There are typically very few surprises in a postgame press conference. After a win, you’ll typically hear that the team played their game. After a loss, well, they’ve just got to get back to playing their game. There’s a reason why jokes are made about the cliches spouted in hockey interviews.
Look, there are 82 games most seasons and players and coaches end up doing a lot of interviews. It’s completely understandable that they end up relying on a few go-to clichés. But sometimes you can get some unique insight into what’s going through a player’s mind, some sort of tactical breakdown on a specific play, or a clever or funny turn of phrase that makes the whole endeavour worthwhile.
And every so often, there’s a quote in a postgame press conference that makes your brain come screeching to a halt. On Saturday, it was a two-word phrase: “2011 Bruins.”
That’s not typically something you’ll hear come out of the mouth of a Vancouver Canucks coach, particularly in a positive manner, but Bruce Boudreau namedropped the 2011 Bruins when talking about the ideal team that he would like to build.
Canucks fans are not exactly fond of the 2011 Bruins, for pretty obvious reasons. And the Canucks have already tried hiring one of the architects of that time — it didn’t go well.
Was Boudreau suggesting the Canucks go get some more toughness? Maybe sign the son of a significant decision-maker in the NHL’s hockey operations department? They already have the potential to ride an all-time great goaltending performance in the playoffs if Thatcher Demko gets hot at the right time.
No, what Boudreau was actually referring to was getting contributions from all four lines. In Saturday’s gutsy win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, six different players scored a goal and they got production from every line during their four-game road trip.
“I love using four lines and [having] balance on your team,” said Boudreau. “That means, to me, that everybody can play against everybody — there’s not a big deal about matching. When that happens and everybody contributes, they’ll feel better as well.
“I really liken it to the 2011 Bruins. That’s who I want to make — if I get the opportunity — to make teams like. You use your fourth line a lot, they can play in both ends of the ice and when they’re contributing offensively, it’s a big plus for us.”
Okay, fair enough. But come on, there has to be a better reference point for that style of team than the 2011 Bruins. Pease Bruce, for the sake of Canucks fans, come up with a different comparison.
Like the 2011 Bruins didn’t have to in the playoffs, the Canucks beat the Leafs when I watched this game.
- This was a roller coaster of a game from the Canucks, filled with thrills, chills, and spills. It started with a strong first period, nearly fell apart in the second, and then the Canucks pulled it all back together in the end like the plot of a Guy Ritchie film.
- J.T. Miller got the Canucks off on the right foot with the opening goal. Tanner Pearson and Brock Boeser combined to force a turnover down low, leading to a shot tipped on net by Miller. Jack Campbell kicked out a huge rebound back to Miller, who was only too happy to fire it back past the hapless Leafs goalie. Miller celebrated hard, more pumped up than a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
- “It’s Saturday at, uh, the Leafs’ place,” said Miller, apparently forgetting the arena’s corporate sponsor — it was so much easier when they played at Maple Leaf Gardens. “That’s the reason you play, right here, these types of games, especially with our season on the line…To see one go in early on, I was pretty jacked up, for sure, and trying to send a message that it was going to be that type of game.”
- “He’s our leader offensively and he’s our leader as a spokesperson,” said Boudreau of Miller. “I think a lot of the guys, they follow him and that’s what you need…He’s our star. Every team has one and I would say he’s our offensive star.”
- The Leafs responded on the power play after a baffling decision by Hamonic to pinch in the neutral zone. He missed the puck and that created a 3-on-1 for the Leafs behind him that Tyler Myers exacerbated by playing it poorly, leaving John Tavares wide open between the hashmarks to pick his spot on Demko.
- Honestly, apart from that ugly play on the penalty kill, Hamonic had a strong game. He finished with a goal and an assist, had four shots on goal, and played pretty well defensively at 5-on-5. It was just the one egregiously bad mistake, for which he will be endlessly judged, and can’t we all relate to that?
- With a minute left in the period, the Canucks took the lead. It started with a fantastic forecheck by Vasily Podkolzin, hounding Auston Matthews and T.J. Brodie to force a turnover. That led to a point shot from Hamonic that took a fortunate deflection off Brodie as he battled with Alex Chiasson in front of the net. He tried to kick the puck away but instead sent it five-hole on Campbell. Not enough pre-game soccer for Brodie, evidently.
- This was one of the strongest games of the season for Podkolzin, even if he only finished the game with one assist. His passing was on point, repeatedly creating chances for his linemates and was a big reason why Chiasson had a team-high five shots on goal.
- The Leafs came alive in the second period but it was the Canucks who extended the lead against the flow of play, capitalizing quickly on an undisciplined interference penalty by Travis “Neither Dylan McDermott nor Dermot Mulroney” Dermott. It was a simple play: Miller shot for a rebound, Campbell predictably gave up said rebound, and Brock Boeser banged in the aforementioned rebound.
- That’s when the Leafs came on strong, like an overly enthusiastic teen with a crush. They scored three straight goals, starting with Nick Robertson scoring his first career goal after Miller lost the puck in the offensive zone and the Leafs broke out 2-on-1. Myers aggressively attacked William Nylander instead of staying central to take away the pass and Nylander chipped the puck over Myers’ stick for Robertson.
- Matthews then tied the game 3-3 on a perfect pass by Boeser. It would have been a great play if they were on Team USA at the Olympics, but instead, it was a Sbisa-esque pizza delivery by Boeser — one of the worst turnovers of the season. It was a tape-to-tape pass from below the goal line and Demko had no chance on the top-corner finish.
- Matthews scored again to give the Leafs the lead after a dominant shift against the Miller line. Matthews circled into the neutral zone to get a running start at a one-timer but the puck might have gone wide if it hadn’t drilled Quinn Hughes in the leg to deflect past Demko.
- The Canucks didn’t give up, however, and came out in the third period with a purpose and that purpose was evidently to get a quick couple of goals and then hang on for dear life. There are worse purposes in life.
- It took just a minute for the Canucks to tie the game and it again came off a strong forecheck, with Miller and Boeser combining to come up with the puck. Boeser banked the puck to the point and Myers threw the puck towards the net, where Tanner Pearson aggressively hacked the puck back between both his own legs and Campbell’s for the 4-4 goal.
- Five minutes later, it was 5-4 for the Canucks. Myers picked up a mishandled stretch pass and sent the Canucks the other way in transition. Bo Horvat was strong on the puck on the zone entry, ripping the stick out of Mitch Marner’s hands as the Leafs winger reached in. With no stick, Marner could only kick at a bouncing centering pass, sending it right to Chiasson, who went bar down faster than a lightweight on New Year’s Eve.
- Four goals against isn’t great, but Demko was. He had little chance on any of the goals and was dynamite otherwise, particularly in the third period when he made point-blank save after point-blank save, repeatedly frustrating the Leafs’ shooters. The Leafs had 16 shots in the third period — Demko stopped them all.
- “He’s our rock back there,” said Miller. “He’s always there if there’s a breakdown. That team’s gonna get looks, it’s next to impossible to completely eliminate them…Demmer is back there to bail us out.”
- It wasn’t all Demko, however. The Canucks made some great defensive plays out of desperation to help out their goaltender. Conor Garland saved a goal in the third period, coming back to check Michael Bunting’s stick at the last second with Demko down and out. Don’t ask me what Brad Hunt was doing on this play because I honestly have no idea.
- Then there was Tanner Pearson reading a Marner pass and diving out to take away an opportunity for Matthews to get a hat trick. With Matthews’ shot, that arguably saved a sure goal too.
- Elias Pettersson helped seal the game, reading the play and jumping out of the zone to beat out an icing in the final minute. He could have tried for the empty net from a bad angle, but instead slipped the puck back to Tyler Motte, who hammered home a one-timer
