All is not well in Lotusland, as the Canucks are off to a poor 5-7-0 start and look nothing like the team that tore the NHL apart during the 2nd half of last season.
With the losses piling up, coach Alain Vigneault has gone public with his displeasure of his troops' play, and now the troops aren't happy.
First, Vigneault called out his top offensive players for not being gritty enough and for slackin off ala Todd Bertuzzi. Captain Markus Naslund huffed and puffed, stated his displeasure with Vigneault's system, and then proceeded to have one of his worst games of the season in a 3-2 loss to the Red Wings. Obviously, the message was heard loud and clear.
Vigneault later called out Willie Mitchell, specifically, for not playing up to his usual standards. As you can imagine, Mitchell ain't too pleased about that.
Defenceman Willie Mitchell chose his words carefully but it was clear Monday he was annoyed by the public criticism directed at him by coach Alain Vigneault following the Vancouver Canucks' loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
Some things should stay in the dressing room, Mitchell said.
"If people are unhappy with things, (as a) player you'd like to have that addressed," he said. "You don't like to hear about it through the media most of the time. That's his way of motivating I guess.
"I'm a player. I just go out and play and try and do my best. If he's not happy with what I'm doing I have to listen and dig in a little deeper and do a better job."
Vigneault's public criticisms seems to have backfired on him, and is only causing more bad feelings between him and his players. Although Vigneault is certainly right about all of his musings, choosing a public forum to do so is risky business. When dealing with a bunch of athlete egos, it's usually wise not to embarrass them publicly. If the Canucks continue to lose, and Vigneault continues his public declarations, the bad feelings will continue to grow, the losses will continue to pile up, and the death spiral will be irreversible. For all involved, it's time to shut up and put up.
