Bruce Boudreau finally gives his take on Elias Pettersson's struggle
Throughout the playoffs, Elias Pettersson's play for the Canucks has been, simply put, disappointing.
While some fans debate whether he has vital enough linemates to support him, 4 points in 10 playoff games is not good enough for a player poised to make $11.6 million starting next year.
On Thursday's Donnie and Dhali show, former Head Coach Bruce Boudreau weighed in on Pettersson's struggles.
His body language looks like he's lost a little bit of confidence... if he were scoring at even half the pace he would normally be at, the difference would have been maybe one goal, and one goal was all they needed in two of the four games they lost.
Boudreau said he's sure it's weighing on Pettersson, who strives to be the best.
The former Canucks bench boss gave some slack to Pettersson, however, saying the success of the Canucks top two lines has forced Pettersson to play with Lafferty and Mikheyev - two players who don't offer him much offensive support.
Pettersson was lined up on the wing with Elias Lindholm and Nils Hoglander at practice on Thursday morning; we'll see if the mixing of lines is enough to get the Canucks star going.
As heard on the Donnie and Dhali podcast:
Donnie and Dhali, May 16, 2024
POLL |
MAI 16 | 1091 ANSWERS Bruce Boudreau finally gives his take on Elias Pettersson's struggle If tonight's new lines aren't enough to improve Petey's play, what would you do? |
Reunite lotto line | 381 | 34.9 % |
Stick with it for another game | 413 | 37.9 % |
Revert back to previous lines | 80 | 7.3 % |
Healthy scratch him | 217 | 19.9 % |
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