Canucks: Roussel riled by schedule discrepancies hurting playoff push
How can you drag them into the fight when you lag behind them?
That was Antoine Roussel’s frank assessment after the outspoken Vancouver Canucks winger was asked Sunday to offer a perspective on the strain of the compact 56-game NHL slog.
And, during the league-mandated, six-day break from the grind of too many games in too short a span, there’s time for reflection.
For everything that has hampered the NHL club’s pursuit of a North Division playoff position — a coronavirus pandemic scare, a slow season start and myriad injuries — not being able to skate on an even scheduling footing with rivals has particularly raised Roussel’s ire.
The fourth-line winger cited the Montreal Canadiens — who are in a COVID-19 protocol pause with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia on the watch list because one tested positive for a virus variant — as having a much more manageable schedule in January, February and March.
The benefit is more healing time for Tyler Toffoli and a shorter seven-day quarantine window for unrestricted free-agent Eric Staal, who was acquired Friday in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres. It may also allow first-round draft pick Cole Caufield to eventually work into the lineup after starting in the AHL. His favoured Wisconsin Badgers were upset Friday in the NCAA Frozen Four championship tournament.
“When I look at a team like Montreal, they’ve had three breaks and it’s not fair at all,” said Roussel. “We’ve played 37 games and it’s frustrating. We’ve been complying (with COVID-19 protocols) and almost perfect as an organization and we struggle with the schedule.
“We have to show up every night and not look at excuses, but it’s just pointing at facts. When we played in Montreal (March 20), we flew right after the game and it’s a five-hour flight. We got in at 5 a.m. Montreal time and played the next day (in Winnipeg) and in the first period we were flat.
“Our legs weren’t there. Our best players are playing more than 20 minutes a night and it’s been hard with the travel and jet lag.”
Roussel may be on to something.
The Canadiens had a break Jan. 24-27 and again Feb. 7-9. Their mandated six-day break came Feb. 14-19 and now they’re in what will be an eight-day COVID-19 protocol pause before they’re scheduled to play Tuesday in Ottawa.
They still have to make up four postponed games because of the safety protocols, but it’s not a stretch to suggest an attractive schedule has helped get them to this point.
The fourth-place Canadiens remain two points up on the sixth-place Canucks with a whopping six games in hand.
It’s why Roussel is so worked up. By comparison, the Canucks have been on a tiring treadmill.
They only had one-day breaks between games in a jammed January run that included a trio of back-to-backs, three injuries and a 6-5-0 record. That was followed by one two-day break in February after an arduous six-game road trip. The crazy pace produced two more injuries and a 2-9-2 record.
This month, the club has had a pair of back-to-backs and just one two-day break before its six-day getaway. March has also produced an encouraging 8-4-1 spurt, but five more injuries.
“We’re hopeful and working hard in practice, but I’m hoping we get some people back because we’re decimated by injuries,” said Roussel. “When Bo (took) that shot on his foot (March 22), we could have been missing four centres and in this league, you can’t get away with that.
“We’re a good team when everybody is healthy.”
Canucks coach Travis Green has played the rest-and-recovery card during this break.
He’s wary of players taxed to the limit, but also knows there’s need to work on improvements before hosting the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. The Canucks were off Thursday and Friday, practised Saturday and Sunday and are off again Monday.
“Rest is first and foremost,” said Green. “You don’t want to go any more than that in the middle of a season. It was good to get back on the ice and the guys seemed refreshed. We pushed them harder yesterday (Saturday) than today (Sunday).
“There have been challenges for sure and we talked about it at the beginning of the year. Probably more talk to it than we wished or wanted.”
OVERTIME —
Winger
Tyler Motte
missed practice Sunday with a maintenance day and his lineup spot was taken by
Marc Michaelis
. UFA winger
Tanner Pearson
(ankle) is expected to start skating this week after being injured March 17. Centre
Elias Pettersson
(wrist) remains out from a March 1 injury and UFA centre
Brandon Sutter
(undisclosed) didn’t practice Sunday, but may play Wednesday. Restricted free-agent winger
Justin Bailey
, who suffered a separated shoulder Feb. 11 against the Flames on a hit from
Milan Lucic
and was limited to three games this season, was in New York over the weekend to consult with a specialist.
bkuzma@postmedia.com
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