The Vancouver Canucks have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. Let’s get into your mailbag questions for this week.
It’s been a while since I’ve written about the Vancouver Canucks for The Canuck Way. Now I’m back in the fold and ready to answer questions from you, the fans!
It’s been an-up-and down week of Canucks hockey, from dropping two straight games on back-to-back nights to bouncing back in Games 5 and 6 to ultimately advance to the second round of the playoffs.
The Canucks surprised everyone by going toe-to-toe with the defending Stanley Cup champion, St. Louis Blues, and by coming out on top.
Young stars Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes have shown their meddle throughout and we’ve even seen unsung heroes like Tyler Motte step up to the plate and blast one out of the park. It’s been a fun ride, and all I know is that it’s great to be a Canucks fan right now.
So without further ado, let’s get to the mailbag!
The Vancouver Canucks have shown they can run with the big dogs. If they happen to get past the defending champions, do they have what it takes to knock out teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars?
— PP1 PODCAST (@ThePP1Podcast) August 21, 2020
The Canucks have shown an incredible ability to have players step up when needed and deliver goals and points. Now they are going up against arguably one of the best teams in the league in the Vegas Golden Knights.
They have had Vancouver’s number since entering the league in 2017-18, going unbeaten in 10 games (8-0-2). The Canucks have won two games — one in overtime and one in a shootout — but have never come away with a victory in regulation. That will have to change if they hope to get out of this series and into the final four.
As for your question, I think the Canucks have what it takes to beat the Golden Knights. Granted, they do not have the same depth offensively, but I really believe they have the great equalizer in Jacob Markstrom and the game-changing presences of Hughes and Pettersson to really challenge them in this series. It will be a tough battle, probably their toughest yet, but if there’s one thing this team has taught me in 2020, it’s to never count them out.
With both Tyler Myers (separated shoulder) and Tyler Toffoli (foot) out of the lineup, who would help this team win more games if/when they return? Why?
— Adam Dane (@AdamDane7) August 21, 2020
That’s a tough one since they both bring different things to the lineup. Tyler Toffoli brings skill and goal scoring to the top-six, not to mention experience, having won a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. He also gives head coach Travis Green more options when he puts his lines in a blender to change momentum. Additionally, the power play gets a boost with his return as well.
Tyler Myers‘ size and puck-moving abilities were sorely missed when he went down with an injury in Game 4 against the Blues. Say what you want about his propensity to take penalties, he brings something to the lineup that Jordie Benn doesn’t, and that’s size, reach and mobility. He is able to push the puck up to the forwards, and handle the bigger forwards on the opposing team, and that’s something the Canucks will need a lot of in the next series.
So to make a long story short, the Canucks could really use both in the upcoming series because they will need all the help they can get against the depth of the Golden Knights. Though, if I had to pick one, I would choose Myers because of his ability to move the puck up the ice as this series will be won and lost in the transition game.