Sykur
Registered User
- Apr 11, 2011
- 963
- 1,258
Oh what a difference a year makes.
Yes, this is mostly a call back to this thread last year, in which the Canucks had lost 8 consecutive games in the first two months alone where they held a multi-goal lead, something that would not stop throughout the season.
Maybe it was some cruel prank of the hockey gods or maybe the players thought that they could coast once they got a sufficient number of goals ahead, but this year they're leaving nothing to chance.
I make this post after the Florida game (Roberto Luongo night), in which the Canucks had a 4-0 lead heading into the third period, and for the first time in awhile I felt something. It wasn't panic or worry or fear, it was assurance. Confidence. Absolute reliance and comfort. I already knew they had this in the bag. I never felt this way last year.
Last year's Canucks may have still won this game but we could envision Florida scoring a couple quick goals early in the third and then the rest of the period is fingernail biting and rising tension as they pull the goalie and get another late one. Canucks win, but with a scary last few minutes. 4-3. Should have never come that close after an almost perfect two periods.
But this year's team is different. This year that didn't happen. It's not just that the Canucks won, it's how they won. Florida didn't come back with a couple easy goals. They didn't even get a quality scoring chance. Vancouver smothered the rest of the game like their coach is Jacques Lemaire, as if it's something they've known how to do all this time. No panic. No worry. Total chill, "I got this", ice the game, no problem. What, we worry? Just as they did to Minny. Just as they did to Tampa (with the hottest scorer in the league right now).
Last year's Canucks did not win a single game when leading after two periods. It was seldom when it was the case, but they were 0-4 on the season (most of the multi-goal comebacks started earlier in the game).
This year's Canucks are 17-0. They have never lost a game when leading in the third. They've allowed only 9 goals in third periods in these games. Only two games have gone to OT. If you want to know the main difference between the night-and-day results of this year's team and last year's team, this is it. Last year's team couldn't close out a game if a gun was pointed at their heads. This year's team has Mariano Rivera on speed dial. Their ability to shut down third periods is awe-inspiring. Everyone is bitching about PDO and SH% other useless stats that they think mean something but don't. I don't see anyone analyzing Canucks lead protection schemas in the third. There's enough of a sample set that this isn't luck or random variance anymore. And this will be invaluable come playoff time, when scoring the first goal (which the Canucks have done 20 times already, winning 16) is critical.
Of course, if they tank the rest of the year this post will age like room temperature milk. In which case -- have at it. That's how you make sour cream.
Yes, this is mostly a call back to this thread last year, in which the Canucks had lost 8 consecutive games in the first two months alone where they held a multi-goal lead, something that would not stop throughout the season.
Maybe it was some cruel prank of the hockey gods or maybe the players thought that they could coast once they got a sufficient number of goals ahead, but this year they're leaving nothing to chance.
I make this post after the Florida game (Roberto Luongo night), in which the Canucks had a 4-0 lead heading into the third period, and for the first time in awhile I felt something. It wasn't panic or worry or fear, it was assurance. Confidence. Absolute reliance and comfort. I already knew they had this in the bag. I never felt this way last year.
Last year's Canucks may have still won this game but we could envision Florida scoring a couple quick goals early in the third and then the rest of the period is fingernail biting and rising tension as they pull the goalie and get another late one. Canucks win, but with a scary last few minutes. 4-3. Should have never come that close after an almost perfect two periods.
But this year's team is different. This year that didn't happen. It's not just that the Canucks won, it's how they won. Florida didn't come back with a couple easy goals. They didn't even get a quality scoring chance. Vancouver smothered the rest of the game like their coach is Jacques Lemaire, as if it's something they've known how to do all this time. No panic. No worry. Total chill, "I got this", ice the game, no problem. What, we worry? Just as they did to Minny. Just as they did to Tampa (with the hottest scorer in the league right now).
Last year's Canucks did not win a single game when leading after two periods. It was seldom when it was the case, but they were 0-4 on the season (most of the multi-goal comebacks started earlier in the game).
This year's Canucks are 17-0. They have never lost a game when leading in the third. They've allowed only 9 goals in third periods in these games. Only two games have gone to OT. If you want to know the main difference between the night-and-day results of this year's team and last year's team, this is it. Last year's team couldn't close out a game if a gun was pointed at their heads. This year's team has Mariano Rivera on speed dial. Their ability to shut down third periods is awe-inspiring. Everyone is bitching about PDO and SH% other useless stats that they think mean something but don't. I don't see anyone analyzing Canucks lead protection schemas in the third. There's enough of a sample set that this isn't luck or random variance anymore. And this will be invaluable come playoff time, when scoring the first goal (which the Canucks have done 20 times already, winning 16) is critical.
Of course, if they tank the rest of the year this post will age like room temperature milk. In which case -- have at it. That's how you make sour cream.
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