The Vancouver Canucks have entered the final stretch of the season. Call it the home stretch, the gun lap, or whatever. However, for the first time in what feels like forever, the Canucks will end the regular season in the Stanley Cup Playoffs instead of on the golf course. Vancouver could clinch a playoff spot as early as Monday. But the job is not done yet as there are still just over ten games to go in the regular season. At the time of this writing, the Canucks have 96 points and lead the Western Conference and are tied for second in the NHL with the New York Rangers. Of course, they want to finish as high as possible. Here are five keys for the Canucks final stretch of the season.
Canucks Final Stretch Takeaways
#1: Keep the Foot on the Gas at All Times
This takeaway is true not just for individual games but for the entire Canucks final stretch. But we will focus on the individual games first.
The Canucks were very good at holding leads for most of the season. But things went off the rails in some games in February and March. There was that chaotic 10-7 loss to the Minnesota Wild when they gave up seven goals in the third period, the 4-3 overtime home loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and the 4-3 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche last week. In the games against Pittsburgh and Colorado, the Canucks blew a 3-0 lead. (I was at the game against Colorado and let me tell you, watching them blow a 3-0 lead live was a very jarring experience.)
Vancouver also scored early against the Washington Capitals last Saturday and never found their footing since and lost 2-1 in regulation. However, it seems head coach Rick Tocchet emphasized playing a 60-minute game and the Canucks took care of business against the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens.
However, they need to make sure the foot is on the gas for the whole game, not just bits and pieces. Otherwise, the car will skid into a ditch. It’s a tough ask but that is one area to build on in preparation for the playoffs.
With just over ten games left, there is only one back-to-back so tiredness, for the most part, can’t be an excuse, especially with some more practice time.
#2: Casey DeSmith Continues to be Reliable
Thatcher Demko has been having a stellar season but has been out since March 9 with a lower-body injury. But Casey DeSmith has stepped up in his absence.
DeSmith is 3-1-1 in his next five since Demko got hurt. He has been very reliable and has made the saves the Canucks needed.
Casey DeSmith makes his best save of the game! #Canucks | #GoHabsGo
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/4NEFpTjDLC— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 22, 2024
Overall, it has been a decent season for DeSmith. He has a 10-5-0 record with a 2.75 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage as of the time of this writing. Given the Canucks haven’t had a reliable backup for years, those numbers aren’t bad at all.
“This is the best that I have felt in the National Hockey League throughout my career,” said DeSmith after Friday’s practice per Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet. ” This is probably the best I’ve felt about my game, personally.”
Until Demko returns, a confident DeSmith is something the Canucks will continue to need.
#3: The Stars Must Show Up
Speaking of being reliable, the Canucks need their best players to well…be their best players. There were games after the All-Star break where players such as Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes or J.T. Miller did show up.
But the playoffs are where the stars come out to play and the Canucks need their stars to shine as they push to finish as high as possible.
As of the time of this writing, Miller leads the Canucks with 89 points this season while Pettersson is second with 82 and Hughes is behind him with 79. Both Miller and Pettersson are second on the team in goals with 33 behind Brock Boeser‘s 36.
With Pettersson having recently signed an eight-year extension, he needs to continue to consistently perform. He has shown he can put the team on his back before and has turned up in big games (like in the 2020 bubble playoffs.) Pettersson has seven points in eight games in March. Sure, the games against Colorado and Washington weren’t good performances from him at all, but he is still having a great season and it must continue.
#4: But Secondary Scoring Also is Needed
Speaking of scoring, secondary scoring is also a great thing to have. It was on full display with Conor Garland and Nikita Zadorov (twice) getting on the board against the Canadiens on Thursday night.
Someone great with secondary scoring is Nils Höglander who has eclipsed 20 goals. But someone who needs to step up is fellow Swede Elias Lindholm.
Since arriving to the Canucks in the big trade with the Calgary Flames he only has four goals and four assists in eight games. That’s obviously not good enough from Vancouver’s big midseason acquisition. Sure, he has been very good defensively but there needs to be offence.
Tocchet even admitted Lindholm isn’t fully healthy so that explains that. Lindholm himself has said he expects more of himself offensively.
“Until I start shooting more, it’ll be tough, but I feel like my game overall is going in the right direction,” said Lindholm per Daniel Wagner of Vancouver Is Awesome. “So now it’s just to maintain that and keep getting better each and every day.”
Lindholm is a bonafide top six player and there is no better time for him to get going than this upcoming stretch and the playoffs.
#5: More Power in the Power Play
The Canucks final stretch will need the power play to get going. That is true for the playoffs as well.
The Canucks power play looked deadly for the first few months of the season. But since the All-Star break ended, their power play is 28th in the NHL with 14.5%. In the overall standings, Vancouver’s power play is 14th with 22.1%. For a while, it was in the top ten.
There are many reasons why the power play has struggled. One of them is the lack of shots. It feels like the Canucks pass the puck too much on the man advantage and don’t move around enough. Sometimes, you just have to let it rip. Pettersson hasn’t been using his one-timer as much and Boeser has cooled down in his net front spot.
What worked well earlier was Miller on the half-wall. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, as the old saying goes. When Miller is on the half-wall, his passing makes the power play dangerous. Also, Höglander’s tenacity could work well for the power play unit.
With a handful of games to go, there has been lots to like with the Canucks but plenty to improve on. This final stretch is like a dress rehearsal for the playoffs. And it will be really nice to have playoff hockey in Vancouver again.
Main Photo Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
