Wake With Elias: Miller’s comments highlight the Canucks’ sad state of disarray

At least JT Miller had the balls to say it like it is.

After another humiliating loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins, JT Miller was asked about team buy-in at the end of the game.

His response was so telling, that the Canucks social media staff cut off the answer.

Watch the tail end of this interview from Miller.

Thankfully, those who don’t have an interest in muting the Canucks’ apparent dysfunction picked up the rest of the clip.

Everything is going wrong for the Canucks right now. They can’t score, can’t defend, they’re being outskated, they’re not hard on the forecheck — if they even know what a forecheck is.

The only person playing well is Thatcher Demko, but his performances are now being wasted on a nightly basis. That, or he’s being hung out to dry by a defence that started the season as merely below average, but now, they’re back to their old ways of being downright dreadful.

How much more of this can continue before the Aquilini’s hit the self-destruct button?

Canucks News

• Jimmi was spitting fire (and vomit) in his latest recap. [Nucks Misconduct]
• Patrick Johnston had some damning words about the Aquilini brothers potentially being “at odds” over this current funk. [The Province]

Here’s an excerpt from the article.

“Postmedia News understands that chairman Francesco Aquilini and his brother Roberto Aquilini are at odds over the direction of the team.

“Roberto’s never been much interested in the team’s affair, it’s been seen as Francesco’s ship, but if the family name was being sullied, and we know fans aren’t speaking well of ownership right now, then he’d be concerned, possibly even towards action.

“This appears to be the case, though what course might be taken is not known.”

The players aren’t buying in and apparently, Roberto isn’t buying in either.

At least, fans better hope that’s the case, because confidence in this ownership group has already sunk below the previous all-time low.

• Craig Button talks about how the Canucks’ plan off the ice is as disjointed as the play on the ice. [TSN]
• You know who the Canucks miss? Chris Tanev. [Daily Hive]
• Elias Pettersson’s ice time is starting to dwindle.

I mean, this expected goals chart from last night’s game is pretty damn telling about the performances from Pettersson and Brock Boeser.

• Former broadcaster Garry Valk had some interesting words about this group as well.

There are flaws in that statement, but the fact of the matter is that this team hasn’t played well since actual expectations were established ahead of the 2020-21 season. That however, was a weird year with funky divisions and no fans.

With the pressure back on this year, the young “stars” on this team look more lost than ever.

Around the NHL

• Meanwhile in Edmonton...

After watching this video, you have to wonder, do Pettersson and Hughes need to buy a “party house” for some team bonding?

• In case you didn’t barf while reading Jimmi’s recap, this article about Gretzky talking about the “Stanley Cup intangibles” of the Oilers and the Maple Leafs will do the trick. [Sportsnet]

In all seriousness, I hope the Canucks are reading this quote from The Great One.

“I said to my wife afterward that [the Oilers] are so much closer to winning than people understand because these guys are so close,” Gretzky said. “It’s important in the locker room to be on the same page.”

• Not gonna lie, it makes me mad when teams with tepid fanbases like the Panthers get nice things, while rabid Vancouver fans are treated to watching a smoldering pile of crap.

The Panthers just won their 11th home game in a row last night. [NHL]

• At least the Canucks aren’t the only sad team. This brutal goal against sums up the Montreal Canadiens’ terrible season. They lost to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, and now have fewer wins than the lowly Canucks. [Yahoo Sports]