害羞草研究所淚f you want to climb a mountain, don害羞草研究所檛 look at the peak. Look at your next step,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� Unknown.
It害羞草研究所檚 been quite the turnaround for the Vancouver Canucks.
Last year at this time, Canuck Nation was fuming because of the team害羞草研究所檚 strong finish which took them out of the Connor Bedard sweepstakes
One year later and it害羞草研究所檚 an entirely different story.
With Tuesday害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淚 think if someone told us where we would be this time last year or in the summer, we害羞草研究所檇 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害羞草研究所檛 been easy but we did everything we were supposed to do,害羞草研究所� Quinn Hughes explained after the win Tuesday night.
So how did this 26-point turnaround happen?
It started with Tocchet害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淵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害羞草研究所檚 certainly part of the process. We played a lot of good hockey this year and we should be proud,害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所榚arn the day害羞草研究所� with the group.
Don害羞草研究所檛 think about yesterday, don害羞草研究所檛 look ahead to tomorrow 害羞草研究所� just focus on becoming better today.
害羞草研究所淚 think it helps us stay focused and takes the pressure off ourselves. It害羞草研究所檚 a long season and it害羞草研究所檚 not always perfect. I think we害羞草研究所檝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害羞草研究所檛 too good. I thought we were really even-keel this season. It showed when we weren害羞草研究所檛 playing our best - we were playing .500 hockey and it never really got worse than that,害羞草研究所� Miller said.
As Canucks Army reporter Jeff Paterson pointed out in a post on 害羞草研究所榅害羞草研究所�, 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害羞草研究所檝e bought into the team concept.
害羞草研究所淲e always talk about the emblem on the front and not (what害羞草研究所檚 on) the back. I think a lot of guys have bought into that and we try not to preach individualism around here害羞草研究所hat害羞草研究所檚 what I害羞草研究所檓 most proud of the guys 害羞草研究所� buying into it this year,害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所榳olfpack mentality害羞草研究所� that is needed to win and there was no better example of that during a second period melee against the Flames when Vancouver害羞草研究所檚 Conor Garland peeled Calgary害羞草研究所檚 Adam Klapka out of a scrum and brought him to his knees.
Klapka is 6害羞草研究所�8害羞草研究所� while Garland is listed at 5害羞草研究所�10害羞草研究所� but in reality is closer to 5害羞草研究所�8害羞草研究所�.
害羞草研究所淚 just think the little things like that害羞草研究所uys sticking up for each other and having each other害羞草研究所檚 back and coming together as a team. It shows that we害羞草研究所檝e come a long way. I keep saying we害羞草研究所檙e not 害羞草研究所榯here害羞草研究所� but we害羞草研究所檝e certainly made a lot of good strides as a team,害羞草研究所� said Miller.
The Canucks, however, know come next week and the first round of the post-season that it害羞草研究所檚 a whole new ballgame.
The good thing is you know they won害羞草研究所檛 be satisfied with what they害羞草研究所檝e accomplished.
After all, there害羞草研究所檚 another day to be earned.
OVERTIME
* The Canucks announced their team award winners during the game on Tuesday. Hughes walked away with the Walter 害羞草研究所楤abe害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所� most exciting player as well as the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the club害羞草研究所檚 most valuable player. Elias Pettersson won the Three Stars Award while Dakota Joshua claimed the Fred J. Hume Award for the team害羞草研究所檚 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. 害羞草研究所淐asey (DeSmith) has been great for us and the same with Arti (Silovs) but having Demmer back there - it害羞草研究所檚 a whole new thing,害羞草研究所� said Hughes.
* Calgary害羞草研究所檚 lone goal was scored by Brayden Pachal. Longtime WHL fans might remember his cousin who played for the New Westminster Bruins in the 1970害羞草研究所檚. 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 害羞草研究所渢he Moj害羞草研究所� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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