Canucks: Fighter Dickinson knows the fine line of being confident or frail

“We played a good game overall and it’s one or two areas that they just weren’t clicking, or a mistake or two, which cost us. Those really kill you and take everything from you. – Canucks forward Jason Dickinson.

Article content

Getting beaten up in the rankings, and even by disturbed loyalists, is one thing.

Article content

Hitting himself in the process is that dark hole of doubt that can affect any player.

For Jason Dickinson, this turbulent season has put the Vancouver Canucks center on the razor’s edge of wondering how his new club collapsed at the bottom of the Pacific Division standings with a historically horrible penalty, and how his game defensively oriented has not worked.

As for the collective collapse, Dickinson has followed this path. Last season, the veteran-laden Dallas Stars won their first four games and then just two of the next 13, despite the fact that six key players were in their 30s.

“Of course, it’s easy to lean on experience,” Dickinson said Sunday after the game day skating in Boston. “They’ve been through things and it wasn’t too overwhelming for them.”

Article content

This Canucks dive is deeper. A young core appears ill-equipped to take on the demands of performance without a productive support system to prop up the league’s 29th offense and the 24th-ranked power play that was left blank in 12 of 14 previous games.

You can beat those who have never known serious adversity in their career.

“As a young player, it can be overwhelming and difficult to put the noise aside and not start overthinking things,” added Dickinson. “With experience, you can disconnect and refocus on each game. The games that we think we should win are the most difficult. And there have been too many where we left the game extremely disappointed.

“We played a good game overall and it’s one or two areas that they just didn’t fit in, or one or two mistakes, which cost us. Those really kill you and take everything from you.

Article content

“There is a fine line between saying we are a trusting or a fragile team.”

As for his own work, the pendulum of acting has swung in the opposite direction.

The 26-year-old Dickinson was acquired in an offseason trade and later signed a three-year, $ 7.95 million deal to be a reliable third-row center and penalty shootout. But he has fought. A 39.2 percent that is shown in the circle, and wins only three of the 13 short ties, has played to fall to the fourth line as a pair of winger and second death.

Dickinson posted 10 minutes and 11 seconds of ice time on Friday at Columbus and just 7 1/2 minutes on Wednesday at Pittsburgh and had just three points (1-2) in his first 19 games. Last season, he added 15 points (7-8) in 51 games.

“It is from turn to turn,” he emphasized. “Once you start to get out of it, it can become a lot. You go through your head and many things begin to open up for you. If you can simplify and choose the little details, things will come together. “

[email protected]

twitter.com/@benkuzma