Cheers & Jeers: The Sedins, Jonathan Dahlen and Tyler Motte (Again)

It’s Tuesday, and at this point, you know what that means. That’s right; it’s time for everyone’s favourite piece of midweek scheduled content!

Let’s get this started with a hearty round of cheers to the Sedin twins. I’ve spared no digital ink of late singing their praise and musing on their future with the team — my most recent article at CanucksArmy touches on their future, and I mention it briefly in a piece for The Athletic Vancouver, too. They deserve it. This season could very well be their last on the Canucks, and I don’t want anything left off the page if that is the case.

They’re the best people this organization has ever known, and that’s a high bar; they’re in the conversation as the best players, too, and that’s again a high bar to clear.

I think it says a lot about their quality as mentors and people that they’re constantly standing in and taking questions each night, loss after embarrassing loss. The Sedins have been doing it for the better part of five years now, and all they’ve seen are members of the leadership group that would help carry that load leave here wholesale. Do you think that wears on them? I’m willing to bet they hate it, but realize that it’s their cross to bear, and do with aplomb.

Trying to find positives for a team that’s lost four straight and is goalless in their last seven periods of hockey is difficult, but the Sedins offer us something.

A massive jeers to the Canucks inability to score in the post-Brock Boeser landscape. It’s ugly out there. The Canucks haven’t scored since the second period of their 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Friday, and it was Jussi Jokinen of all people who lit the lamp. Some people are asking if the Canucks are going to win again before the season ends, but really, the more pertinent question is if they’re going to score again.

Cheers to the Canucks tumble down the standings. According to www.HockeyViz.com, the Canucks have a 13% chance at the first overall pick and Rasmus Dahlin. That’s all that matters at this stage of the season. Here’s to hoping the Canucks’ record sinks, and their lottery odds soar accordingly.

Jeers to Tyler Motte, two weeks in a row, for playing really bad, awful, no-good hockey. I hate to pick on the guy, but his poor play bears mentioning because it’s just so uniquely bad even among Canucks skaters. Since joining Vancouver, Motte owns a 39.4% share of the shot attempts at 5-on-5 when he’s on the ice, and he’s yet to register a point in his six games either.

It was one thing when Motte was posting these numbers playing beside Brandon Sutter on the shutdown line — Sutter’s wing is where production and good numbers at 5-on-5 go to die. It’s another entirely when Motte gets a chance to start the game on Bo Horvat’s wing, like he did last night, and still struggle to such an extent. Last night, the Canucks had about a third of the shot attempts at 5-on-5 with Motte on the ice. Ugly.

Cheers to Jonathan Dahlen’s hot start in the Allsvenskan playoffs with Timra. After today’s two goals and one assists performance, Dahlen is up to seven points (four goals and three assists) in three games. That’s gaudy production. After winning their three-game series against Leksands, Timra is now set to face Karlskrona in a best-of-seven series for promotion to the SHL.