This year's start vs. last year's start

[ABNuck]

Just comparing how we started each year. I believe offensively we are about the same or even a bit better (a few more goals through the first 7 games this year - 28 than last - 18), but the major difference between this year and last is that it appears as though the Canucks have learned to defend the lead (and having 2 capable backstops certainly gives the team confidence to do that). Last year we were 0-7 through the first 7 games, but should have been 4-2-1...we blew some major multi-goal leads in 4 of those games. So kudos to the coaching staff and to the players for keeping the compete level up for 60...no wonder RT was not happy about the game in Philly, truly an outlier this season thus far. So here's hoping Les Boys keep the compete level up for 60 x 75...then for at least 16 more wins after that 

[Wilbur]

A lot of teams have had those outlier games against Philly this year.  It's a Torts team, the wheels will fall off spectacularly around game 50 for them.

[Miss Korea]

28 goals vs 18 goals is similar to you?

[Alflives]

We added a huge core piece in Hronek. We also added Cole, and Soucy on D, while getting rid of OEL. Our D is a lot improved. And we have all our forwards playing the right way. They are careful with pucks, and track back hard and all the way to the net. 
 

[Bob Long]

12 minutes ago, Alflives said:

We added a huge core piece in Hronek. We also added Cole, and Soucy on D, while getting rid of OEL. Our D is a lot improved. And we have all our forwards playing the right way. They are careful with pucks, and track back hard and all the way to the net. 
 

 

And a legit coaching staff. 

 

Bruce is a lovely man but he didn't know how to run a defense.

[ABNuck]

26 minutes ago, Miss Korea said:

28 goals vs 18 goals is similar to you?

 

Yes...8 of those came in 1 game (the first game), so I would consider it to be an outlier as well. The point was about learning to protect a lead instead of folding like a napkin when we have a significant lead (I believe we set a record last year for our failure to protect multi goal leads). So, just like last year, the offence is sufficient enough to build a significant lead in each game...difference being whether we blow that lead or maintain the pressure. We're much better all around (keeping the offensive pressure up, holding in the defensive zone when under pressure, and of course goaltending) at protecting those leads than we were last year.

[420Fish]

Although I can appreciate wanting to start this topic as a discussion, your OP is somewhat simple and lazy.

[gwarrior]

I'm just happy Demko isn't fishing the puck out of the net constantly.

[Miss Korea]

4 hours ago, ABNuck said:

 

Yes...8 of those came in 1 game (the first game), so I would consider it to be an outlier as well. The point was about learning to protect a lead instead of folding like a napkin when we have a significant lead (I believe we set a record last year for our failure to protect multi goal leads). So, just like last year, the offence is sufficient enough to build a significant lead in each game...difference being whether we blow that lead or maintain the pressure. We're much better all around (keeping the offensive pressure up, holding in the defensive zone when under pressure, and of course goaltending) at protecting those leads than we were last year.

 

Expected goals are down ☹.  Actual goals are way up .  Expected/actual goals against are way... down!

[cripplereh]

Better team play with more speed.

 

Only one bad game in 8 unlike most bad games at this point last year.

[iceman1964]

On 10/28/2023 at 8:05 AM, ABNuck said:

Just comparing how we started each year. I believe offensively we are about the same or even a bit better (a few more goals through the first 7 games this year - 28 than last - 18), but the major difference between this year and last is that it appears as though the Canucks have learned to defend the lead (and having 2 capable backstops certainly gives the team confidence to do that). Last year we were 0-7 through the first 7 games, but should have been 4-2-1...we blew some major multi-goal leads in 4 of those games. So kudos to the coaching staff and to the players for keeping the compete level up for 60...no wonder RT was not happy about the game in Philly, truly an outlier this season thus far. So here's hoping Les Boys keep the compete level up for 60 x 75...then for at least 16 more wins after that 

There's no way in hell that one can actually compare last year's start to this year's start.

 Last year our D corps were decimated to start the season, Demmer wasn't his usual self and the forwards, for the most part we're just playing forward and not helping out the D hardly at all. 

Anyone who thought we'd do ok with most of our D that weren't injured that amounted to a AHL strength D up against the likes of McD, Crosby, etc etc. would need to give their heads a serious shake, ESPECIALLY the bush league media we have here who still just say we played bad.. if only! I still wonder how one could be THAT stupid but that's normal in the Vancouver media.

 Fast forward to today, D is a bit better but TOC identified the 200' game problem and the forwards are actually doing a lot better as a group for a change.

 Can we get better? Of course, the fresh faces in the line-up still need to adjust to the team and that's simply a time issue. 

  Other than last night that we can forgive the penalties due to a back to back and it's typical that teams take "tired" penalties, that's another area we need to shore up to get better so we don't have to lean on the PK so much, again that can be ironed out but kudos to TOC, Gonchar etc for working hard with our guys so as i type this we're 5th overall, sure 5th on down is a bit of a logjam but that's better than 25th where a lot of media had us pegged to be.

 I do think we still need to off load Boeser and Garland in lieu of a cpl of skilled bigger guys with grit to finish off the line-up so we don't get beat up by the bigger teams, no we're not as soft as we usually are with adding Soucy and Laffy but still, we could definitely stand to toughen up since we all know how insane the playoffs will be if we make it.

 All in all, games are looking better and fun to watch, not painful as _ _ _ _!! 

 

[Westcoasting]

Without looking at scores… just watch the hockey game. It is barely recognizable from what it was last year.

[DownUndaCanuck]

Obviously the big difference is shocking defence last year and mental fragility - we knew we were going to blow leads and we did. I do remember a lot of teams were though last year compared to this year, but we were spectacularly bad. 

 

Our mental stability is so much stronger with an older leadership core and big tough guys behind the bench like Rick and Foote, and even on our blueline like Hronek, Soucy and Cole. We've done a lot to get "tougher", not just physically but mentally.

 

Something you hear the coaches keep talking about is meeting pressure with pressure and you can certainly see that, whereas last year any tiny bit of pressure just made us crumble.

[AnthonyG]

On 10/28/2023 at 8:05 AM, ABNuck said:

Just comparing how we started each year. I believe offensively we are about the same or even a bit better (a few more goals through the first 7 games this year - 28 than last - 18), but the major difference between this year and last is that it appears as though the Canucks have learned to defend the lead (and having 2 capable backstops certainly gives the team confidence to do that). Last year we were 0-7 through the first 7 games, but should have been 4-2-1...we blew some major multi-goal leads in 4 of those games. So kudos to the coaching staff and to the players for keeping the compete level up for 60...no wonder RT was not happy about the game in Philly, truly an outlier this season thus far. So here's hoping Les Boys keep the compete level up for 60 x 75...then for at least 16 more wins after that 

Goaltending is a huge difference between last years start and this years start. 

[Strawbone]

The difference is structure. 
 

[Bure10Kuzmenko96]

On 10/28/2023 at 12:30 PM, Alflives said:

We added a huge core piece in Hronek. We also added Cole, and Soucy on D, while getting rid of OEL. Our D is a lot improved. And we have all our forwards playing the right way. They are careful with pucks, and track back hard and all the way to the net. 
 

And we don't have Blueger yet

[Jeremy Hronek]

On 10/29/2023 at 12:42 AM, Bob Long said:

 

And a legit coaching staff. 

 

Bruce is a lovely man but he didn't know how to run a defense.

 

I'll take this a step further.  I believe that this is the best coaching staff that we've had since the Pat Quinn days.......maybe even better.