The Vancouver Canucks have allowed 19 goals against in their last three games and now find themselves just three points ahead of the bottom-dwelling Seattle Kraken for last place in the Pacific Division. The team has lost four in a row, eight of their last ten, and now own a -14 goal differential on the year. Things are not going well in Vancouver, to say the least.
So when reports surfaced over the weekend that the team owner was on the road trip, some eyebrows were raised around the league. Would the team make a change in the front office if things didn’t turn around quickly? No, apparently not yet. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweets that though owner Francesco Aquilini is meeting with general manager Jim Benning this afternoon, he does not expect to make a change at the position. Friedman writes that the meeting is just to “understand why the team is losing and address it.” The Canucks are scheduled to welcome in the Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, and Chicago Blackhawks on their current three-game homestand.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Buffalo Sabres tonight and will have Mike Sullivan behind the bench, but the head coach won’t be able to travel with the team to Montreal for Thursday’s matchup against the Canadiens because of COVID restrictions. Sullivan has been cleared from the league’s protocol, but hasn’t eclipsed the 14-day period that the Canadian government requires. Luckily, Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin, who both recently exited the protocol, will be eligible to travel and play.
- Mackenzie Blackwood has cleared the concussion protocol and is available to play for them on Thursday if necessary. Blackwood collided with Kaapo Kakko in the third period of Sunday’s game, causing a concussion spotter to pull him from the match. He told reporters today that his neck is a little sore, but he practised in full today and appears ready to return.
The reason the Canucks lose seems obvious, they are “soff”. They get tossed around. Easily. Collectively, one of the softest teams I can recall (besides recent Devils teams).
Can’t they let Sully coach via Zoom? Just have the assistant equipment manager or someone hold a tablet.
Their mentality is soft. They have the personnel to play tough, but they don’t play for each other. Bo and Miller are trying to put alpha the other and instead of inspiring the rest of the guys they are posturing to see who gets mad or disappointed (showing they care?) the most
@Gavin – “…causing a concussion spotter to pull him from the match.” – A shocking admission from the NHL/NJD! Or, will this just be an aberration? BTW, look at Blackwood’s HockeyReference mugshot – he looks like a fourth-line grit-grinder.