And so it begins…
The second half of the Vancouver Canucks‘ 2021 NHL season gets underway tonight, with Bo Horvat and company looking to scratch and claw their way back into a playoff position inside the North’s all-Canadian division.
With an overall record of 11-15-2 through the first 28 games, it’s clear that the Canucks are not where they want to be in the standings. With all the moving parts and departures that took place over the offseason, a small step back was in question, but nobody ever thought it would be this big this early…
But in the defence of the Canucks, the schedule they faced was gruesome and more challenging than what any other team has had to deal with. Still to this day, the Canucks have more games under their belt than any other NHL team, and not to mention, their travel miles are first in the league on an annual basis.
“We had the week training camp, no exhibition games, and then we started the games. I think part of, you know, part of our problems early on were we played 16 games in 25 nights, and in those 25 nights, we had two practices in 19 days,” said Jim Benning.
The Canucks’ compact schedule should become easier and more manageable as the season continues to unfold (which will likely benefit Vancouver) and will look to build off of their recent momentum that formed through the team’s back-to-back wins over the division’s top team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Canucks or Canadiens?
Sweeping Toronto was a mountain of a task in itself, especially with Elias Pettersson unavailable to play in both games. But two wins over the Montreal Canadiens (who are currently holding the last playoff spot) would be even better, as the Canucks are just three points behind them (Montreal has five games in hand).
Like the Canucks, the Canadiens have star power at each major position. Carey Price is one of the best goaltenders in the National Hockey League. Shea Weber is still one of the most intimidating blueliners on the planet. And Tyler Toffoli’s goal-scoring ability against Vancouver has been an absolute nightmare.
Vancouver will need to bring forward a solid team effort, including point-producing games from their star players. How they defeated the Leafs on Saturday — with goals from Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller, Nils Hoglander and Horvat — will be how they need to take care of business against the Canadiens.
Players to watch
Brock Boeser: The 24-year-old sniper is leading all Canucks in points (28) and goals (13), and hasn’t looked this good since his memorable rookie snipe against Price himself. Coming off of a 3-point performance, he’ll be hungry to find the back of the net once again.
Tyler Toffoli: He’s had a vengeance against the Canucks ever since they “ran out of time” to sign him back in October. He knows exactly where to be without the puck, and once he’s there he’s incredibly hard to stop. His ability to receive the puck and release a quick shot in a good spot has to be considered a top-tier talent.
Nils Hoglander: The 20-year-old rookie has solidified himself as a non-pretender and a real gamer at the NHL level. His confidence is growing every game and he’s been an effective contributor offensively. He’ll be a dog on the puck and a real pest to play against.
Jeff Petry: The Canadiens’ defender leads the league in points as he continues to find ways of producing points offensively while also taking care of business in the defensive end. A defender doesn’t just lead a team in points for no reason. Look for him to find the scoresheet tonight.
Canucks keys to victory
- Vancouver’s power play has been better as of late and they’ll need another spark from the man-advantage if they want to defeat the team that’s “had their number” all season long. Boeser and Miller have been good shooters and Hoglander has made for a good substitute while Pettersson recovers from injury.
- Thatcher Demko will need to continue to play with confidence. As one of the NHL’s better goalies over his last dozen games, Demko will be the backbone of any sort of “comeback” the Canucks may or may not have in store this season.
- The Canucks need to find a way to get under the skin of Toffoli. His 15 goals this season are nearing the most in the NHL and he’s scored the majority of those goals against Vancouver. For victory to become reality, the Canucks No. 1 priority in this series should be to keep Toffoli off of the scoresheet.
Predictions
After sweeping the North division’s best team, the Canucks will find a way to keep the moment rolling by getting two more wins against Montreal. These are critical games, and Vancouver will have the determination to help tip the scales of this (so far) one-sided season series.
The first of two head-to-head clashes begins tonight. The puck drops at 7 p.m. at Rogers Arena. What do you think Canucks Nation? Do the Canucks have what it takes to defeat the Canadiens and get back into the playoff hunt? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.