York Newbury: Canucks Gameday: Game 2

Any word on Drai? In or out?

Be nice to see Petterrsson on the scoresheet.

The first 10 minutes should set the tone for the game. Come out hard, get the first goal, push Skinner, pound the body, and continue to live rent free in their heads (5-0).
If Drai is playing, key on him and work him into the ice. Backs on bigger players tend to give out more than smaller guys.
Listening to the Oilers podcasts, they are talking of cutting back on the icetime of Nurse / Ceci and play the top pair more as well as the 3rd pair of Kulak / Desharnais should see more time. Best case scenario here as Bouchard is a hot mess in his own zone and will become a turnover machine. Pound Ekholm on every shift as he is the key to there entire defense.
This only goes to show how poor their depth is. They can't match the Canucks 3rd / 4th lines at all or the 3rd pair of Myers / Soucy. If our top lines can continue to play evens against their tops, our depth will continue to roll over them.

Thanks Yorkie.

Thanks NYN, big game today, win and you really put Edmonton in a tough spot. If we're able to weather the start and even get the first goal, maybe like Toronto, the pressure to succeed gets into their heads and they beat themselves like they did Wednesday.

Thanks NYN! Another big opportunity here to get another win vs the Oilers, their depth and defensive scoring is probably very similar to the Canucks, without looking, but their inability to play sound defensively and weak goaltending gives the Canucks a chance in this series.

Ty Yorkie

Big game tonight.

Go Canucks Go

Thanks NYN! Another big opportunity here to get another win vs the Oilers, their depth and defensive scoring is probably very similar to the Canucks, without looking, but their inability to play sound defensively and weak goaltending gives the Canucks a chance in this series.
- Pacificgem

Their depth is not equal to the Canucks at all,

Dak/Lindy/Garland >>> Perry/Mcleod/Hollway

Lafferty/Blueger/DiGi >> Foegle/Ryan/Brown

Their depth is not equal to the Canucks at all,

Dak/Lindy/Garland >>> Perry/Mcleod/Hollway

Lafferty/Blueger/DiGi >> Foegle/Ryan/Brown
- carsonagenic

Canucks depth is way better for sure. This from the Athletic:

If you have a weakness anywhere on your roster, NHL teams are going to find out what it is and exploit it in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If it is a big enough issue, it could end up being the difference in a best-of-seven series.

The Edmonton Oilers might have one of those issues in their series against the Vancouver Canucks, and it was on full display in Vancouver’s 5-4 come-from-behind win in Game 1 of the series on Wednesday night.

That issue is the team’s second defense pairing of Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci. They were victimized for three goals in the Canucks’ win. For the playoffs, that duo has been outscored by a 7-3 margin when on the ice during 5-on-5 play and has been one of the least productive pairings in the league this postseason.

When you dig even deeper below the surface, the numbers become even more concerning. Of the 32 defense pairings that have played at least 50 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time together this postseason, the Nurse-Ceci pairing is allowing 4.37 goals per 60 minutes, ranking them 31st out of 32. They are also allowing more than 4.00 expected goals against, which is the absolute worst mark out of those 32 pairings (via NaturalStatTrick). When that pairing is not on the ice, the Oilers are outscoring teams by an 11-8 margin and allowing just 2.14 expected goals per 60 minutes. It’s a problem, and it’s one of the biggest Achilles’ heels this team might have.

While Nurse and Ceci were slightly better during the regular season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs can be an entirely different animal when it comes to game-planning and matchups. When playing the same team every single game with a season on the line, teams are doing significantly more game-planning and going out of their way to get certain matchups than they are during a random regular-season game in October.

Depth — at both forward and defense — has been a concern for the Oilers for the duration of the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era, and that concern might be lurking below the surface again this postseason. They have scored just two goals as a team when neither McDavid nor Draisaitl is on the ice this postseason, and now their second defense pairing is getting exploited. If they can’t figure out an answer for that, the Canucks will keep hammering and potentially take the series as a result.

....

The Oilers have just two goals in 117 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey this postseason when neither McDavid nor Draisaitl is on the ice. The lack of depth scoring around them has been a problem for most of their careers.

After Wednesday’s loss, Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner has managed only an .887 save percentage in 18 career playoff games. That is 10th out of the 12 goalies that have appeared in at least 10 playoff games over the past two seasons.

York Newbury: Canucks Gameday: Game 2
- York Newbury

Thanks Mr. Newbury,

Would love to see Draisaaitl hit really hard that he will have to leave the game and not return, if he does hit him again, and Zadorov would be a Canucks hero if he could just plaster McCryer while skating into the dzone. And I mean blow that (frank)er you, propel that Richard 20 feet.
(frank) Edmonton
Go Canucks Go

Canucks depth is way better for sure. This from the Athletic:
- NewYorkNuck

Thanks NYN
This is the series right here.
The Oilers are and always have been a 2 line team with spare parts thrown into a blender btm 6. Now their D is in the same situation. Keep rolling 4 lines, pound the body and they will not be able to keep up come games 6/7.

Thank you NYN...GCG

Thanks Mr. Newbury,

Would love to see Draisaaitl hit really hard that he will have to leave the game and not return, if he does hit him again, and Zadorov would be a Canucks hero if he could just plaster McCryer while skating into the dzone. And I mean blow that (frank)er you, propel that Richard 20 feet.
(frank) Edmonton
Go Canucks Go
- Sea21dog

Tell us how you really feel.

Really hope we can retain Zadorov, he's whats been missing for so long imo. The matchups in Edmonton will be interesting. Will they try to keep Kane away from that D pairing?? Such an exciting time...

Really hope we can retain Zadorov, he's whats been missing for so long imo. The matchups in Edmonton will be interesting. Will they try to keep Kane away from that D pairing?? Such an exciting time...
- theguvna

Did you see Tocchet’s comments about Zadorov? Sounds like he’s loving being a Canuck. I think he’ll be made a priority.

RIP Rex Murphy a strong voice for common sense in Canada for decades will be missed.

Stay out of the box, the oil will be whining for calls it’s the only way they can win.

Really hope we can retain Zadorov, he's whats been missing for so long imo. The matchups in Edmonton will be interesting. Will they try to keep Kane away from that D pairing?? Such an exciting time...
- theguvna

I was questioned yesterday when I suggested he was the top UFA priority.
You are right, he is exactly what they've been missing for years. Stupefying that we had a GM who was a former NHL defenseman who failed to recognize this. I know there were floods and stuff but come on.

I was questioned yesterday when I suggested he was the top UFA priority.
You are right, he is exactly what they've been missing for years. Stupefying that we had a GM who was a former NHL defenseman who failed to recognize this. I know there were floods and stuff but come on.
- Marwood

It's a good sign Zadorov likes it in VAN, not surprising since he came Alberta the frozen wasteland. Might as well have played in Siberia (same thing).

The oil still havn’t solved the Canucks yet let’s keep it that way, they will get frustrated and take stupid penalties.

Doughty saying the oil have better depth lol

Doughty saying the oil have better depth lol
- Bettmanhatesus

He also called us a "Team like that". I suspect he is not a huge Canuck supporter.

Really hope we can retain Zadorov, he's whats been missing for so long imo. The matchups in Edmonton will be interesting. Will they try to keep Kane away from that D pairing?? Such an exciting time...
- theguvna

Zadrov Joshua Lindholm. That is my priority, everyone else after that.

Zadrov Joshua Lindholm. That is my priority, everyone else after that.
- VANTEL