sa国际传媒淚f you want to climb a mountain, donsa国际传媒檛 look at the peak. Look at your next step,sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� Unknown.
Itsa国际传媒檚 been quite the turnaround for the Vancouver Canucks.
Last year at this time, Canuck Nation was fuming because of the teamsa国际传媒檚 strong finish which took them out of the Connor Bedard sweepstakes
One year later and itsa国际传媒檚 an entirely different story.
With Tuesdaysa国际传媒檚 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.
sa国际传媒淚 think if someone told us where we would be this time last year or in the summer, wesa国际传媒檇 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 hasnsa国际传媒檛 been easy but we did everything we were supposed to do,sa国际传媒� Quinn Hughes explained after the win Tuesday night.
So how did this 26-point turnaround happen?
It started with Tocchetsa国际传媒檚 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.
sa国际传媒淵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. Itsa国际传媒檚 certainly part of the process. We played a lot of good hockey this year and we should be proud,sa国际传媒� 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 sa国际传媒榚arn the daysa国际传媒� with the group.
Donsa国际传媒檛 think about yesterday, donsa国际传媒檛 look ahead to tomorrow sa国际传媒� just focus on becoming better today.
sa国际传媒淚 think it helps us stay focused and takes the pressure off ourselves. Itsa国际传媒檚 a long season and itsa国际传媒檚 not always perfect. I think wesa国际传媒檝e done a really good job of not enjoying it too much when it was really good and not beating ourselves up when it wasnsa国际传媒檛 too good. I thought we were really even-keel this season. It showed when we werensa国际传媒檛 playing our best - we were playing .500 hockey and it never really got worse than that,sa国际传媒� Miller said.
As Canucks Army reporter Jeff Paterson pointed out in a post on sa国际传媒榅sa国际传媒�, 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 theysa国际传媒檝e bought into the team concept.
sa国际传媒淲e always talk about the emblem on the front and not (whatsa国际传媒檚 on) the back. I think a lot of guys have bought into that and we try not to preach individualism around heresa国际传媒hatsa国际传媒檚 what Isa国际传媒檓 most proud of the guys sa国际传媒� buying into it this year,sa国际传媒� 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 sa国际传媒榳olfpack mentalitysa国际传媒� that is needed to win and there was no better example of that during a second period melee against the Flames when Vancouversa国际传媒檚 Conor Garland peeled Calgarysa国际传媒檚 Adam Klapka out of a scrum and brought him to his knees.
Klapka is 6sa国际传媒�8sa国际传媒� while Garland is listed at 5sa国际传媒�10sa国际传媒� but in reality is closer to 5sa国际传媒�8sa国际传媒�.
sa国际传媒淚 just think the little things like thatsa国际传媒uys sticking up for each other and having each othersa国际传媒檚 back and coming together as a team. It shows that wesa国际传媒檝e come a long way. I keep saying wesa国际传媒檙e not sa国际传媒榯heresa国际传媒� but wesa国际传媒檝e certainly made a lot of good strides as a team,sa国际传媒� said Miller.
The Canucks, however, know come next week and the first round of the post-season that itsa国际传媒檚 a whole new ballgame.
The good thing is you know they wonsa国际传媒檛 be satisfied with what theysa国际传媒檝e accomplished.
After all, theresa国际传媒檚 another day to be earned.
OVERTIME
* The Canucks announced their team award winners during the game on Tuesday. Hughes walked away with the Walter sa国际传媒楤abesa国际传媒� 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 Canuckssa国际传媒� most exciting player as well as the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the clubsa国际传媒檚 most valuable player. Elias Pettersson won the Three Stars Award while Dakota Joshua claimed the Fred J. Hume Award for the teamsa国际传媒檚 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. sa国际传媒淐asey (DeSmith) has been great for us and the same with Arti (Silovs) but having Demmer back there - itsa国际传媒檚 a whole new thing,sa国际传媒� said Hughes.
* Calgarysa国际传媒檚 lone goal was scored by Brayden Pachal. Longtime WHL fans might remember his cousin who played for the New Westminster Bruins in the 1970sa国际传媒檚. 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 sa国际传媒渢he Mojsa国际传媒� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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