The 100 Plus points thread. FIVE Games Remain!!!

[Optimist Prime]

4 hours ago, IBatch said:

 Coaching staff is superb.   Think the balance and make up of this team is too. 

I have looked at coaches as either neutral, negative or positive towards a teams collective 'strengths'. I thought torts was a -0.1 modifier, while I viewed Crow as a 0.5 plus modifier. Vigneault for me was between the two somewhere. Just my opinion. 

 

But this coaching staff we have right now, including Sedins on the ice at practice, this coaching staff is the very best I think we have ever had in Vancouver's history. 

Boiling the entire staff down to "Tocchet" we can see that Tocchet was 20-12-4 last year and so far this year is 45-19-8. Combined for 65-31-12. 

 

Crow's and Vigneault's are the only coaching teams who come close to that in their Canucks records.

 

Coach..win..loss : winning percent (ignoring ties and OTL's Crow was the last coach with Ties on his record due to league changes)

Crow: 246-189 : 56.55%

Viggy: 313-170 : 64.80%

Tocc: 65-31 : 67.71%

 

It is a small sample size for Tocc so far, but by Bure's Groin this is an amazing coaching staff assembled under the Tocchet Regime!

 

[IBatch]

3 hours ago, Optimist Prime said:

I have looked at coaches as either neutral, negative or positive towards a teams collective 'strengths'. I thought torts was a -0.1 modifier, while I viewed Crow as a 0.5 plus modifier. Vigneault for me was between the two somewhere. Just my opinion. 

 

But this coaching staff we have right now, including Sedins on the ice at practice, this coaching staff is the very best I think we have ever had in Vancouver's history. 

Boiling the entire staff down to "Tocchet" we can see that Tocchet was 20-12-4 last year and so far this year is 45-19-8. Combined for 65-31-12. 

 

Crow's and Vigneault's are the only coaching teams who come close to that in their Canucks records.

 

Coach..win..loss : winning percent (ignoring ties and OTL's Crow was the last coach with Ties on his record due to league changes)

Crow: 246-189 : 56.55%

Viggy: 313-170 : 64.80%

Tocc: 65-31 : 67.71%

 

It is a small sample size for Tocc so far, but by Bure's Groin this is an amazing coaching staff assembled under the Tocchet Regime!

 

Not sure why Quin's not in there too.  141-111-28 regular season...but what he did in the post season is pretty amazing.   Especially when you consider his teams completely swapped cores (by his own doing).   When you look at what he managed in TO and PHI before that...well it's impressive to say the least.     As for Tochett he's having a coach of the year season, the same way Quin did.   AV's team was established.   Nothing wrong with his Adams either.    Of those four, I know which coach the players were willing to go through walls for.    Also the loser point scews post lockout stats.    Seems like he's right there with Crawford.   

 

He's also the only coach we've had to win the Adam's on multiple teams.   What he did in PHI was extraordinary considering he was playing the game on our team in the same decade.   

 

I'd rank AV in the same area as Quin.   Then Nielson.   Then a tier below Crawford, he wasn't a players coach, he's not the only one to reside in that are we've had others too.   Or particularly tactical either (AV certainly was), wasn't bad either.   I'd give him a tiny modifier, in the same vein as Travis Green, context matters ...hard to win games when you've got 2-3 legit top four guys and one is Myers.   Which is going to make people mad,  but let's be real, his teams were pretty bad.    Coaching, the most noticeable difference i've seen, was Neilson and Quin.   As for how the bench would respond.    Crawford kicking guys in the back ... that's bad.   Torts didn't have a good team, he was right it was a stale core, we all knew that the country club was well established.   Neither did WD and Green.  Tempted to put Crow in with those guys but know that won't make anyone happy, his later career kind of proved it was the team carrying him to a degree.   Didn't dislike him either, like him.  Giving him the biggest modifier...don't think so. 

 

As for Tochett, he's been absolutely superb so far.   Somewhere in there...making his own legacy for sure.    Neilson took over and the Canucks were 17-3 down the stretch, one of the few teams to beat the Habs in their own building during that run (in 81-82, they were still a great team).   There's a reason why his statue is outside.  Was also an innovator.    Not his fault the teams were full of character, but not in high end skill.   Used what he had like a fiddle.

 

    What matters too, is post season accolades.   Crow had a couple years in Dallas/LA (was it?) and fizzled out.   AV didnt have anywhere close to same success before or after Vancouver.   It absolutely matters what player's, a  team's there to work with.    Tochett is a huge reason why I think we can win a cup.   He's got this team playing above the sum of its parts, just like Quin and Nielson did.    AV maybe too.   Personally feel Green actually made the team better.   Then the sum of its parts.     Crow did too.   But not to the same degree as the top 3.    Quin/Neilson/AV, no wrong answer's there.     Crow sure it's just a forum if that's your favourite coach then that's ok too.    He wins the best flow hands down. 

Edited March 27 by IBatch

[gizmo2337]

In the playoff 1st round picture, we have a duty to beat Vegas twice in the remaining regular season.

That's probably the best hope for the Blues make it in playoffs and for Vegas to bow out. Make it happen!

[The Aquaman]

On 3/27/2024 at 4:46 AM, IBatch said:

Love to see him in the 100 plus point club.    Bure, Naslund, H. Sedin and yes, Miller.   Some special company, all those guys are in the rafters, and Miller is playing his way into them right now.   11 seasons is enough.   And pretty sure, he will have some heroic moments in the post season.   

EP40 also got the century mark last season ;). I believe on top of my head he had 104 points? 
 

 

I agree on JT Miller! Management hit it out of the ball park, by choosing Miller over Horvat.

Edited March 29 by The Aquaman

[IBatch]

15 hours ago, The Aquaman said:

EP40 also got the century mark last season ;). I believe on top of my head he had 104 points? 
 

 

I agree on JT Miller! Management hit it out of the ball park, by choosing Miller over Horvat.

Think it's was 102.   Pretty sure he's going up into the rafters, and likely probably ends up with all the Canucks scoring records aside from playoffs.    Would have to make the playoffs and play over 100 games with the Canucks just to get near Lindens game's played record.   Tall order even if we made the show the following 8 years after this one.     Also pretty sure Bure's single playoff season record is safe too.    This was only in regards to Miller becoming one of a few Canucks all-time to get 90 or more points twice.   EPs going to join Miller before the season is out as well. 

Edited March 29 by IBatch

[OldFaithfulcap]

Maybe this thread is cursed, haven't won since it came up. 

 

[OldFaithfulcap]

Joshuaaaaaaaaa

[IBatch]

Canucks made it!   That's awesome.  They are having an epic all-time, Canucks season.   As a reference point to compare to previous era's, they've got 40 regulation wins, 8 OTL.    6 OTWs.     

 

    Right about where the "eye test" would put this season so far as well.   It was awfully hard to get 100 points pre lockout.    Any team that did, was a force.  And had a great regular season. 

 

As a case study, since we like to pick on Toronto, their best regular seasons pre-lockout, managed 103 was their high water mark.   Just before the lockout.   Also managed 100 points exactly in 2000, and 2002.  Peak Sundin era, and 90 and 98 point's  inbetween.  Also 97 points in 1999.  TO fans know, that team rivalled the one they have now, and better in the post season.   And still consider the Gimour era, as their best playoffs since expansion. 

 

Their contender team in the early 90's, 93 and 94,  managed 98 and 99 points - the Clark/Gilmour era, back to back conference finals, game 7/LA, game  5 us!     They managed 3 100 point seasons.   That's it.   Same as us. 

 

EDM in the 80's (also 80 game seasons) from 1982-1990 ... 106,111,119,109,119,106, 99, 84 (Gretzky traded), 90 .... their final cup was on the strength of a 90 season, which used to be, a solid season.  

 

Point is, even Bostons regular season last year probably should come with an asterisk.   Compared to DET and MTL's record seasons.   More games (MTL), loser points, that would be ties or mostly ties with a little loss and the odd win during the 5 x 5 five minute OT era (vast majority, were ties, and if you lost well no points if you won 2 points).   It didn't get rid of teams playing to get their one point as a tie. 

 

Not a fan of era adjusting players.   Because it adjusts based on your peer group.   Some peer groups, were just better than others, there is no Mario, Gretzky, Coffey, or Borque.  Not yet anyways, no Lidstrom although that Heiskanen kid reminds me a lot of him.    This is one thing (and goalie stats) that should be considered.   82ish shootout wins, for Lundqvist, that should be on its own column like tie games.   400 wins used to be a lock for the HHOF (sorry Cujo still waiting).   For me anyways,  100 points today is like 90-95 today (some teams feast on loser points, we haven't done that this year, our RWs is excellent), and 110 is a pretty fair assessment of 100-103.   Which is extraordinary.    

 

The 2023-2024 team, has an excellent chance at having the 3rd best regular season all-time.   And a  shot at 2nd still.    As for the OP, if your planning on writing a book about this, make sure you include the 91-92 team as an honourable mention, it was on par with the a lot of the Sedin era seasons. 

[Optimist Prime]

2 hours ago, IBatch said:

The 2023-2024 team, has an excellent chance at having the 3rd best regular season all-time.   And a  shot at 2nd still.    As for the OP, if your planning on writing a book about this, make sure you include the 91-92 team as an honourable mention, it was on par with the a lot of the Sedin era seasons. 

I totally appreciate your input, the 'book' comment was rhetorical. hehe.

[Optimist Prime]

What a wild final 8 games to go!

 

Half our remaining games are against Vegas and Arizona, with the Vegas ones somewhat consequential. You have to play to win, but for just a moment, let us imagine Vegas takes all four points, bringing them to 94 with six other games to go: That would pretty much guarantee we face one of St Louis, LA Kings or Nashville. I think in a head to head with any of those three we make it to the second round, vegas is 50/50, arguably. 

 

Play to win, but should the Canucks lose to Vegas in this coming game tomorrow, the sky is not falling, it possible gives us a slightly easier first round opponent, while saddling the Coilers with the Champs.  

 

Conversely, beating Arizona twice shouldn't be difficult, but with guys playing for contracts down there, you just never know. Still, I would guess we can manage 3 of the 4 Arizona points rather well. 

 

If we split the Vegas games and take 3/4 of points in the Arizona games, we sum up with 105 points and four other games. 

That is good enough to tie our 3rd best points totals in the history of the franchise! (sorry ibatch, but just keeping it simple without the subjective era stuff, but your input is valid for deeper dives). With four games, 8 points on the line aside from these four games, we can still beat the 2nd best season ever for total points.

 

For me, that is a success story beyond our wildest dreams even as early as last summer. 

 

LA Kings, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg still have loads of intrigue as well, not just for points either. Three of the other four games are against conference rivals in the coming playoffs! 

Edmonton has ten games left with a point ceiling of 114, but likely to end with 108'ish. A win over them would be a huge advantage to keeping the Seed over them for the playoffs.

Beating the Kings might even have the effect of pushing LA out of the playoffs alltogether, what with the Blues pushing hard on their flank for that final playoff spot. 

Winnipeg isn't likely to catch our point totals, nor Colorado or Dallas' point totals, however they are fending off Nashville for 3rd seed rights, and will want that win very badly. 

Calgary, out of the playoff picture, are ninth in the draft lotto as of this writing; a win or two would move them up to 11th maybe even 12th in the lotto rankings, while losses could in theory drop them down to 6th or 7th. A rather inconsequential game, where we want the two points, but the outcome doesn't really change much for Vancouver, while it changes everything for Calgary. 

 

One step at a time though, Vegas tomorrow, and if we can put up a stiff fight and eek out a win in their barn, that bodes well for a possible matchup in three weeks time. 

[Optimist Prime]

Tonight we visit Vegas, with two out of town games to keep an eye on: 

Senators at the Wild

Bruins at the Preds. 

 

A Minnesota Loss all but seals their fate, and playoff hopes are almost already totally dashed, a loss tonight and they are done. They need to make up 4 wins over nine games on the Kings..which aint gonna happen anyway, but yeah...lose tonight and your playoff dreams are dead.

 

Nashville holds down the 1st Wild Card spot at the moment, and need three wins to catch the Jets for 3rd in Division, which isn't going to happen without a win tonight. It isn't likely to happen with a win tonight, but fending off the Kings and even St Louis would go a long way with a win tonight.

[Optimist Prime]

A big two points in a bit of a sleeper last night but enough, with Dallas win over Edmonton, to put the Canucks 7 points ahead of 2nd place EDM in the Division. Edmonton has 8 games to go and now needs 3.5 of those remaining games to tie us. 

 

We face the Kings, Golden Knights and the Coyotes again before Edmonton hosts Vancouver for the last time this regular season. 

They face Colorado, Calgary, the Golden knights and the Coyotes before facing Vancouver in the last half of a back to back.

 

I suspect the standings will be 105 to 100 for Vancouver above Edmonton by the time that game gets here a week from Saturday. 

 

Remember FOlks; 107 points will be the third best season in Canucks history for total points, and there is still a chance to tie or beat the 2nd best ever season.

 

I am so glad we consider the recent stretch a 'struggle' when we have a 5-4-1 record over the last ten games. I will take a 55.55% winning record as a 'bad stretch' any day of the week in this league. GO Canucks GO!

[Optimist Prime]

As most pundits will tell you this close to the end of the season, the most important game remaining is this next one. 

 

Tonight is no different.

 

We know who the 8 playoff teams in the west are, and we know that Vancouver and Edmonton will be 1/2 in the Pacific. Beating LA tonight will go a long way to keeping Vegas in 3rd, while also almost ensuring Vancouver is 1st. 

 

Meanwhile in the central; Nashville won't catch the Jets for 3rd, seemingly locking Dallas, Colorado and WInnipeg in place for 1, 2 and 3. 

 

For me at least, the Kings or the Preds are a decent matchup for the first round, although I agree we should be eager to take on any of the other 7 teams in the conference, I suspect the best route to the 2nd round is to face LA or Nashville, so a win tonight would be most advantageous.

 

Lastly for today: if Calgary and the Blackhawks could muster up wins, that would be fun, as they are facing Edmonton and Dallas respectively. Every night is a great hockey night when a season is this good, not only for us homers cheering on the Canucks, but seemingly league wide, a season for the history books for sure. 

[Optimist Prime]

Officially our THIRD BEST point total in Canucks History!! What a season!

 

A win in both our remaining games would tie the 2nd best season ever, for points total. 

 

Go Canucks GO!

[Optimist Prime]

Tonight we will see if it is possible to match Dallas 111 points tomorrow night, as they wrap up their season this evening against the St Louis Blues! A win for Dallas gives them the Conference Championship, a loss in regulation means Vancouver can catch them with a win tomorrow in Winnipeg. Vancouver is 5-3-1 in its last nine, with one game left in the season.