Post-Game Talk: WCSF GM7 | Canucks lose to Oilers | 2-3 (Garland & Hronek) | Season Over

[bossram]

Obviously overall a successful season. Disappointing they couldn't squeeze past EDM.

Didn't want to post about the game with the immediate emotion of the loss. But my view is still the same. I gotta say, Tocc has to wear the G7 loss. He got dummied. Knobloauch handed him his lunch money. Completely outcoached. And that was with Tocc having last change.

Line combinations were ridiculous off the bat. Mikheyev was deemed so bad he had to be scratched for two games, and comes back on the top line? Even if he plays well (which he did, by his standards), he's still just going to brick any chances he gets, and that's exactly what happened. This is the last guy you want getting a slot chance, but he was the one getting tapped for the top line. Demoting Suter was also nearly as dumb. He and Miller have been solid in the tough matchups. I don't get what purpose of a Hoglander - Suter - Lafferty line was supposed to serve. They weren't going to generate offense and they weren't going to be trusted in defensive matchups.

And then Tocc was absolutely mugged by Knoblauch in terms of line management. All 3 goals against were caused by the bottom-six getting caught out against the Oilers' big boys. 1st goal, Knoblauch notices the 4th line out, makes an in-play change. 2nd goal, does the same, Canucks' ice it, goal against. 3rd goal comes after two actually positive shifts, then Lafferty comes out and immediately takes an idiotic penalty.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Obviously overall a successful season. Disappointing they couldn't squeeze past EDM.

Didn't want to post about the game with the immediate emotion of the loss. But my view is still the same. I gotta say, Tocc has to wear the G7 loss. He got dummied. Knobloauch handed him his lunch money. Completely outcoached. And that was with Tocc having last change.

Line combinations were ridiculous off the bat. Mikheyev was deemed so bad he had to be scratched for two games, and comes back on the top line? Even if he plays well (which he did, by his standards), he's still just going to brick any chances he gets, and that's exactly what happened. This is the last guy you want getting a slot chance, but he was the one getting tapped for the top line. Demoting Suter was also nearly as dumb. He and Miller have been solid in the tough matchups. I don't get what purpose of a Hoglander - Suter - Lafferty line was supposed to serve. They weren't going to generate offense and they weren't going to be trusted in defensive matchups.

And then Tocc was absolutely mugged by Knoblauch in terms of line management. All 3 goals against were caused by the bottom-six getting caught out against the Oilers' big boys. 1st goal, Knoblauch notices the 4th line out, makes an in-play change. 2nd goal, does the same, Canucks' ice it, goal against. 3rd goal comes after two actually positive shifts, then Lafferty comes out and immediately takes an idiotic penalty.

Going with Mikheyev and Lafferty was ridiculously stupid.

The biggest issue was going for quick shifts and a very conservative dump and change game plan with minimal forechecking in the 1st period. Like, why are you just giving Edmonton possession and so much open ice to skate the puck in the neutral zone. The biggest WTF since I saw Willie Desjardins do 1-2-3-4.

Also a weak spot was the near zero adjustments or personnel changes on the powerplay down the stretch and into the playoffs. He literally went with the same 5 the whole way.

 

[Sedinery]

We will see if guys like Raty, Lekkermaki, Bains, D EP can break through as nhlers next season. Need to pull some players up and clean some out

Have to be careful in the free agent market and not overpay for past prime players

 

[Flik]

Obviously overall a successful season. Disappointing they couldn't squeeze past EDM.

Didn't want to post about the game with the immediate emotion of the loss. But my view is still the same. I gotta say, Tocc has to wear the G7 loss. He got dummied. Knobloauch handed him his lunch money. Completely outcoached. And that was with Tocc having last change.

Line combinations were ridiculous off the bat. Mikheyev was deemed so bad he had to be scratched for two games, and comes back on the top line? Even if he plays well (which he did, by his standards), he's still just going to brick any chances he gets, and that's exactly what happened. This is the last guy you want getting a slot chance, but he was the one getting tapped for the top line. Demoting Suter was also nearly as dumb. He and Miller have been solid in the tough matchups. I don't get what purpose of a Hoglander - Suter - Lafferty line was supposed to serve. They weren't going to generate offense and they weren't going to be trusted in defensive matchups.

And then Tocc was absolutely mugged by Knoblauch in terms of line management. All 3 goals against were caused by the bottom-six getting caught out against the Oilers' big boys. 1st goal, Knoblauch notices the 4th line out, makes an in-play change. 2nd goal, does the same, Canucks' ice it, goal against. 3rd goal comes after two actually positive shifts, then Lafferty comes out and immediately takes an idiotic penalty.

Yep. Tocchet was completely out coached in this series and I hope he has the humility to learn from this and get better.

I've said this before, but I think he's a fantastic motivator that can inspire and boost his players confidence, but in terms of Xs and Os, he has to improve moving forward.

 

[just22]

I'm not optimistic about the future of this team at all. Miller had a career year which he's unlikely to repeat as he gets older. Boeser probably never hits 40 goals again, especially if he isn't healthy. Unless Pettersson finds new chemistry with a Guentzel or a player acquired in an expensive trade then he's not likely to improve his totals much. Hughes is great but if the others are declining his numbers are going to drop as well. This season looks like an outlier and I'm concerned management is going to go swining for the fences and signing guys like Lindholm and Hronek to awful extensions. Expectations are going to be high but when you have deep teams like Dallas with a veteran core and more young guns on the way and Anaheim, and eventually the Hawks and Sharks who are racking up top 3 picks then there's no hope for a Cup unless they plan to sign McDavid as a UFA in a couple years.

It’s ok the Canucks will sign Bedard and Celebrini in 10 years after they’ve won their cups

 

[Chairman Maouth]

 

[rod]

IF ONLY! Yup, there will be a lot of that.

Hindsight, yep, that too.

Lots of stuff will be examined and blamed.

Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda.

This game seven the Canucks didn't look their best, oddly they did look tired or just nervous or can it said, afraid. Not all of them but some.

Still they scared the crap out of the Oilers, the cup favourites.

It was nice to see the fans stay and cheer them. It shows that when the fans are booing they do know something of the game, enough to cheer THIS group of players. That's called Class.

Season over, a real season not just the easy season, lessons learned and now the shit hits the fan, meaning who stays, who goes and dealing with the cap.

Exceptional and surprising season.

Cup favorites?? where are you digging that out from? not at all. Canucks just got beat by the better team throughout the series, again, not the cup favorites.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Cup favorites?? where are you digging that out from? not at all. Canucks just got beat by the better team throughout the series, again, not the cup favorites.

According to all the pundits and oddsmakers, the Oilers are the Cup favourite.

I still don't really understand why. I know they have arguably the two best forwards in the world on their roster - but IMO, all three of Florida, NYR and Dallas are better. And if I had to pick from the bunch, I think Florida looks like the presumptive Cup winner.

(and yes, I think all three of those teams were/are better than Vancouver...I didn't really see a path to victory against Dallas in the WCF short of Demko returning and going lights out)

 

[Krispy]

Well, guess all good things come to an end. Thanks Canucks board, this was fun time in here, hopefully next season fellow Latvians stay on this roster so I could root for this team again!

P.S. Small tribute for Artūrs:

 

[NorCalhockey]

Welp, my NHL viewing is done this season, as the Canucks were the last team I cared to watch.
Hopefully, the Canucks can come back stronger - except when facing my Jets!

 

[rod]

According to all the pundits and oddsmakers, the Oilers are the Cup favourite.

I still don't really understand why. I know they have arguably the two best forwards in the world on their roster - but IMO, all three of Florida, NYR and Dallas are better. And if I had to pick from the bunch, I think Florida looks like the presumptive Cup winner.

(and yes, I think all three of those teams were/are better than Vancouver...I didn't really see a path to victory against Dallas in the WCF short of Demko returning and going lights out)

I agree with you in terms that whomever won this series is not getting past Dallas. Again, there is no way the Oilers are cup favorites with the remaining three teams in it.

 

[SopelFanThe3rd]

What about the whitecaps?

no thx

 

[crazychimp]

Obviously overall a successful season. Disappointing they couldn't squeeze past EDM.

Didn't want to post about the game with the immediate emotion of the loss. But my view is still the same. I gotta say, Tocc has to wear the G7 loss. He got dummied. Knobloauch handed him his lunch money. Completely outcoached. And that was with Tocc having last change.

Line combinations were ridiculous off the bat. Mikheyev was deemed so bad he had to be scratched for two games, and comes back on the top line? Even if he plays well (which he did, by his standards), he's still just going to brick any chances he gets, and that's exactly what happened. This is the last guy you want getting a slot chance, but he was the one getting tapped for the top line. Demoting Suter was also nearly as dumb. He and Miller have been solid in the tough matchups. I don't get what purpose of a Hoglander - Suter - Lafferty line was supposed to serve. They weren't going to generate offense and they weren't going to be trusted in defensive matchups.

And then Tocc was absolutely mugged by Knoblauch in terms of line management. All 3 goals against were caused by the bottom-six getting caught out against the Oilers' big boys. 1st goal, Knoblauch notices the 4th line out, makes an in-play change. 2nd goal, does the same, Canucks' ice it, goal against. 3rd goal comes after two actually positive shifts, then Lafferty comes out and immediately takes an idiotic penalty.

Out coached yes but also needs to tweak his system to get the puck up the ice. There is no reason shots should have been 2-22 or whatever it was. Let this one get away they could have really tested Skinner.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

2024 Playoff Performance

1. Miller
2. Boeser
3. Garland
4. Lindholm
5. Zadorov
6. Silovs
7. Myers
8. Soucy
9. Joshua
10. Suter

11. Hughes
12. Hronek
13. Blueger
14. Di Giuseppe
15. Pettersson
16. Hoglander
17. Cole
18. Aman

19. Lafferty
20. Juulsen
21. Mikheyev

N/A: Podkolzin/Karlsson

 

[bossram]

Going with Mikheyev and Lafferty was ridiculously stupid.

The biggest issue was going for quick shifts and a very conservative dump and change game plan with minimal forechecking in the 1st period. Like, why are you just giving Edmonton possession and so much open ice to skate the puck in the neutral zone. The biggest WTF since I saw Willie Desjardins do 1-2-3-4.

Also a weak spot was the near zero adjustments or personnel changes on the powerplay down the stretch and into the playoffs. He literally went with the same 5 the whole way.

Jeez I forgot about that too.

Tocc decided he should handle the PP directly, and it was a massive failure throughout the playoffs. Well, really since the New Year. Some timely PP goals and they probably beat the Oilers in 6.

Honestly a truly disastrous coaching performance from Tocchet.

 

[Three On Zero]

Any word on a post series availability? I want to know what people were dealing with

 

[VancouverJagger]

FUDGE.........seemed like we were in quicksand the first 50 minutes of the game. Oilers swarmed us.........not having Brock really hurt us. Wish Tocchet loaded up the lines a little sooner.

Overall lots to be happy about. Hope they figure out the right moves this offseason. Gonna have to get Rid of Mik and possibly unload Hronek for a cheaper option - those would be my big moves.

Try to re-sign Zadorov, Lindholm and Joshua provided they don't get too stupid. Lindholm was one of our better playoff performers and if he wants to float during the regular season then turn it up like that come playoffs I could probably live with it.

 

[Orca Smash]

With what,,,him and Zads are must signs.
Mikheyev is my 1 to move,,the guy could not score on an empty net imo.

These people think every season everyone wants to come to van and can be easily replaced and then they rip them to shreds.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Obviously overall a successful season. Disappointing they couldn't squeeze past EDM.

Didn't want to post about the game with the immediate emotion of the loss. But my view is still the same. I gotta say, Tocc has to wear the G7 loss. He got dummied. Knobloauch handed him his lunch money. Completely outcoached. And that was with Tocc having last change.

Line combinations were ridiculous off the bat. Mikheyev was deemed so bad he had to be scratched for two games, and comes back on the top line? Even if he plays well (which he did, by his standards), he's still just going to brick any chances he gets, and that's exactly what happened. This is the last guy you want getting a slot chance, but he was the one getting tapped for the top line. Demoting Suter was also nearly as dumb. He and Miller have been solid in the tough matchups. I don't get what purpose of a Hoglander - Suter - Lafferty line was supposed to serve. They weren't going to generate offense and they weren't going to be trusted in defensive matchups.

And then Tocc was absolutely mugged by Knoblauch in terms of line management. All 3 goals against were caused by the bottom-six getting caught out against the Oilers' big boys. 1st goal, Knoblauch notices the 4th line out, makes an in-play change. 2nd goal, does the same, Canucks' ice it, goal against. 3rd goal comes after two actually positive shifts, then Lafferty comes out and immediately takes an idiotic penalty.

Tocchet was outcoached. That shift to Mikheyev/Lafferty effectively cost them Suter/Hoglander. Then the 2 dmen on the PP sunk their ability to create a set up. Third, their 4th line got caught on two occasions for goals (as you've said). A lack of adjustment down low in their own zone was the biggest culprit. Their dmen couldn't move the puck to the first man quick enough.

This is why the loss is disappointing: They had a reasonable chance to win, they just got outmanned in every battle because Knoblauch took a page out of NSH's book and sent 2-3 checkers to press on 50/50 pucks. The Canucks kept spacing and lost all of those battles. It was a clinic in terms of adjustments.

People will say the team was gassed and there was a stark talent deficit... Yes, they were gassed eventually, but it was because EDM figured out how to play them without any guile coming from Tocchet. The talent was there to win.

 

[Leif Rohlin]

Obviously overall a successful season. Disappointing they couldn't squeeze past EDM.

Didn't want to post about the game with the immediate emotion of the loss. But my view is still the same. I gotta say, Tocc has to wear the G7 loss. He got dummied. Knobloauch handed him his lunch money. Completely outcoached. And that was with Tocc having last change.

Line combinations were ridiculous off the bat. Mikheyev was deemed so bad he had to be scratched for two games, and comes back on the top line? Even if he plays well (which he did, by his standards), he's still just going to brick any chances he gets, and that's exactly what happened. This is the last guy you want getting a slot chance, but he was the one getting tapped for the top line. Demoting Suter was also nearly as dumb. He and Miller have been solid in the tough matchups. I don't get what purpose of a Hoglander - Suter - Lafferty line was supposed to serve. They weren't going to generate offense and they weren't going to be trusted in defensive matchups.

And then Tocc was absolutely mugged by Knoblauch in terms of line management. All 3 goals against were caused by the bottom-six getting caught out against the Oilers' big boys. 1st goal, Knoblauch notices the 4th line out, makes an in-play change. 2nd goal, does the same, Canucks' ice it, goal against. 3rd goal comes after two actually positive shifts, then Lafferty comes out and immediately takes an idiotic penalty.

Yep, I could see what was happening with the matchups leading up to the 1-0 and 2-0 goals and knew we were in trouble. Really frustrating to watch it play out knowing your coach isn't doing anything about it.

Also agree on the line combos. Tocchet is too set on his 4 center thing. Took him until Game 5 to get Petey away from Mikheyev and onto Lindholm's line, and then with Boeser out for Game 7 we got this mess.

He even realized in the 2nd period that he had to make an adjustment, and still got it wrong putting PDG on the top line.

Suter-Miller-Pettersson was your best bet for that line, and then you could have had something like PDG-Blueger-Mikheyev to handle tougher matchups and Hoglander-Aman-Podkolzin for a 4th line that could at least forecheck and possibly create some chances. And obviously you keep the 4th line away from McDavid and Draisaitl.

 

[Hammer79]

According to all the pundits and oddsmakers, the Oilers are the Cup favourite.

I still don't really understand why. I know they have arguably the two best forwards in the world on their roster - but IMO, all three of Florida, NYR and Dallas are better. And if I had to pick from the bunch, I think Florida looks like the presumptive Cup winner.

(and yes, I think all three of those teams were/are better than Vancouver...I didn't really see a path to victory against Dallas in the WCF short of Demko returning and going lights out)

Stars have Roope Hintz out, he would have been matching against the McDavid line. Oilers have all the leading scorers, of course the models will think they continue like that.

If Edmonton wins this series, it's because of special teams.

If Dallas wins, it's because they solved the Oilers goaltending. Dallas just eliminated a team in Colorado that had two blue chip stars, so I think they can get it done. Jake Oettinger should outplay anyone the Oilers put in net.

It's hard to make an unbiased prediction here fresh off a stinging loss, but I think more things have to go right for Dallas to advance than Edmonton. Edmonton can outscore their defensive issues.

 

[hookshott]

Jeez I forgot about that too.

Tocc decided he should handle the PP directly, and it was a massive failure throughout the playoffs. Well, really since the New Year. Some timely PP goals and they probably beat the Oilers in 6.

Honestly a truly disastrous coaching performance from Tocchet.

Why wouldn't they simply turn the power play over to the Sedin's to work with?

 

[strattonius]

I'm not going to dump on Tocchet for game 7. End of the day we ran out of gas and Tocchet didn't have the tools to outcoach Edmonton. They were the better team and a lot of this Tocchet hate is just a cope.

The system and culture he's brought to this team was enough to insulate a rookie goalie against the toughest 1-2 combo + powerplay team in the league to a 7th game in round 2. The expectations for this roster completely blew the roof off and I wholeheartedly believe Rick Tocchet is the biggest part of that turnaround. So I'm not going to sit here and micro-analyze the decisions he made for game 7 after all the right decisions he made prior.

Sorry for it all to end and I think it's normal to try and point the finger somewhere; but some perspective is needed. Edmonton has a heap of recent playoff experience that played a huge part in how both teams looked in game 7.

 

[rea]

Why wouldn't they simply turn the power play over to the Sedin's to work with?

For whatever reasons, I think that set drop pass in neutral zone is all them lol. And that literally was their only way of trying to enter zone. Their pp, besides trying diff personnel, definitely need to have more than a few setups in zone depending on how aggressive whichever teams pk is on the puck carrier.

 

[Bleach Clean]

I'm not going to dump on Tocchet for game 7. End of the day we ran out of gas and Tocchet didn't have the tools to outcoach Edmonton. They were the better team and a lot of this Tocchet hate is just a cope.

The system and culture he's brought to this team was enough to insulate a rookie goalie against the toughest 1-2 combo + powerplay team in the league to a 7th game in round 2. The expectations for this roster completely blew the roof off and I wholeheartedly believe Rick Tocchet is the biggest part of that turnaround. So I'm not going to sit here and micro-analyze the decisions he made for game 7 after all the right decisions he made prior.

Sorry for it all to end and I think it's normal to try and point the finger somewhere; but some perspective is needed. Edmonton has a heap of recent playoff experience that played a huge part in how both teams looked in game 7.

I would contest that refusing to objectively look at the coaching is in fact willful ignorance.

To just accept that this team was lesser than, despite them being up 3-2 and having 11 HDCFs to 6 HDCAs in game 7, is quite debatable. They played Tocchet hockey to a tee and lost. Their PP went into the tank. Mikheyev went from a healthy scratch to 1RW... And Tocchet is blameless? Spare me.

Now granted, the majority of the OZone possession time did favour EDM. Does that make them the better team? IMO, no. Not when the Canucks allow the opposition the latitude to attack in order to win out on HDCFs via counter attack. They were just gassed trying to execute the system in place.