Jan 31, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser (6) is congratulated for scoring a goal during the second period against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
The Vancouver Canucks have a week off for the All-Star Break after a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Nashville Predators. They ended their four-game road trip at .500. Vancouver sits with a 20-20-6 record at the break and are still seventh in the Pacific Division.
Thatcher Demko is the lone Canucks representative at the All-Star game in Las Vegas.
The All-Star break is basically the halfway point of the NHL season. The Canucks have had quite the campaign. After struggling in October and November, the Canucks cleaned house on December 5. Out were Jim Benning, John Weisbrod, Travis Green and Nolan Baumgartner. In came in Bruce Boudreau and Scott Walker.
The Canucks went on a seven-game winning streak under Boudreau in December before falling back to reality in January. According to a model from The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn, Vancouver’s playoff odds sit at 9%. So you’re telling me there’s a chance.
As the #Canucks enter the All-Star break, their playoff odds stand at 9% per @domluszczyszyn.
Club couldn't sustain the early Boudreau era momentum in January and stopped gaining. Will be a prohibitively steep climb when game action resumes: https://t.co/MzYHy4haYtpic.twitter.com/pwoB8VMQtG
The Canucks also sit four points behind the Calgary Flames for the final wild card spot.
Since we are at the halfway point of the season, writers like to give out letter grades for each player. I was leaning on that idea but The Province has already done that (I found out while I was a quarter of way writing that.) so I decided to get creative.
Instead of player grades, I decided to write haikus summing up every Canuck’s season at the halfway point. In case you don’t know what a haiku is, it is a Japanese poem consisting of seventeen syllables. It consists of three lines. The first line has five syllables, the second has seven and the third one also has five.
Usually haikus are easy to write but it’s a challenge when it comes to describing hockey players. Haikus aren’t the most elegant pieces of poetry but they are simple and fun.
Let’s get into it.
VANCOUVER, BC – NOVEMBER 2: J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks skates with the puck during NHL action against the New York Rangers on November 2, 2021 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /
TAMPA, FLORIDA – JANUARY 13: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks looks to pass during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on January 13, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
CALGARY, AB – JANUARY 29: Thatcher Demko #35 of the Vancouver Canucks in action against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on January 29, 2022 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Flames defeated the Canucks 1-0 in overtime. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /
Next. 3 players the Canucks should consider trading. dark
So this was pretty fun to write but it took awhile. (especially with getting the syllables right.) Let me know in the comments or Facebook comments or on Twitter what you think of my Canucks haikus.
