Canucks need to take next crucial development step by actually playing beyond early April. Everything else is just sales talk, wishful thinking and hype until that happens.
When you’re trying to sell impressionable young players — plus a devoted, dialled-in and playoff-starved hockey populace — that the light at the end of a dark development tunnel is a bright future and not a train crushing confidence, progress is of paramount importance.
“We wanted to develop our players, develop a style of play and play meaningful games down the stretch,” said Green. “We didn’t play them all the way through — and I understand that — but I think it’s exciting where we’re going. “I’ve taken some steps, but I feel like there’s a lot more to work with,” he said. “I’ve taken a huge step off the ice. I’m learning every day. I’m getting older and looking back at stuff I used to do or say; you have to learn from those things.”
Bo Horvat took more draws than any centre and played with a dozen different linemates and three dozen line combinations in a career scoring season for the captain in waiting. Horvat never complained. He led by example and shouldered a heavier workload with injuries to Jay Beagle and Brandon Sutter. “Quicker getting places and a little stronger in his one-on-one battles — even when he has the puck,” said Green. “And being able to get away from someone when you have the puck in the corner.”
He has banked a puck off the sideboards, pivoted and spun to put a blind back pass on the tape of Markus Granlund for a goal. And we’ve all seen what he can do to make the three-on-three overtime mesmerizing.
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