Michael DeRosa: Canucks Lose Vitali Kravtsov to KHL

Should be a message to VAN going after underperforming 1st round picks.

Lafrenière

Thanks Michael.

Does this get Rod Brind'Amour fired?
- manvanfan

Carolina has arguably been the better team in all 3 games. He's not getting out-coached, Bob is just playing out of his mind and the defence around him has been solid.
-NorthNuck

Carolina seemingly has been the better team. Bob has played well but isn't this sort of the same story every year about Carolina for a while now. Struggle to score, been the better team but still losing.

Rod has that team playing a great structure, great defence, forecheck hard and play hard. Lots of offence from the defence.

Is it a personnel problem then? They just don't have enough talent?

Carolina seemingly has been the better team. Bob has played well but isn't this sort of the same story every year about Carolina for a while now. Struggle to score, been the better team but still losing.

Rod has that team playing a great structure, great defence, forecheck hard and play hard. Lots of offence from the defence.

Is it a personnel problem then? They just don't have enough talent?
- manvanfan

In that case VAN would be an ideal trade partner.

Beauvillier
Nil's B1tch
Myers
Boeser
Garland

Carolina seemingly has been the better team. Bob has played well but isn't this sort of the same story every year about Carolina for a while now. Struggle to score, been the better team but still losing.

Rod has that team playing a great structure, great defence, forecheck hard and play hard. Lots of offence from the defence.

Is it a personnel problem then? They just don't have enough talent?
- manvanfan

It's no doubt a personnel problem. In the cap era every team has weaknesses and Carolina is invested heavily into their defense at the expense of their offense. Svechnikov is their most gifted goal scorer and he's done for the year in addition to Pacioretty being one of their most skilled goal scorers also being done for the year. Bobrovsky is also playing so well right now that it is almost impossible to beat Florida. IMO Florida skaters have been outplayed by every single team so far. But that's how important goaltending is.

You only blog when there is negative Canuck news.

It's no doubt a personnel problem. In the cap era every team has weaknesses and Carolina is invested heavily into their defense at the expense of their offense. Svechnikov is their most gifted goal scorer and he's done for the year in addition to Pacioretty being one of their most skilled goal scorers also being done for the year. Bobrovsky is also playing so well right now that it is almost impossible to beat Florida. IMO Florida skaters have been outplayed by every single team so far. But that's how important goaltending is.
- jfkst1

I think Rod is a great coach and I think Carolina has a very good team. You don't have the 4th best record over a 5 year span being a bad team.

After the interview to start this series, I really started to wonder about if Rod has the guts to do what's needed to win it all.

The "I wouldn't do that to my players", almost loyal to a fault it seems. Him saying that gave some real perspective and some of the other things he said.

I've watched a lot of Carolina games over the past years and thought that talent has been diluted for the system to help lesser look better.

Carolina got the most offence from their defence this year in the NHL. Or goals.

You only blog when there is negative Canuck news.
- Marwood

Huge positive in my book. Solves issues.

In that case VAN would be an ideal trade partner.

Beauvillier
Nil's B1tch
Myers
Boeser
Garland
- VanHockeyGuy

They could certainly add in Garland, a 5v5 player which Rod would love. Garland ppg would have been 4th on the Hurricanes this season.

Huge positive in my book. Solves issues.
- manvanfan

I don't care about the move, just found it funny that his last blog was about the Canucks getting fined for off season practises and now losing(debatable) a player to the KHL.

I don't care about the move, just found it funny that his last blog was about the Canucks getting fined for off season practises and now losing(debatable) a player to the KHL.
- Marwood

He's fits right in with the rest of Van media then. They love the negative.

I think Rod is a great coach and I think Carolina has a very good team. You don't have the 4th best record over a 5 year span being a bad team.

After the interview to start this series, I really started to wonder about if Rod has the guts to do what's needed to win it all.

The "I wouldn't do that to my players", almost loyal to a fault it seems. Him saying that gave some real perspective and some of the other things he said.

I've watched a lot of Carolina games over the past years and thought that talent has been diluted for the system to help lesser look better.
- manvanfan

His system is very defensively committed. No doubt that restricts some offensive production. Carolina is by far the best defensive team in the league. I also find it hypocritical many fans criticize other teams' playing styles (EDM, TOR, NYR, etc.) for lacking defensive structure, but will also criticize Carolina for having too much. You're not going to have Team Canada in the cap era. Teams have to pick a strength. Colorado last year is about as good as it gets and they still had very mediocre goaltending that the skaters were able to cover up by being so much better than everyone else. And if they lost with their team, fans would have criticized them for not investing more into goaltending. Reality is, if Bobrovsky were swapped with any of the opposing goalies, Florida doesn't win a single round.

His system is very defensively committed. No doubt that restricts some offensive production. Carolina is by far the best defensive team in the league. I also find it hypocritical many fans criticize other teams' playing styles (EDM, TOR, NYR, etc.) for lacking defensive structure, but will also criticize Carolina for having too much. You're not going to have Team Canada in the cap era. Teams have to pick a strength. Colorado last year is about as good as it gets and they still had very mediocre goaltending that the skaters were able to cover up by being so much better than everyone else. And if they lost with their team, fans would have criticized them for not investing more into goaltending. Reality is, if Bobrovsky were swapped with any of the opposing goalies, Florida doesn't win a single round.
- jfkst1

Florida did outplay Boston in a few games and held their own it others. The Bob show really began in round 2.

Florida did outplay Boston in a few games and held their own it others. The Bob show really began in round 2.
- golfingsince

Agreed. But Bobrovsky was still much better than an injured Ullmark was.

Thanks Mike!

Well done!!

Carolina seemingly has been the better team. Bob has played well but isn't this sort of the same story every year about Carolina for a while now. Struggle to score, been the better team but still losing.

Rod has that team playing a great structure, great defence, forecheck hard and play hard. Lots of offence from the defence.

Is it a personnel problem then? They just don't have enough talent?
- manvanfan

Not sure I'd say CAR outplayed FLA in all three games, but either way, CAR has run into a hot goalie (although CAR goalies have been excellent as well!) and is doing all this without Svechnikov and Pacs, and that's 1/3 of your top 2 lines...so, I would say he's been doing a pretty solid job, all things considered, and not sure what else any other coach could do to change that...

His system is very defensively committed. No doubt that restricts some offensive production. Carolina is by far the best defensive team in the league. I also find it hypocritical many fans criticize other teams' playing styles (EDM, TOR, NYR, etc.) for lacking defensive structure, but will also criticize Carolina for having too much. You're not going to have Team Canada in the cap era. Teams have to pick a strength. Colorado last year is about as good as it gets and they still had very mediocre goaltending that the skaters were able to cover up by being so much better than everyone else. And if they lost with their team, fans would have criticized them for not investing more into goaltending. Reality is, if Bobrovsky were swapped with any of the opposing goalies, Florida doesn't win a single round.
- jfkst1

I haven't read much criticism of Rod's system because the regular season results are there.

I'm not saying Team Canada but you look at Edmonton, NYR, Vancouver with Bruce playing all offence. They went through coaches because those coaches couldn't get the teams further, so why does Rod get a pass after many years after great regular season and what could look like a real lack of playoff success?

I haven't read much criticism of Rod's system because the regular season results are there.

I'm not saying Team Canada but you look at Edmonton, NYR, Vancouver with Bruce playing all offence. They went through coaches because those coaches couldn't get the teams further, so why does Rod get a pass after many years after great regular season and what could look like a real lack of playoff success?
- manvanfan

I mean they're in the ECF without 2 of their top scorers, I'd say that's worthy of a pass?

Not sure I'd say CAR outplayed FLA in all three games, but either way, CAR has run into a hot goalie (although CAR goalies have been excellent as well!) and is doing all this without Svechnikov and Pacs, and that's 1/3 of your top 2 lines...so, I would say he's been doing a pretty solid job, all things considered, and not sure what else any other coach could do to change that...
- mventres

The same thing was said about Travis Green "He did the best he could with the players he had" a lot said. Bruce came in and provided that wrong. Maybe a different coach gets something else out of that line up with a tiny bit more freedom from structure. A little more creativity from the players makes it harder to defend against. Florida seems to be able to create good chances off that man defence Carolina plays.

Prior to Rod the Bod Carolina missed the playoffs for 9 consecutive seasons.

In the past 5 years they've won a round every year and made the conference finals twice.

I'm not sure firing the coach accomplishes anything and it could easily lead to them regressing.

I mean they're in the ECF without 2 of their top scorers, I'd say that's worthy of a pass?
- golfingsince

As I said I've followed Carolina over the years and it seems as if it just keeps repeating itself.

I'm not saying he has to be fired but I'm just saying how many times does history need to keep repeating itself before you try something different?

Ok so you answered my question already.

Prior to Rod the Bod Carolina missed the playoffs for 9 consecutive seasons.

In the past 5 years they've won a round every year and made the conference finals twice.

I'm not sure firing the coach accomplishes anything and it could easily lead to them regressing.
- golfingsince

We as Canucks fans called for the head of AV in pretty well the exact same situation.

As I said I've followed Carolina over the years and it seems as if it just keeps repeating itself.

I'm not saying he has to be fired but I'm just saying how many times does history need to keep repeating itself before you try something different?

Ok so you answered my question already.
- manvanfan

Well only 1 team wins the cup every year, so 31 teams fall short each and every season.

Watching them play, it doesn't seem like the message is getting stale or anything like that.

I think we'll see some roster changes this year and they have roughly $25M to fill 6 spots.

We are Canucks fans called for the head of AV in pretty well the exact same situation.
- manvanfan

I didn't, but at the end of the day what did that accomplish?

A failed miserably season under Torts than the Willie D years.