OffThePost.org

Don't want to jinx anything but we're actually playing a game tomorrow!

Go Canucks Go!

So after going 0 fer-three through Florida, Tampa and Carolina, they snap an 0-10 drought on the PP and go 2 for 4 against Ovie and the Oshie/Carlson-less Caps and win 4-2. Petterson with 2 pretty goals, Horvat with the winner and JT Miller with the EN. They close out this extended road trip tomorrow in Nashville. Halak was a game-time COVID scratch against Carolina, and Conor "Little Angry Elf" was a game-time COVID scratch against the Caps.

Despite giving up yet another PP goal to start the game, the Cannots earn a solid road win in Smashville, 3-1. Garland, Halak, and now Horvat on COVID protocol...

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/games/2367317

Cannots can't seem to skate with the fast-skilled teams (Tampa, Florida, and Carolina) but do better against heavy teams (Washington sans Carlson, Nashville). Dayal and Drance had a great article about this; Dayal also has a good one describing how Rutherford can use the Florida model as a template for shedding expensive middle-6 contracts in lieu of many cheaper bets on undervalued players. But then, everyone else can do that too. Being able to hit on those bets - that's the trick.

Vancouver lands a big name in the world of analytics: Rachel Doerrie.

https://twitter.com/StaffGraph/status/1 ... 3853949957

She runs the Staff & Graph Podcast (until now). Always a fun, insightful voice and she doesn't suffer fools gladly.

JT Miller and Demko have tested positiive for COVID. Good luck against the Panthros boys.....

https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1484269785416228869

Awesome!




Demmer, Miller, Bo, Conor Garland, and Halak, and the latter three while south of the border so who knows when they'll be able to return home. If Halak can't start, does that mean Michael Dipietro gets the start against the Panthros?

I heard that the Canucks are re-testing until they get the result they wan - er - in case it's a false positive...

UPDATE: Confirmed by PCRs... Dammit...

UPDATE II: Spencer who? https://twitter.com/ThomasDrance/status ... 40129?s=20

Nice performance by a completely undermanned Canucks roster and 3rd string goalie in a 2-1 SO loss to the Panthros -- a team that barely bothered to show up.

Spencer Martin looks legit and could be another late bloomer who has benefited by having a great goalie coach.

... So of course, COVID is one he couldn't stop and went on protocol the morning before the St. Louis game. In goes Michael Dipietro and the sign Rylan Toth, a UBC Thunderbird goalie, to warm the bench as his backup. Perhaps they should have played Toth who has a 0.935 save percentage over 13 games and has 4 shutouts!

Anyway, I wasn't impressed with Dipietro - he overplayed shots in the first period, lost his stick twice in less than five minutes, and was lucky not get lit up more. He settled down by the second but he looked nothing like the Demko-esque Spencer Martin. Cannots lost 3-1 though they outplayed the Blues for most of the game.

The Canucks announce Emilie Castonguay as assistant GM. Lafreniere's former agent, among others.

She's on the path to being a GM, and was rumoured to have interviewed for the Habs gig (but it's unclear). A matter of when, not if.

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Spencer Martin. Wow. That's a name I haven't heard in a while. Was in the Avs system forever, suffered at least one serious injury that basically derailed his career. Glad to see him back on his feet and back in the NHL.

If nothing else, he had by far the best-looking pads I've ever seen on an Avs goalie.

https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comment ... g_his_new/

Patrik Allvin is the new GM in Vancouver.

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Pretty cool mask too.

https://www.coastreporter.net/national- ... ol-4984877

Lost 4-2 to the Preds last night. Demko looked uncharacteristically leaky, but to be fair, the score should probably be closer to 7-2 with all the chances the defence bled last night. Pettersen, Boeser, Horvat, and Hughes still have some learning to do. Against the big, fast motivated and well-rested Preds team, they looked overmatched.

5-1 over the terrible Coyotes, including 2 for 3 on the PP and a perfect sheet on the PK.

Another epic clash of the titans tonight as the good guys host Chris18's equally middling Isles. Should be a barn-burner.

Hughes is still out under COVID protocol. OEL took his spot and picked up three points...

Halak to get the start and trigger his $1.25M bonus.

I know fans always think they know more than coaches but has any coach ever looked at Halak's record vs his former teams? I forget the numbers but he SUCKS vs his former teams. The more recent he played for them, the worse he is. An Isles fan pulled the stats a few years ago and it was horrendous. If he'd played for the team within the previous 2 seasons he had about a 12% win rate. And his gaa was stir fried dog shit. I don't know if his former teammates pick up on what he's bad at, or if he doesn't like to face friends and doesn't get up for the games, or what. But it's sustained over his career from what I remember seeing.

Anyway. Isles show some offense for a change, which may be directly related to the above.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Was it Halak who flat out refused to face one of his former teams? I can't remember but I do remember a fairly prominent goalie purposely ducking out of a revenge scenario and I always found that so odd.

Apparently, OEL didn't like facing his old teammates even though he lit them up for three assists. Didn't Halak last play for Isles when I was a teenager?

Anyway, he spots his old team five goals in less than 20 minutes of work - what a welcome mat, but the Cannots beat them over the last 40 minutes 3-1. The Isles jumped all over the home team in the first 20 minutes and that was enough. I think against a Trotz-coached team, getting 3 goals is an achievement so there's that.

Good luck over the next 80 days, Chris. I hear they're playing like 43 games. Great if you're a fan.

17-18 was his last year with the Isles. I didn't realize he had 3 years with the Bruins. So yeah, it's been a while, but obviously he hasn't gotten over his inability to play well vs former teams.

I'm looking forward to watching lots of Isles over the next 80 days. Largely because I don't expect them to be playing beyond those 80 days.



I don't remember. If he did, it wasn't while he was with the Isles because I'm sure I'd remember that.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

I forgot they were playing the Kraken last night. Woke up to see a 5-2 win (en). Yay? They're going to get hot now and wind up just shy of a playoff spot, dropping their draft spot... That's how the [Canucks] work.

Just checked the AHL standings. [Abbotsford] sucks too.

One thing's for sure. Those skate jerseys have GOT to come back full time. Just get rid of those stupid Orca logos once and for all. Use the old rink jersey as a third, bring back the Skate!

Those look fantastic on the ice, and for good measure, they walloped the hottest team in hockey but good last night.