Attack the quack: 3 keys to victory over Anaheim

It’s the home stretch of the season, folks. These final six games could not end any sooner. Here are the three keys to victory over the Anaheim Ducks.

Less than two weeks remain in the Vancouver Canucks‘ season. And just my luck, I get to cover the Anaheim Ducks again. This time of the year is especially difficult. Fans are checked out and whether the team will admit it, some of their players have done the same.

Since February 14th, the Canucks have five wins in their last 20 games. Why is that date important? That’s when Jim Benning got his extension. Not a good look since this is the same trend since 2015, but I digress.

Losing is the key to giving the Canucks the best chances to pick first overall. More importantly, the race for 31st guarantees the winner a top four pick. In a league that rewards losing, you would think keys to victory would be counter-intuitive, especially when considering the opponent.

A win is very possible, which scares the draftists in the fanbase. Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler are in Vancouver, so you know the Roxy Flu will be in full effect tonight. Winning a meaningless game and hurting their draft lottery odds is a very Canucks thing to do.

Adam Gaudette will not play today, but we expect to see him at some point later this week. Without anyone new to join the lineup, here is what the boys in blue will need to do to stall the tank.

Lineup notes

Injuries

From Rotoworld: Chris Tanev (knee), Brendan Leipsic (undisclosed), Ben Hutton (foot), Erik Gudbranson (shoulder), Brock Boeser (back), Sven Baertschi (shoulder), Loui Eriksson (ribs), Markus Granlund (ankle), Brendan Gaunce (ankle), Derek Dorsett (back/neck)

Keys to victory

Clean up their game

Injuries. There are a lot of them. So much for depth, eh? I know it is difficult to not have their best player. The team can’t get consistent goaltending on a nightly basis and Bo Horvat needs to run a first line with spare parts.

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However, a team as bad as the Canucks can’t play this loose. Sloppy play can result in goals, but you don’t want bad habits to develop. There are so many players on this roster that should be competing for jobs next year and I’m not seeing the effort.

Jacob Markstrom won’t get as many posts to save him, so it would be nice if the five-man unit in front of him to do what the title says. Attack the quack. Travis Green‘s system was successful at the start of the season.

However, effort is the key. A team like Anaheim, Roxy Flu or not, can feast on players who are dogging it. Keep the crowd going and don’t pack it in on the opening faceoff. You can still lose while putting up a good effort.

Get Reid Boucher a Stars-tinted visor

If only the Canucks played the Dallas Stars every night. Reid Boucher has four of his five points against the Stars this season. Meaningless games are opening the doors for opportunity. For these final six games, Boucher should just imagine that he’s playing the Dallas Stars.

Sure, John Gibson or Ryan Miller won’t be as easy to solve as Kari Lehtonen. Nonetheless, I would like to see Boucher do well. There is very little to care about these days, but something has to get you through the games.

Draw lots of penalties

Even without Brock Boeser, the Canucks have salvaged something in their power play. It was telling to see how badly the ninth best power play struggled without their coveted sniper. On Sunday, the Canucks went two-for-six, punishing a very undisciplined Stars squad.

Vancouver may win the battle at 5v5, but when presented with power plays, score on as many as possible. As we saw in the last game, there is a risk of surrendering short-handed goals. This ties in with the first key and tightening things up.

An unfocused Anaheim team can make several lazy mistakes. Outworking the Ducks means they will slash, trip and hook. When it comes to Anaheim’s goaltenders, they aren’t sieves. You need to create as many opportunities as you can afford.

Next: Adam Gaudette signs with the Vancouver Canucks

In the end, I don’t care if the Canucks win tonight. Buffalo did their job last night and won, reducing the gap down to three points again. Vancouver would do themselves a favour with another loss, but you can’t tell players to lose. Hopefully, it becomes natural for these final six games.