Canucks: 5 predictions for play-in series vs. the Wild

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The Vancouver Canucks will meet the Minnesota Wild in a best-of-five play-in series when hockey resumes. Here are 5 bold predictions for their matchup.

It’s been 17 years since the Vancouver Canucks last met the Minnesota Wild in the playoffs, but thanks to the acceptance of a 24-team NHL playoff format, the two teams will clash once again. This time around it may not exactly be the typical best-of-seven format that fans are so used to seeing, but the playoff intensity will most definitely be alive for the entire duration of this five-game play-in series. Here are five predictions for the highly-touted contest.

1. The series will take five games to determine the winner

The Vancouver Canucks and the Minnesota Wild are far more evenly matched than one might think at first glance. Dividing the two Western Conference foes is only a single point in the standings. The Wild are quite honestly a more solid team on the blueline, but the Canucks have elite scoring that can’t be matched. Vancouver’s special teams are far superior to the Wild, and Jacob Markstrom has the ability to steal games better than any goalie in the National Hockey League right now.

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Two totally different teams with two completely separate playing styles. In more normal circumstances, I’d be comfortable giving the edge to the Canucks for the simple fact that they have incredible depth and a relentless attack of scorers, but this year is different, a lot different. These players have been off for nearly three months, will be coming in cold, and expected to jump right back into the craziness of playoff hockey.

The referees nowadays are known for putting away their whistles during the playoffs, and that doesn’t favor the Canucks, a team that relies heavily on their power play to win games. On top of that, defense wins championships. Minnesota comes out on top defensively, so it’ll be up to the Canucks to break them down and find the back of the net at even strength. Vancouver might find themselves down against the Wild, but they’ll hit their groove offensively just in time to take the series in five.

Confidence: 8.5

2. Brock Boeser will lead the Canucks in goals

Say what you want about Brock Boeser’s lack of ability to score goals this season, something tells me he’ll be eager to find the back of the net for the Canucks once the NHL returns for puck drop.

According to Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required), as a native of the state of Minnesota, Boeser will have a lot riding on this series. Growing up a Wild fan, everyone in his circle of friends & family will be giving him a hard time over text message after every game. Boeser went on to say (more jokingly than anything) that because of that, this is more or less a must-win series for him.

“Yeah, my parents are excited about us playing the Wild, and most of my friends are still Wild fans, so they’re just giving me crap right now in the group chat. As for my roommates, I hope they root for us, or else I might disown them and kick ’em out of the house.”

Nobody likes scoring goals versus the Wild as much as Boeser does. He began his NHL career with a game-winning goal versus Minnesota, and he’d love to start his playoff career the same way. Boeser put work into his defensive game, something to be proud of, but he’s ready to return to the ice and show Travis Green that this is still his house.

Confidence: 6.0

Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /

3. Zack MacEwen will make an impact

The Canucks 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on March 6th was a statement game for Zack MacEwen. To say that the undrafted old-school hockey player from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island went off that night would be an understatement. Big Mac scored twice and added four hits in just over seven minutes of ice time. He had arrived!

MacEwen was on the brink of becoming a full-fledged NHLer when COVID-19 shut everything down. It’s unfortunate, but MacEwen will need to re-establish himself all over again if he wishes to be a part of the Canucks moving forward in the playoffs. It’s okay though because MacEwen is used to scratching and crawling for every second of NHL ice time. Every shift is a blessing, and that’s what will drive MacEwen to prove himself once more.

MacEwen’s efforts to stick inside the Canucks bottom-six this season will be the same reasons he becomes an impact player for them in the playoffs. He’s a rare breed in the modern-day NHL, but his rough and tough playing style is something that the Canucks desperately need. He has all the tools to get the job done. The playoffs are where he’ll find the most success.

Confidence: 5.0

4. Quinn Hughes will lead the Canucks in points

Right out of the gate this season, Quinn Hughes was an elusive magician on the blueline for the Vancouver Canucks. And that never stopped. His vision on the man-advantage was second to none, and he proved highly capable of shutting down the NHL’s most coveted players. Hughes became noticeable at every aspect of the game, and you can only expect that to continue when he gets his first taste of NHL playoffs.

He’s the team’s best defender in any situation, so do you think he’ll get an even bigger workload from Travis Green once the games really matter? It’s almost a guarantee. Expect his average ice-time of 21:37 to almost jump off the page in a playoff atmosphere. Vancouver will need a strong five-game performance from their entire top-4 if they stand a chance of keeping up defensively with the Wild, and Hughes will need to be the guy to accept that challenge head-on.

A rise in minutes will lead to a bump in points for the Canucks’ best rookie. He’s believed in his own capabilities from the start, and up to this point of this young NHL career, he’s done nothing negatively to make the fans think otherwise. Add the simple fact that his legs will be more than fresh once playoffs begin, and suddenly there is really no telling what this kid could do. That’s why I am putting my money on Hughes to evaluate his game once more, lead the Canucks past the Wild, and lead the team in overall points as well.

Confidence: 7.0

5. Jacob Markstrom will struggle early on

Jacob Markstrom was a darkhorse candidate for goalie of the year this season, that’s how good he was for the Vancouver Canucks. But it doesn’t really matter how good a goaltender was, it matters only how good a goaltender is. And six months away from the net can change almost anything for an NHL netminder, especially when he’s coming back from an injury that required surgery.

It doesn’t seem like that long ago, but in his last game, Markstrom and the Canucks trumped the Bruins 9-3 on Feb. 22. Four days later, it was Boston who, unfortunately, got the last laugh. The Canucks MVP suffered a tear to his meniscus, missed eight weeks, was eventually cleared to play, but because of COVID-19, he hasn’t played a professional game since. That’s a cause for concern in my books.

Not only will Markstrom have been away from hockey for six months once playoffs begin, but the 30-year-old All-Star still has zero NHL playoff experience. Normally, I wouldn’t be too concerned about that given the fact that Markstrom’s play was stellar all season long, but tack on the fact that he actually hasn’t played competitively since winter, and suddenly there’s a red flag.

Confidence: 8.5

Next. Canucks: 3 veterans to lean on in the playoffs. dark

Don’t expect Markstrom to be a top-caliber goaltender when the puck drops for game one. He’s going to need some time to find his bearings, but once he does, the Wild will be in hot water.

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