CanucksArmy Game Day: More than Jake, less Benning, day-to-day Petey, and just enough winning

Photo credit:© Bob Frid | 2021

3 years ago

Could a win streak be right around the corner?

Asking the Canucks to string together consecutive wins this season has been a chore. From lacklustre goaltending to multiple crossbars to just plain blowing leads; the Canucks are not having a season to remember. Tonight, they get another opportunity to shoot for back-to-back wins and against the Leafs it’s going to be a tall task.

Vancouver had a lucky night with the Leafs coming off a trip from Edmonton and if you’re a Leafs fan it was a perfect trap game. Don’t expect Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to go quiet again.

So, if we’re all done raking Jim Benning over the coals for his uninformative presser, can we just enjoy this game for once?

Let’s Do This!™

What we don’t know could hurt us

Travis Green says Elias Pettersson is day-to-day much like the current state of the organization. As for the lineup, a win usually means status quo — again — like the current state of the organization. That joke could keep writing itself. Thatcher Demko should be the goalie going forward and that should essentially end that conversation.

The roster isn’t getting better with or without Pettersson and time is running out so even being four points out of a playoff spot needs direction. They might not have one, sadly.

Jake Can Score, The Presser, Aaron Pritchett’s hair again, and Patience (Jim said to be patient)

I couldn’t tell you why I felt Jake Virtanen was due for a random two-goal performance against a team that should have easily pumped the Canucks and yet here we are. There were so many other players that deserved a night like that but it was Jake. His first one was a great drive to the net which didn’t start as a goal but finished that way and the second was on par with Game 8 CoHo.
Does that game mean Jake has fulfilled his legacy? He has three goals on the season and is so underwhelming. There just isn’t anything there with Jake and Benning will parade him around like he’s finally coming into his own. He isn’t, for the record. For now, Jake needs to continue to drive play because there aren’t a lot of others on the team doing that.
Are the Canucks going to make the playoffs this season? Four points away from the current promised land but can they put anything together to make us believe? The guy that runs the team is giving off the vibe we need to wait until Quadrelli can legally drive before they’ll be competitive again. The reality is four points. They need two wins right now and the Leafs stand in the way of one of those. This isn’t a positivity post; Vancouver needs to take advantage of a division that is so chaotic right now that it’s just that possible to win.
The overlying tone of the day yesterday was Jim Benning and his media call. It didn’t go well. It didn’t seem possible to say nothing at all and make things worse, but he did just that. He touted the “no practice, no preseason” line, he brought up flat-cap and he even said that his miscommunication with the departed UFA group wasn’t what it seemed. If those aren’t red flags, I don’t know what is.
Jim also talked about taking things day by day and that they would address the trade deadline as it approached. This team is in serious, serious trouble and it’s not just Jim Benning that is driving this tune but Francesco Aquilini should also have to answer for his sins. We’re in Year Seven of the “rebuild” and the Canucks are a slump away from a reset. Beating the Leafs is a bigger deal than it’s ever been.
My buddy Aaron Pritchett also promised he’d buzz his flow if the Canucks won two in a row and we’re 60-minutes away from that reality. He’s been a big Canucks supporter and he’d do anything for his team. He’s hardcore. Give him a follow on IG and Twitter.

PowerGlove™ Player of the Game

Brock Boeser will get feature time on the power play and if anyone can put the team on his back for a night, it’s Brock. I’m not saying two goals or anything but he’s got the glove tonight.

What I’m Looking Forward To

I just finished WandaVision so I’ll need a new show. Can you believe BOTH Visions die? Crazy right (looking forward to that backlash). I’m also looking forward to a Phillips Space Goat IPA; the first one was pretty awesome. Finally, I’m looking forward to a win streak for the Canucks. It was a rough week and back-to-back wins against the Leafs would be a pretty great feeling.

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