks goal #3, Bieksa chased the puck instead of playing his position, which is the main reason Perry ended up so open. I like Bieksa, but that play was inexcusable.

We lost to the Ducks? Ugh

ALREADY FORGOTTEN
EVERYONE SHUT UP
SOMEONE SHOW ME A PICTURE OF A PRETTY GIRL AND LET’S STARTING TALKING ABOUT POP CULTURE

Nice breakdown Sean. Please send to AV with a note written in blood saying “fix this”

On the plus side, VAN’s PP is now #1 (37.5%), up nine slots before the night started.

Flip side their PK tumbled to #21 (78.6%), down 11 slots before the night started.

Party like it’s 2009!

Stupid Ryan Poohzlav. Teemu Poohlanne. Corry Poohly. Bobby… Ryan.

Oh well we get to extract some revenge against the Kings. The deflected over the glass penalty on Kesler, and the too many men that went uncalled were brutal. But then again so was the call that lead to one of our PP’s. Refs suck :(

I still hate Bieksa. Maybe it’s unfair. I’m practically examining the guy under a microscope now. But he looks just as easy to beat along the boards as he did last year and just as likely to do something goofy because of it. I don’t remember the last time Juice stood someone up at the blue line or made an opposing forward check their review for him coming hard into the corner. Every single other D-man we’re rolling with hits harder and plays better positionally. Edler, Erhoff and Hamhuis look much more dangerous on the point. *cough*trade*cough*

The Ducks wanted this win much, much more than the Canucks.The Canucks played like pond hockey, as you said, laid back and care-free. They were careful not to work too hard.

Schaefer, Malhotra and Torres look comfortable together. I’m liking that combo.

I like Alberts more and more. Since last year, he looks like a young kid with a steep learning curve. His improvement, in all areas, is remarcable. If I had to pick between him and Bieksa yesterday, I have more trust in Alberts at this point.

I like Torres, Malhotra and Hamhuis, and Schaefer looks like money in the bank as well. I agree that Ballard is still struggling.

The Canucks look like a great team, no doubt. I like what I see, very much. But they need to get over their assumption that talent will win games for them. As soon as they adopt the blue-collar mentality (we need you, Burrows!!) of outworking and grinding down the opponents, they will get on a roll.

My big concern is that they lack the killer instinct. I blame the coach for this. They need to abuse the opponent when the opponent is down. Instead, they do just the opposite: they always let up, and allow them back into the game. Why the f#ck they do that? What’s so hard to understand about going for the jugular when they are in the lead? Yesterday they could have blown the Ducks away, if they weren’t so complacent. This is the coaches fault. They have to be able to motivate the team, I don’t care if AV has to scream and roar from the bench until his eyes pop out. It bothers me when I see him stone faced, showing no emotion.

Leaders not leading:

1. Hank is the captain, and Juice is an assistant captain. Hank did not play the whistle. In soccer we are taught to never ever play the infraction, but to play the whistle. That means that even if the opposing player/team does something illegal, and the ref doesn’t call it, well by god you better keep fucking playing. Don’t stop and complain. Why stop and complain if the ref hasn’t called it? Not only are you out of position and have put your team at a disadvantage, but it will simply antagonize the ref. Ive been taught this in every level of soccer since I was 7 years old. 7 years old – I am 21 now, almost 22. Hank is 30 now, and is a professional athlete. Surely he knows to play the whistle, and not play the infraction. Valk said it well: “Its astounding that a professional athlete can do that”. I doesn’t matter if the Ducks had too many men; if you’re on the ice and the play is continuing WELL THEN KEEP FUCKING PLAYING. DON’T STOP AND COMPLAIN TO THE REFS. KEEP PLAYING OR ELSE YOU GET SCORED O- OH LOOK YOU JUST GOT SCORED ON AND BLEW THE LEAD. This pissed me off more than anything else in that game, because you don’t expect not playing the whistle from a 10 year veteran which is the captain of the best team in Canada/possibly the league. You’d expect that from a rookie in his first game, not the guy who is supposed to lead you into battle. Lu did the same thing in the Ducks series 4 years ago in the playoffs. He thought there should have been a penalty, stopped paying attention, and the Ducks (Getzlaf actually) scored and won the series. Im still mad about that. Play the fucking whistle boys. If you don’t you might as well go home because not playing the whistle doesn’t fly when you’re getting paid millions of dollars a year.

2. Juice. Im not too mad about this, but not because it wasn’t bad, but because Ive seen it so many times before. Juice taking a stupid penalty. Juice slashes the opposing player’s stick and the stick breaks. THAT WILL ALWAYS BE CALLED. EVERY SINGLE TIME, ITS GOING TO BE CALLED. WHY? BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE IS RIGHT THERE. YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU SLASH HIM. THE STICK IS GOING TO BREAK, AND YOU GET A PENALTY THAT WILL PUT US DOWN 2 MEN. SO DON’T DO IT. It is the definition of a stupid penalty. Goddamnit Juice I want you to improve. I don’t even want you to get traded, I just want you to improve. Taking stupid penalties when you are supposed to be a leader is bush league. Wake the fuck up.

SERENITY NOW!

Smokin’ Joe!

I’d blame whichever of the three defensemen beside the bench thought it was smart to change as the puck crossed the blue line before I blame Henrik. He wasn’t even near center yet and the defenseman was already dawdling off. And considering where Hank was when he rightly complained to the referee, especially after the missed TMM call, you know that the bench easily could’ve continued the change. And even if they did, it’s back to the defensive fail.

Valk has always been lacking mentally, and it’s silly to play the saint and say he never made a comparable mistake.

Anaheim didn’t score on the first 5 on 3 btw. Canucks killed the first penalty but they scored on the 5 on 4 right after.

I think Edler should’ve laid down to take away the passing lane on the 4th goal against.

Instead he was pretty much a big pylon obstructing Lu’s view.