The Vancouver Canucks are playing some of their worst hockey in recent history but are still in the playoff race. Find out what New Year’s resolutions they need to make to actually deserve being a playoff team.
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This is an old story. As of January 1st, 2016 the Canucks rank 23rd in the National Hockey League — but they are in the midst of a tough playoff race. The Canucks are 10th in the Western Conference and fourth in the Pacific Division, only four points away from the Edmonton Oilers who are currently last in the Western Conference and 29th in the league.
Some say that is a good thing. Being out of the playoffs means getting a chance to draft Auston Matthews after all — and Vancouver will be in desperate need for a No. 1 centre once Henrik Sedin is gone.
Others (including myself) believe that forcing a rebuild is neither a good idea nor one that actually works. The Canucks should win as long as they can, and everything else will come naturally. There are good players in every draft.
Either way, here is what the Canucks need to do to deserve a playoff ticket in 2016.
Next: #1
Help the Sedins
Hockey is a team sport. Having a couple of star players who can carry the whole team is great, but imagine how great it would be if they got help from their teammates.
Henrik and Daniel Sedin combine for 70 points through 38 games this season. The whole first line — Henrik, Daniel, Jannik Hansen, Alex Edler, Chris Tanev — combines for 44 of the club’s 93 goals. That is one crazy line to have.
However, the fact that Radim Vrbata‘s 18 points are best among non-first-line players, ahead of several players with 11 points, is highly unsatisfying. The Sedins can carry this team, but Vancouver does not deserve to make the playoffs if the rest of the team hardly scores. Hockey is a team sport — if the Canucks want to make the playoffs, the whole team needs to produce.
That said, let us hope Henrik and Daniel can keep up their pace through 2016.
Next: #2
Protect the net
The Canucks’ offence is not the team’s only problem: Vancouver’s 107 goals against rank 24th in the league.
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While blaming the goalies seems way too easy, it is true that neither Ryan Miller nor Jacob Markstrom have been at the top of their game lately. Miller’s .909 save percentage is well below the .916 league average, Markstrom’s .917 is only slightly above. So, what can be done about that?
Whatever the problem might be for Miller and Markstrom, changing their individual performances is something nobody can do. They are likely doing their best — either they can turn it around or they cannot. Nothing the team can change as a whole.
Therefore, the goaltenders need their defence to help. The Canucks’ 30.8 shots against per game are sixth-most in the NHL. Vancouver needs to find a way to get that number down to help their goalies.
With the Canucks’ current injury woes, the defence has been decimated, but they need to find a way to help Miller and Markstrom — or whoever else is in net.
Next: #3
Utilize the Power Play
Special teams have been a problem for the Canucks so far this season. They only scored on 16.4 percent of their man advantages, ranking 26th in the league. That needs to change.
This goes hand in hand with the first one of our New Year’s resolutions. Who is going to score on the power play? So far, it has been up to the Sedins. Mostly on a unit with Vrbata and Edler, Henrik and Daniel have combined for nine power-play goals so far this season. Vrbata and Edler have two each.
In order to score more goals, the Canucks need more than one power play unit that can be relied on. Splitting up the Sedins could technically help, but their chemistry is just too important for the first unit. So, what can be done about this? Your call, Willie Desjardins.
Next: #4
Improve the Penalty Kill
As said before, the special teams have been a problem for the Canucks as a whole. That goes for the penalty kill as much as the power play. Vancouver’s 79.4 percent killed penalties have the team ranked 19th in the league, but it is far too low to deserve a playoff spot.
For many teams, the bottom-six is made up of good defensive players that know how to kill penalties. That is how guys like Minnesota Wild forward Jarret Stoll stay in the NHL. Unfortunately, Vancouver’s best defensive forwards have not been doing too well on the penalty kill this season. Brandon Prust was on the ice for 14.99 goals against per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time, Adam Cracknell is not much better at 14.16.
Instead, guys like Bo Horvat, Chris Higgins and first-line forward Jannik Hansen lead the team in shorthanded time on ice. Cracknell can be seen out there a lot as well, but none of the listed players seem to be the right solution. Something needs to change here.
Next: #5
Win Games in OT
Out of 12 overtime games in the 2015-16 season, the Vancouver Canucks lost nine. Two were won in shootouts and only one could be decided in favour of the Canucks in the new 3-on-3 overtime. What is going on there?
The Canucks’ 3-on-3 ice-time leaders are Henrik, Daniel, Vrbata, Horvat, Hansen and Edler. In other words, Vancouver is trying to send out their best offensive players in overtime, with bottom-liners getting rather little time on ice. Still, they simply cannot put the puck in the net.
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Maybe the Sedins are getting too slow, maybe it is something else. Either way, the Canucks need to find ways to win those OT games. Their nine OT losses are obviously the most any NHL team has. Who are the right players to send out in overtime? Again, Willie D’s call.