Somehow, the Vancouver Canucks playoffs hopes have been dashed once again. We say “somehow” because those hopes should have burned up months ago, yet here we are.
Vancouver Canucks Playoffs Hopes Ended. Finally.
Losing ten games in November should have been enough to kill all hope. But no, December and “Bruce There It Is” happened and the fans were back once again. A mediocre January followed, but since most of their losses were in the East they mattered just a bit less. So long as they beat the teams in the conference, they could make it!
That set up the most important game of the season – one of many – against the Anaheim Ducks. It was one of the teams the Canucks could catch in their division. And the Canucks not only lost, but they also went down 5-0 before the five-minute mark of the second period. Sure, the final score was a rather flattering 7-4, but it was emblematic of the team. So, hope ended, right? Well, no, because Vancouver promptly won their next three, including a 7-1 hammering of the Calgary Flames.
If the Canucks were a horror monster, they’d be Jason Voorhees. Unkillable, sure, but really slow and you have to wonder if the folks in charge know what they’re doing with the increasingly desperate changes.
They’re Back! Or Not! Who Knows!
In fact, they went 5-1 leading up to a huge seven-game home stretch right before the trade deadline. As we said at the time:
“Can the Canucks make the playoffs in a weak Pacific Division? Well… maybe. But it isn’t going to be easy, and there is a mighty trap ahead: an easy schedule. All seven remaining games before the deadline are at home. The opponents they play aren’t the strongest out there. And it wouldn’t be a shock to see Vancouver pick up 11 or 12 of a possible 14 points. And the team just ain’t that good.”
They didn’t do that, of course. Instead of getting 14 points, or 12, or 11, they got six. Losing two one-goal games against strong teams was a missed opportunity. Losing the two one-goal games against what should be much weaker teams was less a missed opportunity and more finding rakes to step on.
But they won another “Most Important Game of the Season” against the Dallas Stars only to smack up against a St. Louis Blues squad that was uninterested in helping. And now they need to close out April with possibly the best month they’ve ever had. There are three games remaining against the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Canucks will need to win all three. Pull that off, and they’ll need to win their remaining match against Dallas. And really they have a single loss to spare – maybe two – so long as it isn’t against those two teams.
The Good News
One thing the Canucks won’t do is drop in the lottery. Probably. Should Vancouver remain in the mix with the Winnipeg Jets and Vegas, they could get the coveted Best Loser spot. And one certainty any team has in the 16th-lowest spot is that it doesn’t matter who wins the lottery, your pick can’t get worse. And even if by some miracle the Canucks actually win the lottery, rest assured the rules have changed this year. They can move up ten spots, but no more. Yay!
On the other hand, the changes made by Canucks ownership and management have been substantial. It’s hardly fair to lump in the new group with the one from earlier in the season because of the obvious fact that they are different people. New coaches and a new management team that is actually a team. If there are going to be big changes – and you have to know they’re coming – those will happen in the Summer. And unlike the disastrous money-saving moves of two years ago, these will be made with the product on the ice in mind.
The Future!
Even with the Vancouver Canucks playoffs hopes finally dead for the year, there are still reasons to watch the games. Should the Canucks finish as strongly as we’ve implied, that should include young players getting a shot at NHL ice time. For the folks who are concerned that prospect Aidan McDonough hasn’t signed yet: don’t be. He can see the team as easily as everyone else can and knows perfectly well they need a scoring winger, especially one who comes cheap.
It should also show the veterans with mildly disappointing seasons finishing strong. That can be Jaroslav Halák finding his game, Quinn Hughes breaking long-standing Canucks records, or Conor Garland or Brock Boeser going on a scoring tear. Any of those will help strengthen the team’s position in the off-season when possibly dealing with other teams, or convincing free agents to sign here, or…
Hey, you hear something?
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