[CanuckJohnny]

Preseason Updates and Notes



Gm 1: W 4-2 vs CBJ
B. Tanev (Hamhuis, Andersson)
DeMelo (Grabner)
Bertuzzi PP (Andersson, Koivu)
Andersson (Bertuzzi, DeMelo)
Stolarz 47 saves on 49 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• Scott Mayfield had the worst DGR at 54 of any blueliner, but he did block three shots and throw a hit.
• Dylan DeMelo played well defensively and blocked two shots and had a takeaway.
• Mikko Koivu and Derrick Pouliot were the best Canucks on the ice by the eye test.
• Teemu Hartikainen had four shots on goal but did not perform his defensive role well with a 43 DGR.
• Cole Cassels had two hits and two takeaways.
• Dustin Jeffrey and Marcel Goc tied for the worst DGR amongst forwards with 39.
• Danton Heinen played his defensive role well with a DGR of 75 and a block and a takeaway.

Gm 2: L 4-1 vs SJS
Horvat PP (Sharp, Sergachev)
Demko 29 saves on 33 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• Sergachev was the best Canuck on the ice by a significant margin, finishing with an 80 GR and 98 DGR, 6 SOG, 2 Hits and 21:28 TOI.
• McAvoy and Schultz looked rough as a pairing, but McAvoy still had 4 SOG, 2 BS and a hit.
• Cole Cassels had a block and a takeaway but overall didn't perform his defensive role well, finishing with a 49 DGR.
• Michael Grabner looked rough out there with a 47 GR. Dustin Jeffrey had a 48 GR and managed a giveaway and missed the net on his only shot attempt.
• Stefan Noesen had a 45 DGR but he did muster four shots, block a shot and get in a fight.
• Brad Hunt blocked 4 shots.
• Danton Heinen was owned in the circle, going 3/11 on the night.

FIRST ROUND OF CUTS:
G Thatcher Demko assigned to AHL
D Nick Schultz assigned to AHL
D Scott Mayfield assigned to AHL
F Michael Grabner assigned to AHL
F Marcel Goc assigned to AHL


Gm 3: W 3-2 vs ANA
Sergachev (Cassels, Jeffrey)
Svechnikov (Daniel, Sergachev)
Heinen (Noesen)
DeSmith 25 saves on 27 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• DeMelo had two hits and two blocks but also a DGR of 45. He needs to do his job much more consistently if he wants an NHL job.
• Chris Tanev had a dominant defensive game, with a DGR of 100, 2 blocks, 2 hits and 3 takeaways.
• Frank Corrado looked solid on his pairing with Vlasic, with 2 blocks, a takeaway and a DGR of 83.
• Sedins looked super rusty, their line with Filatov was -2 and they all had sub-50 DGRs.
• Heinen was much better in the circle, going 7/9. He also scored a goal on three shots, had a hit and a takeaway and was tied with Cole Cassels for the best Game Rating (66) amongst the forwards. His DGR of 65 was tops among forwards.
• Evgeny Svechnikov had five shots and looked much better than in his first pre-season game.
• Nico Hischier was 13/19 in the faceoff circle but otherwise wasn't particularly noticeable.
• Josh Anderson threw five hits.

Gm 4: L 5-1 @ CBJ
Cassels (Hartikainen, Jeffrey)
Lieuwen 21 saves on 26 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• A third line of Jeffrey, Cassels and Hartikainen had a +9 shot differential.
• Cole Cassels won 15/17 faceoffs and took 3 shots on goal.
• Henrik, Daniel and McCann played together and were -2. McCann had six shot attempts, 4 on net.
• Sergachev had ten shot attempts, seven of them on goal, and also blocked three shots and threw two hits. He's making a case to stick around at this point.
• Josh Anderson had five shots on goal but no hits this game. Stefan Noesen blocked a shot and threw a hit.

SECOND ROUND OF CUTS:
G Nathan Lieuwen assigned to AHL
D Dylan DeMelo assigned to AHL
F Danton Heinen assigned to AHL

Gm 5: L 3-2 vs SJS
Sergachev SH (Bertuzzi)
Bertuzzi PP (Henrik, Andersson)
Stolarz 28 saves on 31 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• Henrik had his best pre-season game and Tyler Bertuzzi looked amazing on the wing with him and Daniel. Bertuzzi had 5 shots, a goal and an assist.
• Nico Hischier wasn't very noticeable but won 75% of his faceoffs.
• Josh Anderson had two hits and a shot, Stefan Noesen had a blocked shot and a shot. Neither one of them has stood out to take the third line RW role that is available.
• Sergachev was the best defenseman on the ice and may make the team despite a stacked left side. Derrick Pouliot (who had a good game himself with 3 shots on goal, three blocks and three hits) could potentially play his off side as he did last year, or maybe veterans Vlasic and Hamhuis could rotate to stay fresh. But the fact that coaching staff are trying to figure out ways to fit him in the lineup bodes well for Sergachev.
• Filatov struggled and last year's team leader in points hasn't started well in the preseason. It's a different game once the games start to mean something though so no need to worry just yet.

Gm 6: SOW 3-2 @ NJD
Jeffrey (Tanev, Noesen)
Bertuzzi PP (Sergachev, Henrik)
Shootout: Jeffrey G, Sergachev M, Bertuzzi G
Markstrom 32 saves on 34 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• Charlie McAvoy had a standout game tonight, his best of the pre-season. 5 SOG, 2 BS, 2 Hits, 1 Takeaway and a Defense-best 72 GR and a DGR of 77 (second only to Tanev).
• The Nico Hischier experiment on the checking line was an abject failure, but Hischier himself had a reasonably good game from a coaching perspective, finishing with a 66 GR, a block, two hits and a takeaway. The line was -2 and Josh Anderson had a DGR of 38. Oof. Meanwhile Stefan Noesen had a DGR of 61 skating on a line with Dustin Jeffrey (who despite his goal struggles to play his role and finished with a DGR of 49) and Mikko Koivu.
• Tyler Bertuzzi looked like the best forward on the ice again and may have earned himself a regular season look next to the twins.
• Rasmus Andersson had four hits and block as he made his case to stick with the big team.

TRADE: VAN acquires prospect C Filip Chlapik (20yo, AHL 79gp, 21-44-65); COL acquires D Brad Hunt (35gp, 0-7-7). ANALYSIS: Hunt wasn't going to make the Canucks but rather than lose him on waivers Linden goes back to Colorado, who had inquired about him in the offseason, and gets a young minor league center back instead of losing him for nothing. Chlapik clearly wasn't a big part of Colorado's plans going forward and they like Hunt, a reliable offensive 6/7th NHL defenseman, and likely couldn't have claimed him on waivers.

FINAL ROUND OF CUTS:
G Anthony Stolarz assigned to AHL
D Frankie Corrado assigned to AHL
F Josh Anderson assigned to AHL
F Dustin Jeffrey assigned to AHL