Has AV's time come?

[Rumsfeld]

In no way questioning their try, guts, desire, care, toughness et cetera.

LOL, really? Why the hell not?

The rest of the league sure is.

[donlever]

In no way questioning their try, guts, desire, care, toughness et cetera.

LOL, really? Why the hell not?

The rest of the league sure is.

You misinterpret or I explain poorly.

They have those qualities to the best of their individual abilities.

Clearly those efforts do not reach a standard high enough to succeed in an NHL post season or they are simply unable to kick it up a notch.

I do not believe they are unwilling.

I will buy unable though.

Let me put it this way.

An individual human can have many redeeming qualities.

But, having said that, not all can be as debonair as say, a Rumsfeld for instance.

No matter how hard they try.

[donlever]

oops

[Rumsfeld]

oops

Fair enough.

I don't buy that they are unable. Any healthy human being is capable of sticking up for themselves.

They choose to play the game a certain way, and that way leads to getting shoved around and disrespected.

I don't think they are trying hard enough because I don't think they are willing or courageous enough to pay the price that playing that way often demands.

I don't question their ability to take it, just their complete unwillingness to dish it.

Christ I haven't seen them drive the net once this entire series.

They are fucking 200 lb men playing a physical sport and they are our leaders and best players. I just can't respect it.

[Arachnid]

oops

Fair enough.

I don't buy that they are unable. Any healthy human being is capable of sticking up for themselves.

They choose to play the game a certain way, and that way leads to getting shoved around and disrespected.

I don't think they are trying hard enough because I don't think they are willing or courageous enough to pay the price that playing that way often demands.

I don't question their ability to take it, just their complete unwillingness to dish it.

Christ I haven't seen them drive the net once this entire series.

They are fucking 200 lb men playing a physical sport and they are our leaders and best players. I just can't respect it.

It's not so much them, it's Burrows. He just can't protect them or make room for them.
It's not their game to mix it up. Put someone who's game it is to be a True Asshole™

Shoulda had Kass there all season. It worked good at the beginning. Park him in front of the net and draw some attention.

Poor Alex is looking like a ball hockey player in one froggy evening...

[herb]

I don't question their ability to take it, just their complete unwillingness to dish it.

Christ I haven't seen them drive the net once this entire series.

They are fucking 200 lb men playing a physical sport and they are our leaders and best players. I just can't respect it.

They've never played that way and certainly aren't going to start now.

So, assuming the Canucks lose this series, what do you do if you're ownership/management? The best regular season Canucks who cannot get it done in the playoffs have one year remaining on their contracts. Do you give it one more kick at the can, look at re-signing them or look at moving on?

As a fan, I'm about done with a lot of this core as presently constructed. Gillis and Acquilini need to look themselves in the mirror in this respect.

[Meds]

I don't question their ability to take it, just their complete unwillingness to dish it.

Christ I haven't seen them drive the net once this entire series.

They are fucking 200 lb men playing a physical sport and they are our leaders and best players. I just can't respect it.

Not calling you stupid.....just the I'm with ya part.

[theman]

Has AV's time come? It came about 1 year ago.

[Topper]

Apart from miracles AV is done, the question is, does Gillis walk the plank as well. I still believe AV is a very good coach, but is past his best before date with the lineup. Not too unlike Ruff in Buffalo. Too much responsibility given to the core to right the ship and not enough leadership from the bench. More but kicking from the coach. The opposite end of the spectrum is TO where Carlyle is the only leadership the team has.

Now for Gillis, he has completely misread the league for several years running. The league gives lip service to cracking down and letting skill players play their game, but the reality is, it has never come about outside of the first week of each season. After that you must be bigger and tougher than your opponent because he will hook, hold, interfere and slash you until he gets the puck. It is still better than the ugly clutch and grab days of the 80's and earlier, but it is a far cry from the stated position of the league. Sadly MG bought into that position. Fool me once.......Fool me twice........

With buy out and cap restrictions, there may be a window for rebuild because a lot of teams will be jettisoning players to get below next years cap. Failing that, it is a year before an increasing cap likely kicks in.

[Meds]

As a fan, I'm about done with a lot of this core as presently constructed. Gillis and Acquilini need to look themselves in the mirror in this respect.

This thought process is that it puts us right beside Calgary and Edmonton on the rebuilding list.

However.....

We have the pieces, that should they be willing to waive NTC's and NMC's, that will bring us very nice returns so that the rebuild isn't from the ground up, more of a renovation.

Keeper forwards: Kesler, Burrows, Kassian, Weise, Hansen.

Keeper defense: Hamhuis, Garrison, Bieksa, Tanev.

Goalie: Schneider.

Right there is a core of 7 guys with Kassian and Tanev being developed into a future core players (hopefully) and Weise being a very good 4th line forward who could probably develop into a respectable 3rd line winger.

Lap and Higgins could be kept around, so long as their roles are more clearly defined. Lapierre, in particular, being restricted to the 4th line center role and only seeing 3rd line minutes as an absolute last resort.

We also have some depth pieces worth keeping.....

I would seriously consider keeping Alberts around as a 6/7 guy. He plays mean. His play seems to have smartened up somewhat of late, and he protects the net after the whistle.

Sestito hasn't been a disaster and would make a reasonable addition in the 12-14 spot.

Regardless, no matter what happens with the players the time has come for a new coach, and that has to be addressed first, and very quickly. If they lose tonight, then Gillis needs to clean house behind the bench by the end of the second round. He needs to have a new head coach on board before the end of the playoffs, and that guy has to be a coach who can actually coach an uptempo brand of hockey, the coach has to fit the mold that management is outlining for this team in the long term. Then Gillis and New Coach need to sit down together and identify needs, and the coach needs to give his input as they move forward and start deciding who gets moved (or asked to move) and who they want to target in July as UFA signings. If Gillis waits until the end of the playoffs to axe Vigneault, then it's going to be a shitty summer.....unless he's been talking to AV's replacement on the sly.

[Island Nucklehead]

The Sedin Dilema: They don't step it up in the playoffs, and we don't make the playoffs without them. It's a catch-22 that Gillis has to solve.

Another big-money forward at the expense of taking a chance with a cheaper defence is what is needed. We need the Hossa-Sharp to go along with the Toews-Kane.

IE impact players up front, not goal-scoring D-men.

San Jose has Braun, Irwin, and Hannan playing playoff minutes all under $1.3M.

How much better would this team look with an extra $12M on the ice (Luongo, Ballard, Malhotra). I don't want to count Booth because injuries happen, but those three are problems that could have been solved because other areas are MUCH more pressing.

[rats19]

AV couldnt put a proper line down if he was playing hopfuckingscotch...

[RoyalDude]

AV couldnt put a proper line down if he was playing hopfuckingscotch...

I don't think Scotty Bowman could find a proper line with this team.

[rats19]

AV couldnt put a proper line down if he was playing hopfuckingscotch...

I don't think Scotty Bowman could find a proper line with this team.

deflects to MG...

[RoyalDude]

AV couldnt put a proper line down if he was playing hopfuckingscotch...

I don't think Scotty Bowman could find a proper line with this team.

deflects to MG...

Ok, busted. Guilty as charged