Why the Canucks would benefit from a play-in postseason scenario

If the 2019-20 NHL season resumes, there could be a “play-in” scenario for the final playoff spots. Here’s why it would benefit the Vancouver Canucks.

The 2019-20 NHL season has been on pause for over a month, and if the campaign does resume at some point, there’s a chance that the Vancouver Canucks won’t get the chance to qualify for the postseason.

The NHL is exploring plenty of options, hoping to eventually conclude the season. The ultimate goal is to award the Stanley Cup, but in order to accomplish that, the league might have no choice but to reduce or eliminate the remaining slate of regular season games.

If the league skipped straight to the postseason (a less-than-ideal scenario for the players), how would they determine the playoff bracket? If it came down to only points, the Canucks and Nashville Predators would be tied with 69 apiece. But the Predators would get the tiebreaker due to having 28 regulation wins (the Canucks have 27).

What if it came down to points percentage? Well, it gets interesting. With a .565 winning percentage, Vancouver would leap ahead of the Calgary Fames (.564 winning percentage) for the third seed in the Pacific Division. The Canucks would also finish ahead of the seventh-seeded Winnipeg Jets, who carry a .563 winning percentage.

It’s also possible that the league will implement a “play-in” scenario to determine the final playoff spots. The Canucks could very well play the Predators in such a scenario, or perhaps the 10th-seeded Minnesota Wild (while Nashville would play WinnipeG)

At first glance, a play-in scenario wouldn’t be ideal for the Canucks. If the league determined the playoff picture by points percentage, Vancouver would be in, plain and simple. No need to play the extra games.

But a play-in scenario would actually benefit the team in a variety of ways.

This is an extremely inexperienced Vancouver team. And before they can realistically challenge the Vegas Golden Knights, St. Louis Blues or Colorado Avalanche in a best-of-seven, the Canucks would have to get a feel for the more physical, punishing and energetic play that is required in the postseason.

Be it a best-of-three or a best-of-five, the Canucks would gain that experience against a more manageable opponent like, say, the Predators or Wild. And if Vancouver were to emerge victorious, they would be far more prepared for a best-of-seven against an elite opponent.

Think of last year’s Blues, who were the league’s worst team at the start of Jan. 2019. They eventually caught fire and finished the regular season on a high note (8-1-1) to lock down the third seed in the Central Division.

Those Blues had been battle-tested since January, and they were far more ready for the grind of a two-month playoff journey, whereas more successful regular season teams like the Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning faced little adversity going into the playoffs. Both were eliminated in round one, while the fearless and resilient Blues went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Even if the regular season resumes, teams like St. Louis, Colorado and Vegas won’t have faced any real challenges entering the playoffs. If Elias Pettersson and company had to fight just to qualify for a play-in scenario, and they went on to win that series? This team would be locked and ready to roll for the more intense playoff hockey.

Vancouver would then hopefully be able to carry that momentum into a best-of-seven, with the chance to catch their first-round opponents off guard.

So if the 2019-20 season continues, and if the league announces a play-in situation, Vancouver fans shouldn’t get too worried. Take everything into account, and such a scenario could actually do more good than harm for the Canucks.