香蕉视频直播淚f you want to climb a mountain, don香蕉视频直播檛 look at the peak. Look at your next step,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� Unknown.
It香蕉视频直播檚 been quite the turnaround for the Vancouver Canucks.
Last year at this time, Canuck Nation was fuming because of the team香蕉视频直播檚 strong finish which took them out of the Connor Bedard sweepstakes
One year later and it香蕉视频直播檚 an entirely different story.
With Tuesday香蕉视频直播檚 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at Rogers Arena, the Canucks clinched the Pacific Division title and became only the third Canuck team to have won 50 games or more joining the 2010-11 and 2011-12 entries.
香蕉视频直播淚 think if someone told us where we would be this time last year or in the summer, we香蕉视频直播檇 take it. We knew we had some good pieces in here and we have a great staff. Management did a really good job of putting pieces together. It hasn香蕉视频直播檛 been easy but we did everything we were supposed to do,香蕉视频直播� Quinn Hughes explained after the win Tuesday night.
So how did this 26-point turnaround happen?
It started with Tocchet香蕉视频直播檚 arrival.
While many may have been upset with the Canucks late season spurt that quashed their chances of landing a generational talent like Bedard in the NHL Entry Draft, it gave Tocchet a head start on implementing his belief system on the team while at the same time allowing to evaluate what he had to work with.
Then during the summer, the management group of President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford and General Manager Patrik Allvin restructured the roster and continued to do so once the season began.
Ian Cole, Carson Soucy, Casey DeSmith, Pius Suter, Teddy Blueger, Sam Lafferty and in season acquisitions Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm improved the depth of the team.
Having Tocchet come in during the second-half of the season also allowed the players to know what was expected of them.
For J.T. Miller and the rest of the group, it meant another level of commitment.
香蕉视频直播淵ou have the whole team come in and buy in, getting the summer over a month earlier than normal. You put the work in and really come together. It香蕉视频直播檚 certainly part of the process. We played a lot of good hockey this year and we should be proud,香蕉视频直播� explained Miller.
Bringing in talented players is one thing but getting them to believe they can do special things is another.
Tocchet and his staff coined the phrase 香蕉视频直播榚arn the day香蕉视频直播� with the group.
Don香蕉视频直播檛 think about yesterday, don香蕉视频直播檛 look ahead to tomorrow 香蕉视频直播� just focus on becoming better today.
香蕉视频直播淚 think it helps us stay focused and takes the pressure off ourselves. It香蕉视频直播檚 a long season and it香蕉视频直播檚 not always perfect. I think we香蕉视频直播檝e done a really good job of not enjoying it too much when it was really good and not beating ourselves up when it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 too good. I thought we were really even-keel this season. It showed when we weren香蕉视频直播檛 playing our best - we were playing .500 hockey and it never really got worse than that,香蕉视频直播� Miller said.
As Canucks Army reporter Jeff Paterson pointed out in a post on 香蕉视频直播榅香蕉视频直播�, this team has been remarkably consistent when looking at their point totals in 20 game segments. The Canucks have recorded 27, 28, 27 and 25 points in the four segments leading up to 80 games.
The other thing about this group is that they香蕉视频直播檝e bought into the team concept.
香蕉视频直播淲e always talk about the emblem on the front and not (what香蕉视频直播檚 on) the back. I think a lot of guys have bought into that and we try not to preach individualism around here香蕉视频直播hat香蕉视频直播檚 what I香蕉视频直播檓 most proud of the guys 香蕉视频直播� buying into it this year,香蕉视频直播� said Tocchet.
The result of that is a team that has no passengers and cares about one another. Tocchet and other players talk about the 香蕉视频直播榳olfpack mentality香蕉视频直播� that is needed to win and there was no better example of that during a second period melee against the Flames when Vancouver香蕉视频直播檚 Conor Garland peeled Calgary香蕉视频直播檚 Adam Klapka out of a scrum and brought him to his knees.
Klapka is 6香蕉视频直播�8香蕉视频直播� while Garland is listed at 5香蕉视频直播�10香蕉视频直播� but in reality is closer to 5香蕉视频直播�8香蕉视频直播�.
香蕉视频直播淚 just think the little things like that香蕉视频直播uys sticking up for each other and having each other香蕉视频直播檚 back and coming together as a team. It shows that we香蕉视频直播檝e come a long way. I keep saying we香蕉视频直播檙e not 香蕉视频直播榯here香蕉视频直播� but we香蕉视频直播檝e certainly made a lot of good strides as a team,香蕉视频直播� said Miller.
The Canucks, however, know come next week and the first round of the post-season that it香蕉视频直播檚 a whole new ballgame.
The good thing is you know they won香蕉视频直播檛 be satisfied with what they香蕉视频直播檝e accomplished.
After all, there香蕉视频直播檚 another day to be earned.
OVERTIME
* The Canucks announced their team award winners during the game on Tuesday. Hughes walked away with the Walter 香蕉视频直播楤abe香蕉视频直播� Pratt Award as the best defenseman as well as the Daniel and Henrik Sedin Award for Community Leadership. Miller also picked up a pair of accolades in winning the Pavel Bure Award as the Canucks香蕉视频直播� most exciting player as well as the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the club香蕉视频直播檚 most valuable player. Elias Pettersson won the Three Stars Award while Dakota Joshua claimed the Fred J. Hume Award for the team香蕉视频直播檚 unsung player.
* Goaltender Thatcher Demko returned to face the Flames after a five-week absence due to injury and looked sharp in stopping 39 of 40 shots. 香蕉视频直播淐asey (DeSmith) has been great for us and the same with Arti (Silovs) but having Demmer back there - it香蕉视频直播檚 a whole new thing,香蕉视频直播� said Hughes.
* Calgary香蕉视频直播檚 lone goal was scored by Brayden Pachal. Longtime WHL fans might remember his cousin who played for the New Westminster Bruins in the 1970香蕉视频直播檚. Clayton Pachal was the Bruins captain when they won WHL titles in 1975 and 1976 and was subsequently drafted in the first round by the Boston Bruins. Clayton Pachal passed away in 2021.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 香蕉视频直播渢he Moj香蕉视频直播� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
