6 Reasons the Vancouver Canucks Will Finish the Season in 1st Place in the West

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Well folks, it's all but official, the Vancouver Canucks are back to themselves. The Canucks have points in nine of their past 11 games and have won eight of those games. Gone is the supposed hangover the Canucks were suffering from in the early part of the season, and the team that finished with the No. 1 record in the league a year ago seems to have returned.

The key to the Canucks winning the Western Conference for a second consecutive season has to be consistency, and if their past 20 games hasn't proven their ability to be consistent, then their scoring has.

It is no longer unrealistic to look at the Vancouver Canucks as potential Western Conference champions yet again in 2012, and they are a unified team with one goal on their mind: to win it all.

Strong 4th Line Play

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One thing necessary to be successful in the current NHL is a strong fourth line. In the past the fourth line has been relied upon primarily for specialty play and to just give the top line players some rest throughout a game, but now more pressure is placed upon the fourth line to perform.

The Vancouver Canucks' fourth line is among the best in the league. With the likes of Manny Malhotra, Dale Weise and Max Lapierre as the Canucks' bottom of the barrel forwards, they show the depth this team truly has. All three players can create offensive chances as well as create a physical, shut-down defensive presence. They are not fun to play against and will be difference makers down the stretch.

Dual Goaltender Threat

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Last season the combination of goaltenders, Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider, combined to allow just 180 goals in total and won themselves a share of the William Jennings Trophy. Again this season, the two tenders have shown just how dangerous they can each be on any given night.

Although the flaws of Luongo have been scrutinized since Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, and many have called for his head, he has proven that he belongs as the No. 1 goalie for the Canucks still and can steal them games. 

Cory Schneider, on the other hand, has had a solid year posting seven wins and two shutouts in just 16 games played. Included in his play was a brief starting role where he won five games in a row in November this year. 

With two goalies fully capable of starting in the NHL on any other team, the dual threat of Luongo and Schneider should all but secure the West for the Canucks in the regular season, but they must have a bona fide starter entering the playoffs.

Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen

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Chris Higgins and Jannik Hansen have so far this season been the gems of this team. With 23 points in 34 games this season including 10 goals for Higgins and Hansen with a career-best 11 goals are the perfect example of the depth this team has. With so many stars like the Sedins, Burrows and Kesler, Higgins and Hansen are able to slip by the opposition and put up points.

Despite being back out with another rumored staph infection, Higgins will be an all important player as the Canucks battle it out with the rival Chicago Blackhawks for that all important No. 1 seed in the West at the end of the season. 

Jannik Hansen is only entering the prime of his career, and with 11 goals, a career best, just halfway through the season he will be an integral part of the team’s success moving forward.

For the Canucks, secondary scoring is a huge part of their game. When they get it from guys like Higgins and Hansen in combination with scoring from the top-tier players on the team they are winning, but when secondary players aren't performing, they seem to struggle. 

If Higgins' and Hansen's play so far this year is any indication, the Canucks won't struggle putting the puck in the net this season or winning games.

The Sedins

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The Sedins may be 31, but they still play like kids on the ice. Their telepathic passes and plays have them in the top 10 in scoring in the NHL yet again this season with just one point separating them. 

The play of the Sedins is what fuels this team. They will always put up points, but if they go through a rough patch it is always almost both of them struggling at the same time. They feed off one another and if one is not performing at a high level, neither will the other most likely. 

Judging from their point-per-game performance so far this season, inconsistency will not be an issue for the Sedins and they should be able to carry the Canucks to the top of the West should the rest of the team struggle.

Special Teams

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One of the crucial aspects of the Vancouver Canucks' success last season was the play of their special teams and this season is no different. 

With their power play running at 25 percent, four whole percentage points better than the next best team, and led by the rocket of a shot of Sami Salo, the Vancouver Canucks take advantage of their opportunities when they have the man advantage.

Not to be forgotten is their penalty kill, which is operating at 85.6 percent, which is sixth in the league. They still have room to improve on the PK and need to make sure they don't give the opposition too many five-on-three opportunities. If they are able to operate at the efficiency they are now and don't let up, they will be fine in their journey towards the No. 1 spot in the West.

Passion and Vengeance

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If you are looking for a team with a passion to win look no further than this season's Vancouver Canucks. Led by Ryan Kesler, the Canucks are looking for redemption following a heartbreaking Stanley Cup Finals loss at the hands of the Boston Bruins last June.

The Vancouver Canucks realize that their window of opportunity to win a cup is beginning to close, and this season could be their last season where they could be favored to win a cup. The amount of passion the team is playing with, and the cohesiveness of their unit, will help carry them to a Western Conference Championship for a second straight season.

If it isn't passion aiding them, then it has to be vengeance and redemption. If vengeance were personified in a particular player it would be Canucks forward and leader Ryan Kesler. He may not don the captain's "C" on his chest, but he is a born leader. Kesler is intense and hardly smiles. The only time you may see him crack a real smile this year is if the Canucks win a Cup.

If redeeming themselves from last season's disappointment isn't their top priority they won't win the West, but don't fret, they are well on their way to redemption and it will be a big reason why they reign superior in the West come season's end.