Since the All-Star Break, the Vancouver Canucks have struggled to gain any sort of traction and are backing into the playoffs rather than chugging in full steam ahead. They are 12-9-3 since the festivities ended in Vegas on Feb. 4, and while that’s a decent record, it’s the other stats that are somewhat concerning. The team that has the best goal differential in the league at plus-57 is at a minus-2 over the last 24 games, and they have been wildly inconsistent with their offence and special teams.
The Canucks are also battling injuries to their starting goaltender, Thatcher Demko, and blockbuster acquisition, Elias Lindholm, who’s been less-than-stellar since coming over from the Calgary Flames on Feb. 1. All in all, a few things need to be oiled up and fixed before Game 1 of the playoffs, or the first appearance of postseason hockey at Rogers Arena will likely end after only two or three games.
Slumping Power Play
This in my mind is the biggest issue heading into the postseason. The power play can’t be an Achille’s heel for the Canucks if they hope to make it past the first round. Since the All-Star Break, it has gone an abysmal 10 for 69 (14.5 percent) and it has let them down in crucial games where a power play goal or two would have made the difference. The most recent being against the Dallas Stars where they went 0 for 3 in what ended as a 3-1 loss. In fact, they lost the special teams battle overall in that game as the Stars were 2 for 5 on their power play.
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The Canucks need their special teams – especially the power play – to be firing on all cylinders, not sputtering along stalling at every intersection. The playoffs are filled with tight one-goal games where a power play goal could be the difference between a win and a loss. Furthermore, Canucks fans know all too well what a struggling power play can lead to – liberties being taken on their star players. The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup over the Canucks in 2011 because they couldn’t score on the power play. Players like Brad Marchand took penalties with no fear of the consequences because often, there weren’t any. This can’t happen this year. The power play must be better or they won’t make it very far.
Will Thatcher Demko Be Ready for Game 1?
Demko was firmly in the Vezina Trophy conversation before getting injured against the Winnipeg Jets earlier this month. He is now on a timeline that will have him return with only six games remaining in the regular season. Unfortunately, the injury probably takes him out of the running for top goaltender, but I don’t think he would mind very much if a Stanley Cup ring was on his finger instead. But before that can happen, he has to be 100 percent healthy and ready to go for the playoffs.
The last time Demko was in the postseason was back in 2020 when he was forced into action when Jacob Markstrom fell to injury. He got thrown into the fire against the Vegas Golden Knights and thrived to the tune of a 0.64 goals-against average (GAA) and a .985 save percentage (SV%) along with his first shutout. He got the nickname “Bubble Demko” and frustrated the Golden Knights to no end leading to this quote from then-head coach Pete DeBoer after they were stymied offensively against the Stars in the Western Conference Final:
“The Vancouver series, against Demko, probably rattled our confidence a little bit in that area (scoring), as a group.”
The Canucks need that confidence-shaking presence in their crease when the puck drops for Game 1 later in April. While Casey DeSmith has done an admirable job in Demko’s absence, they have a much better chance of going on a run with their All-Star goalie healthy and on his game. The question will be, are three or four starts enough to get him back up to speed? Fans sure hope so.
Offence Hanging out in the Basement Since All-Star Break
The Canucks were once one of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL, capable of blowing away opponents with four-plus goal efforts and even a double-digit once in a while (looking at you San Jose). But that team has gone missing in recent months. Since the All-Star Break, they have scored an average of only 2.75 goals a game – good for 27th in the league. The five teams below them? All out of the playoffs and four of them (Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Anaheim Ducks) will be in the Macklin Celebrini sweepstakes in June. In other words, the offence has been nowhere near playoff caliber.
JT Miller has been the only top player who has consistently brought the offence since the All-Star Break. He has an astounding 14 goals in 24 games, and five of those are game-winners. Yes, of the 12 wins, he has been responsible for almost half of them. Without Miller scoring, the Canucks would be worse off than they are right now. For the offence to get going more consistently, he can’t be the only one carrying the mail. At some point, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Elias Lindholm have to start taking over games and being the reason for victories. Nikita Zadorov (a defenceman who isn’t known for his offence) is only one goal behind Pettersson since Feb. 1. That can’t be the stat in the playoffs.
Canucks Won’t Have It Easy in the First Round
If the playoffs started today, the Canucks would be facing the Nashville Predators in the first round. Of all the potential opponents, they are the most favorable considering they play a more rush-style game. However, they are just coming off an 18-game point streak and present their own challenges with a very capable goaltender in Juuse Saros alongside a surprisingly deep offence.
Regardless of the opponent, the Canucks won’t have it easy, even as the higher seed. All of these issues must be fixed before then, or the road will be that much more rocky and could lead to an early exit and a disappointing end to one of the best regular seasons Vancouver has seen in a long time.