B次元官网网址淚f you want to climb a mountain, donB次元官网网址檛 look at the peak. Look at your next step,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� Unknown.
ItB次元官网网址檚 been quite the turnaround for the Vancouver Canucks.
Last year at this time, Canuck Nation was fuming because of the teamB次元官网网址檚 strong finish which took them out of the Connor Bedard sweepstakes
One year later and itB次元官网网址檚 an entirely different story.
With TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 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.
B次元官网网址淚 think if someone told us where we would be this time last year or in the summer, weB次元官网网址檇 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 hasnB次元官网网址檛 been easy but we did everything we were supposed to do,B次元官网网址� Quinn Hughes explained after the win Tuesday night.
So how did this 26-point turnaround happen?
It started with TocchetB次元官网网址檚 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.
B次元官网网址淵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. ItB次元官网网址檚 certainly part of the process. We played a lot of good hockey this year and we should be proud,B次元官网网址� 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 B次元官网网址榚arn the dayB次元官网网址� with the group.
DonB次元官网网址檛 think about yesterday, donB次元官网网址檛 look ahead to tomorrow B次元官网网址� just focus on becoming better today.
B次元官网网址淚 think it helps us stay focused and takes the pressure off ourselves. ItB次元官网网址檚 a long season and itB次元官网网址檚 not always perfect. I think weB次元官网网址檝e done a really good job of not enjoying it too much when it was really good and not beating ourselves up when it wasnB次元官网网址檛 too good. I thought we were really even-keel this season. It showed when we werenB次元官网网址檛 playing our best - we were playing .500 hockey and it never really got worse than that,B次元官网网址� Miller said.
As Canucks Army reporter Jeff Paterson pointed out in a post on B次元官网网址榅B次元官网网址�, 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 theyB次元官网网址檝e bought into the team concept.
B次元官网网址淲e always talk about the emblem on the front and not (whatB次元官网网址檚 on) the back. I think a lot of guys have bought into that and we try not to preach individualism around hereB次元官网网址hatB次元官网网址檚 what IB次元官网网址檓 most proud of the guys B次元官网网址� buying into it this year,B次元官网网址� 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 B次元官网网址榳olfpack mentalityB次元官网网址� that is needed to win and there was no better example of that during a second period melee against the Flames when VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Conor Garland peeled CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Adam Klapka out of a scrum and brought him to his knees.
Klapka is 6B次元官网网址�8B次元官网网址� while Garland is listed at 5B次元官网网址�10B次元官网网址� but in reality is closer to 5B次元官网网址�8B次元官网网址�.
B次元官网网址淚 just think the little things like thatB次元官网网址uys sticking up for each other and having each otherB次元官网网址檚 back and coming together as a team. It shows that weB次元官网网址檝e come a long way. I keep saying weB次元官网网址檙e not B次元官网网址榯hereB次元官网网址� but weB次元官网网址檝e certainly made a lot of good strides as a team,B次元官网网址� said Miller.
The Canucks, however, know come next week and the first round of the post-season that itB次元官网网址檚 a whole new ballgame.
The good thing is you know they wonB次元官网网址檛 be satisfied with what theyB次元官网网址檝e accomplished.
After all, thereB次元官网网址檚 another day to be earned.
OVERTIME
* The Canucks announced their team award winners during the game on Tuesday. Hughes walked away with the Walter B次元官网网址楤abeB次元官网网址� 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 CanucksB次元官网网址� most exciting player as well as the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the clubB次元官网网址檚 most valuable player. Elias Pettersson won the Three Stars Award while Dakota Joshua claimed the Fred J. Hume Award for the teamB次元官网网址檚 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. B次元官网网址淐asey (DeSmith) has been great for us and the same with Arti (Silovs) but having Demmer back there - itB次元官网网址檚 a whole new thing,B次元官网网址� said Hughes.
* CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 lone goal was scored by Brayden Pachal. Longtime WHL fans might remember his cousin who played for the New Westminster Bruins in the 1970B次元官网网址檚. 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 B次元官网网址渢he MojB次元官网网址� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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