GM puts team on notice after lousy weekend
Slow-starting, underachieving club must ‘dictate the pace,’ general manager says
At some point in any NHL season, a franchise executive will offer the following critiques of his struggling team:
“They were harder on the puck and won more battles than us.”
“We started chasing the game and it got away from us.”
“We need to be ready right off the hop and play hard.”
Jim Benning said all of the above Monday when the Vancouver Canucks’ general manager was asked to assess a two-game road trip. A 4-2 loss in San Jose on Saturday followed by a 6-3 setback on Sunday in Las Vegas seemed to raise one familiar question: Haven’t we seen this movie before?
After another tough November in which the club went 4-8-3, the Canucks reeled off three straight wins. However, they have looked slow of late, tentative out of the gate and are four points shy of the final Western Conference wild card playoff position.
“We need to skate and play our game and dictate the pace and when we do that, I think we’re competitive every night,” added Benning.
Spending the majority of this season playing catch-up — the Canucks have surrendered the first goal in 22 of 34 games — is going to take a toll on any team. And when your new core is young and inexperienced and still adjusting to the long grind, the skill of producing the league’s fourthranked power play is countered by not having enough will to excel at even strength.
The Canucks are 1-for-12 on the power play the last four games and rank 20th in even-strength goals. It’s putting more pressure on the Fab Four to produce because Elias Pettersson, 21, Brock Boeser, 22, Calder Trophy contender Quinn Hughes, 20, and captain Bo Horvat, 24, account for four of the club’s top five point producers.
“The young players are learning and they’re our most skilled guys, but it’s a new experience for them and it’s harder now,” stressed Benning. “Everybody gets tired and has injuries, but you’ve really got to dig in and compete — all the little things that contribute to winning.”
Rest and recovery — and not big and fast forecheckers — have been the biggest adjustments for the college-trained Hughes, who
has piled up 26 points (2-24) as a power-play quarterback and quick-transition magician.
J.T. Miller has been the poster boy for the dig-in and tough-itout mantra, but the 26-year-old has just one goal in his last eight games despite 20 shots. His 13 goals and 31 points rank third in club scoring and the winger has been better than advertised.
His strong presence on pucks, hard play in the offensive zone, an underrated shot and deft deflection touch have helped overcome the loss of Micheal Ferland. The winger has been limited to just 14 games and five points (1-4) because of a concussion and is now on long-term injury reserve with an upper-body ailment.
The opening would normally be an opportunity for Sven Baertschi.
However, he isn’t going to replace Miller, Tanner Pearson or Antoine Roussel on the left side and clearing waivers again Monday will likely keep the winger in Utica the remainder of this season. Baertschi, 27, has another year remaining on his contract at a US$3.366-million salary cap hit and it has become clearly evident there are no trade suitors.
Whether it’s salary, concussion history or a fading NHL game, his 23 points (4-19) in 16 AHL games with the Comets this season haven’t moved the interest meter, even with the Philadelphia Flyers losing four wingers to injury the past 10 days. The Flyers are up against the cap ceiling, have tapped into LTIR and have recalled wingers from the minors as stopgap measures.
“I’ve been talking to Sven’s agent since the start of the year — once or twice a week — to try to figure out any scenario where he can get back to playing in the NHL,” said Benning. “We talked the other day and put Sven on waivers again.”
Benning was also talking more like a coach Monday when asked for a solution on turning the Canucks around because the often-desperate club has tried too hard to close gaps.
“It’s about managing the puck — even if you have the lead,” said Benning. “It’s about making smart plays to get out of your end and get going the other way. And when you get it to the blue-line, make sure you get it behind their defence so you can get in on the forecheck. Good teams manage the puck and it’s something we’re still learning.”