Canucks mailbag: Brief-term doldrums, long-term good vibes?

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Humorous how a plan and a few wins brighten the temper of even essentially the most cynical fan base.

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That’s the clear lesson from the 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks’ season as we hit the midway mark.

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Canucks followers have been via rather a lot over the previous decade. They watched their championship-calibre group left to rot reasonably than be neatly dismantled, then sat via an extended interval of the group’s administration wandering via the fields, hoping issues would simply work out if just a few darts thrown aimlessly within the air would possibly land on a unsighted bull’s-eye.

It was no shock to virtually everybody paying actual consideration that this technique, the well-known No-Plan Plan, didn’t work out.

The Canucks now sit close to the head of the NHL due to two years of laborious, diligent work by a brand new administration group. That work hasn’t all the time been on-point — the frenzy to re-sign Andrei Kuzmenko at present essentially the most obvious error — nevertheless it’s been with some extent at the least.

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Canucks gamers and followers are having enjoyable, and reporters and analysts have actual issues to debate and analyze; there’s little or no turd-polishing occurring. The Canucks are maybe in a bumpy patch, however the general base of their play stays strong.

Which brings us to that point of the week once more: Let’s talk about some points which have been percolating within the minds of Canucks followers:

A lot potential on this group, (coach Rick) Tocchet and (common supervisor Patrik) Allvin have fastened the ‘D’ and decrease strains, simply want to repair the PP and to let Kuzy-Petey (Kuzmenko and Elias Pettersson) get again to kind and it’ll be a heck of a group.

— Nick by way of BlueSky

That group is at the least ample defensively, and profitable reward for such minimal competency is a reminder of how unhealthy issues had gotten. Allow us to not neglect that two seasons in a row, the earlier two seasons, noticed the Canucks’ penalty kill acting at an all-time unhealthy charge.

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And final yr they couldn’t defend at even energy both.

This yr, they’re at the least NHL common of their construction, which has given their goaltenders greater than an opportunity to be strong backstops.

There’s nonetheless enhancements to be made, however they’ve positively come a good distance.

Identical goes for the super-solid play of the third line of late. Conor Garland has been a constant employee all season, now he’s lastly placing up factors. His odd-couple partnership with Dakota Joshua is a delight to look at and Teddy Blueger is the super-competent centre he’s all the time been; there’s a purpose this reporter threw him a fifth-placed vote for the Selke Trophy just a few seasons in the past.

As for Kuzmenko, it’s laborious to see him getting again within the lineup. Tocchet has been fairly clear in each phrase and deed that he’s not a fan of how Kuzmenko works off the puck, even when the puck is within the offensive zone for essentially the most half when he’s on the ice.

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An attention-grabbing comparability may be made: even higher outcomes are taking place for the Canucks when Sam Lafferty is on the ice as a substitute of Kuzmenko. Up to now this season, Lafferty has performed greater than 100 minutes of five-on-five time with Pettersson, simply 60 minutes shy of Kuzmenko’s time with Pettersson. The distinction is stark: the opposition has scored simply as soon as when Lafferty and Pettersson have been on the ice collectively; when Kuzmenko is with Pettersson, opponents have scored 15 instances.

Lafferty is a top quality two-way participant who ought to be taking part in depth minutes. Kuzmenko was a participant the Canucks had been banking on being a solution of their high six. Now he’s an issue to unravel.

This Kuzmenko scenario is changing into an enormous distraction. Appears to me that Petey’s lack of manufacturing is being blamed on whoever is on his wing however himself, which is ridiculous. Kuzmenko, Lafferty, and so on. — nobody works taking part in with him? That is beginning to look extra like a Petey downside.

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— William G. by X

Sorry, William, however that is what they name a scorching take.

As famous above, Lafferty is performing effectively with Pettersson. They nonetheless want to search out an improve on him.

As for Pettersson, he had 13 factors in December. He has 45 factors on the season, good for eleventh general within the league. He did have a little bit of a stoop in November, maybe resulting from harm, however he’s taking part in very effectively once more.

He’s a two-way drive. The Canucks wouldn’t be anyplace near the place they’re to this point this season with out him.

I’m extra involved about the place our greatest gamers are usually not solely Thursday (a 2-1 loss to St. Louis), however for the final six video games. There’s a greater than even likelihood they go 2-5 on this highway journey.

— Vistaboy by BlueSky

It’s so attention-grabbing when notion diverges from actuality.

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Certain, the Canucks’ offence of late has been carried by their depth gamers. However Quinn Hughes had a five-game level streak snapped Thursday.

Pettersson has been racking up factors, not on the tempo he was firstly of the season, however his scorecard remains to be turning over persistently.

J.T. Miller too: He had a dozen factors in November and his 50 factors on the yr has him seventh general within the NHL.

The facility play is struggling, however the Canucks are nonetheless scoring a ton.

That mentioned, there are inconsistencies of their recreation and what you’ve finished within the short-term isn’t essentially what you’re going to maintain doing going ahead within the near-term.

[email protected]

@risingaction.bsky.social

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