Brock Boeser | #6 | RW

[Diamonds]

1 hour ago, Googlie said:

Upcoming Islanders game might have more at stake than just 2 points .......

 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/rivalry-islanders-fans-canucks-merch

This is like when Matt Kassian threw a hissyfit when Zack was briefly given the nickname The Kassassin. Apparently he trademarked the name but no one knew about it because he was a fringe player.

[Wilbur]

Boeser leapfrogs Ronning into 21st in all-time Canuck scoring with his pair of empty net points tonight.

 

[-AJ-]

Boeser is a changed player this year. Sure, he's putting up more points, but his defensive play and intense play on the puck is game-changing. He's more well-rounded than he's ever been. If he keeps up this play, he's easily worth his contract. Even if he gets only 65 points, he's worth his contract with a game like he's been playing.

[PhillipBlunt]

Just now, -AJ- said:

Boeser is a changed player this year. Sure, he's putting up more points, but his defensive play and intense play on the puck is gamechanging. He's more well-rounded than he's ever been. If he keeps up this play, he's easily worth his contract. Even if he gets only 65 points, he's worth his contract with a game like he's been playing.

He's playing with much more physicality and drive. Glad he wasn't traded. 

[MattJVD]

NHL.com article on Boeser's resurgence and his struggles over the last few years https://www.nhl.com/news/brock-boeser-enjoying-hockey-again-with-canucks

 

 

VANCOUVER -- Brock Boeser has made his peace with hockey, and as a result he is back to excelling for the Vancouver Canucks.

But that admittedly wasn't an easy process for the 26-year-old forward, who had to spend a lot of time away from his family as his father, Duke, battled numerous health problems before dying on May 27, 2022.

“It was just really tough the last few years. I wasn't home much other than in the summer, so I think I resented the game for a bit,” Boeser told NHL.com. “Hockey wasn't fun, and I think I just had to really realize what our dream was when I was a kid, and that was to play in the NHL. It's not hockey's fault that it got in the way.”

That realization has brought with it a return to form for Boeser.

He is currently tied for third in the NHL with 13 goals in 20 games, putting him on pace for 53, which would easily surpass his NHL career high of 29 that he set as a rookie in 2017-18. It would also be roughly triple the amount he scored in 74 games last season (18).

Boeser is also tied for 15th in the NHL in points (22) and has a plus-8 rating (he was minus-20 last season), and perhaps most impressively, he is doing it while playing on a line with J.T. Miller and Phillip Di Giuseppe that has been frequently matched up against the opposition’s top line this season.

 

It's not a role Boeser could have envisioned earlier in his career.

“I don't know if I would have believed you, but I take a lot of pride in that,” Boeser said. “I'm really motivated when our line is playing against top lines to try to shut them down and be better than them.”

Boeser credits Rick Tocchet, who was hired as Canucks coach on Jan. 22, for adding those defensive responsibilities, a role that began shortly after the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, prior to which Boeser had been the subject of constant rumors.

“Playing under [Tocchet] and being in that role at the end of the year, I started to find that drive and felt really good as a hockey player again,” Boeser said. “In that time, I started feeling more like myself again, and that's when it switched.”

What “switched” included wanting to stay in Vancouver, something Boeser stressed in his meetings to coaches, management and the media after last season, when his agent was reportedly given permission to help facilitate a trade.

“He's at peace with his mind and even with the way he plays the game, the way he practices,” Tocchet said. “His hockey IQ, for me, is really something I didn't know he had at that level. He's a really smart guy, but the personal stuff from the last eight months, to me he's such an outgoing guy now and he's having fun.”

That wasn't an simple adjustment, though.

Boeser talked about seeking help to learn how to manage his grief after losing his dad, who battled Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and dementia. But it was a process that was delayed -- as it is for so many who go through it -- by Boeser trying to keep himself busy, “distracted,” he said, for six months until, “all of a sudden, boom, it hits.”

“For him to prevail through some really hard times in his life, I'm just really proud of him,” Miller said. “He's worked hard at it, worked hard at it mentally, trying to get through the hard times, and then it's just nice to see him playing at a high level again and working hard and really trying to elevate his game. To be honest, I think this is by far the best he's played as a Canuck.”

 

 

And he's doing it by evolving his game.

Aside from his defensive responsibilities, Boeser has been spending more time down low on the power play, either in the bumper spot or in front of the net, where he's become adept at forcing goalies to move just as a shot is being taken. It's a noticeable shift from his early seasons in the NHL, when he was known primarily as a shooting threat from the left side.

“Couldn't get him to screen a goalie for his life four years ago, and now he loves playing down there in the middle because he knows that's a big part of the power play,” Miller said. “He's very invested.”

Six of Boeser's 13 goals this season have come on the power play, but only two from that shot he was so known for coming into the League six years ago. One went in off his skate from the bumper position, one came off a rebound in front, and two were backdoor tap ins after he slid to the open post.

“If you watch him play now, he's everywhere,” Tocchet said.

That includes defending late leads, which has led to two empty-net goals.

“I want to be one of those guys that they can trust at the end of games,” Boeser said. “Hockey is more enjoyable now that we're understanding the way we need to play to win games in this League and playing the right way each night.”

For close to a year, Boeser struggled to feel that way about hockey.

It’s no coincidence that success has returned now that he does.

[OldFaithfulcap]

7 games without a 5 on 5 goal that wasn't an EN, 4 games without a goal of any type.

 

Needs to step up.

[Artemus]

22 hours ago, OldFaithfulcap said:

7 games without a 5 on 5 goal that wasn't an EN, 4 games without a goal of any type.

 

Needs to step up.

 

Boeser is going through a bit of a dry spell at the moment. Brock had a number of high quality scoring chances last night. I think that it's just a matter of time before he scores a bunch more goals.

 

I would be worried if he wasn't getting chances!

[-AJ-]

56 minutes ago, Artemus said:

 

Boeser is going through a bit of a dry spell at the moment. Brock had a number of high quality scoring chances last night. I think that it's just a matter of time before he scores a bunch more goals.

 

I would be worried if he wasn't getting chances!

 

On top of that, he's still playing a good details game. He's still useful even when not producing now, which is great to see.

[Frozen Water Walker]

Sometimes you just gotta "Go with The Flow"

[MeanSeanBean]

Has anyone checked on Eddie Vedder recently to make sure he's Alive? Hopefully he's just In Hiding. Who knows, maybe he's a Better Man now and he's forgot about his stupid grudge against Boeser. He was always so Faithful in his Habit of hating on our Love Boat Captain Brock. He was so adamant about how terrible Boeser was, then Off He Goes, leading the NHL in goals.  I won't Soon Forget how unreadable he was in his hate towards Boeser. Yellow Ledbetter.

[Wilbur]

Boeser flows his way into the top 20 in all-time Canuck scoring with his assist tonight.

 

[-AJ-]

7-game point streak with 10 points (5G, 5A) during the streak for Boeser. Really staying above a point per game for a surprisingly long time.

[filthy animal]

On 11/21/2023 at 9:05 AM, -AJ- said:

Boeser is a changed player this year. Sure, he's putting up more points, but his defensive play and intense play on the puck is game-changing. He's more well-rounded than he's ever been. If he keeps up this play, he's easily worth his contract. Even if he gets only 65 points, he's worth his contract with a game like he's been playing.

 

He's noticeably a step or 2 quicker and hes getting to the front of the net a lot more than were used to seeing

[Snoop Hogg]

On 12/7/2023 at 9:53 PM, MeanSeanBean said:

Has anyone checked on Eddie Vedder recently to make sure he's Alive? Hopefully he's just In Hiding. Who knows, maybe he's a Better Man now and he's forgot about his stupid grudge against Boeser. He was always so Faithful in his Habit of hating on our Love Boat Captain Brock. He was so adamant about how terrible Boeser was, then Off He Goes, leading the NHL in goals.  I won't Soon Forget how unreadable he was in his hate towards Boeser. Yellow Ledbetter.

As per my Wish List, Eddie Vedder’s world turned to Black, but that’s okay. It’s Not For You.   I was ecstatic to see Brock Do The Evolution and round out his game. Even his skating has improved and you can see the Even Flow in his stride. It’s been incredible to watch him take that next step this season.  Hail, hail, the lucky ones we are! Oh, and I just received a message from Eddie Vedder to inform me that oh, he’s still Alive and in no way participated in a Worldwide Suicide. Despite his claim, he is not the Man Of The Hour. 

[Rip The Mesh]

 

[Coconuts]

Boeser's looking much better this season but he's also having a Kuzmenko season

 

21 goals and 35 points in 29 games is great

 

The caveat is he's got a 27.3 shooting percentage after last night, 77 shots though so he's shooting more than Kuzmenko who sits at 40

 

He's due for some inevitable regression, wonder what it'll look like 

 

Could still hit 40 but 50 seems unlikely 

[Bob Long]

On 11/24/2023 at 11:10 AM, MattJVD said:

NHL.com article on Boeser's resurgence and his struggles over the last few years https://www.nhl.com/news/brock-boeser-enjoying-hockey-again-with-canucks

 

 

VANCOUVER -- Brock Boeser has made his peace with hockey, and as a result he is back to excelling for the Vancouver Canucks.

But that admittedly wasn't an easy process for the 26-year-old forward, who had to spend a lot of time away from his family as his father, Duke, battled numerous health problems before dying on May 27, 2022.

“It was just really tough the last few years. I wasn't home much other than in the summer, so I think I resented the game for a bit,” Boeser told NHL.com. “Hockey wasn't fun, and I think I just had to really realize what our dream was when I was a kid, and that was to play in the NHL. It's not hockey's fault that it got in the way.”

That realization has brought with it a return to form for Boeser.

He is currently tied for third in the NHL with 13 goals in 20 games, putting him on pace for 53, which would easily surpass his NHL career high of 29 that he set as a rookie in 2017-18. It would also be roughly triple the amount he scored in 74 games last season (18).

Boeser is also tied for 15th in the NHL in points (22) and has a plus-8 rating (he was minus-20 last season), and perhaps most impressively, he is doing it while playing on a line with J.T. Miller and Phillip Di Giuseppe that has been frequently matched up against the opposition’s top line this season.

 

It's not a role Boeser could have envisioned earlier in his career.

“I don't know if I would have believed you, but I take a lot of pride in that,” Boeser said. “I'm really motivated when our line is playing against top lines to try to shut them down and be better than them.”

Boeser credits Rick Tocchet, who was hired as Canucks coach on Jan. 22, for adding those defensive responsibilities, a role that began shortly after the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, prior to which Boeser had been the subject of constant rumors.

“Playing under [Tocchet] and being in that role at the end of the year, I started to find that drive and felt really good as a hockey player again,” Boeser said. “In that time, I started feeling more like myself again, and that's when it switched.”

What “switched” included wanting to stay in Vancouver, something Boeser stressed in his meetings to coaches, management and the media after last season, when his agent was reportedly given permission to help facilitate a trade.

“He's at peace with his mind and even with the way he plays the game, the way he practices,” Tocchet said. “His hockey IQ, for me, is really something I didn't know he had at that level. He's a really smart guy, but the personal stuff from the last eight months, to me he's such an outgoing guy now and he's having fun.”

That wasn't an simple adjustment, though.

Boeser talked about seeking help to learn how to manage his grief after losing his dad, who battled Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and dementia. But it was a process that was delayed -- as it is for so many who go through it -- by Boeser trying to keep himself busy, “distracted,” he said, for six months until, “all of a sudden, boom, it hits.”

“For him to prevail through some really hard times in his life, I'm just really proud of him,” Miller said. “He's worked hard at it, worked hard at it mentally, trying to get through the hard times, and then it's just nice to see him playing at a high level again and working hard and really trying to elevate his game. To be honest, I think this is by far the best he's played as a Canuck.”

 

 

And he's doing it by evolving his game.

Aside from his defensive responsibilities, Boeser has been spending more time down low on the power play, either in the bumper spot or in front of the net, where he's become adept at forcing goalies to move just as a shot is being taken. It's a noticeable shift from his early seasons in the NHL, when he was known primarily as a shooting threat from the left side.

“Couldn't get him to screen a goalie for his life four years ago, and now he loves playing down there in the middle because he knows that's a big part of the power play,” Miller said. “He's very invested.”

Six of Boeser's 13 goals this season have come on the power play, but only two from that shot he was so known for coming into the League six years ago. One went in off his skate from the bumper position, one came off a rebound in front, and two were backdoor tap ins after he slid to the open post.

“If you watch him play now, he's everywhere,” Tocchet said.

That includes defending late leads, which has led to two empty-net goals.

“I want to be one of those guys that they can trust at the end of games,” Boeser said. “Hockey is more enjoyable now that we're understanding the way we need to play to win games in this League and playing the right way each night.”

For close to a year, Boeser struggled to feel that way about hockey.

It’s no coincidence that success has returned now that he does.

 

He didn't mention anyone by name, but just talking about how the players just now know what they need to do in order to win games should tell folks all they need to know about our last string of coaches.

[-AJ-]

16 minutes ago, Coconuts said:

Boeser's looking much better this season but he's also having a Kuzmenko season

 

21 goals and 35 points in 29 games is great

 

The caveat is he's got a 27.3 shooting percentage after last night, 77 shots though so he's shooting more than Kuzmenko who sits at 40

 

He's due for some inevitable regression, wonder what it'll look like 

 

Could still hit 40 but 50 seems unlikely 

 

Yeah, I think a reasonable bet is probably the high 30s to low 40s. I'd guess 37-43 goals.

[Coconuts]

1 minute ago, -AJ- said:

 

Yeah, I think a reasonable bet is probably the high 30s to low 40s. I'd guess 37-43 goals.

 

I'll take it for what it is, a welcome mirage, if anyone deserves a break it's Brock

 

Well on his way to finally being a 30 goal scorer

 

His overall game does look better this season though, there's no denying that

[Diamonds]

17 hours ago, Coconuts said:

 

I'll take it for what it is, a welcome mirage, if anyone deserves a break it's Brock

 

Well on his way to finally being a 30 goal scorer

 

His overall game does look better this season though, there's no denying that

I definitely don't think he's suddenly going to be a perennial Richard candidate, but as you've said his overall game also looks a lot better. Even if he regressed to a more realistic 16% shooting percentage (which he's had multiple times before) that would still give him 35 goals over a full season. I would still be incredibly happy if Boeser is a 30-35 goal 70 points forward next season while continuing his improved engagement and defensive play.

[Dizzle]

On 9/19/2023 at 10:35 PM, cripplereh said:

Cause he plays like a 3-4 mill dollar players that seems to have no upside.

 

On 9/19/2023 at 10:42 PM, cripplereh said:

Why?

 

How many seasons does a player need??

 

He had his second and third chances already.

 

Me for one am done with the guy and if he starts being what we thought he should be I say trade him ASAP.

 

On 9/19/2023 at 10:45 PM, cripplereh said:

Haha we tried and NO team wants him.

 

I say if we need to buyout another player it's him

 

 

On 9/19/2023 at 10:47 PM, cripplereh said:

Cause I ain't the GM or he'd be in the minors.

 

I'll just leave this here  

[Rip The Mesh]

“Oh, it’s nice,” said Miller of his teammate's success. “Brock and I have played a lot of games together since we’ve been here and this year, aside from the goals and the points and all that, he’s taken his game to another level. We’re good friends and I’m happy for him.”

 

[Diamonds]

Brock (30 goal scorer) Boeser

Edited January 28 by Diamonds

[Rip The Mesh]

 

[Gurn]

would have had 2 more over the last few games, but got them called back because of goalie interference.

good to see, should get 40-45.