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
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