Vancouver Canucks' Playoff Push

This has been a long season for the Canucks.

We have gone through injury after injury, and now that our lineup is starting to get back intact, we have a shot for a playoff spot.

This year, the Western Conference has been tighter then ever. Many teams are only two or three points out of eighth place (the Canucks currently hold that position with 80 points) and are having problems winning.

The Canucks are only two points behind the third place Calgary Flames, who are first in the Northwest Division.

As the Canucks still have 12 games left in the season, they will push extremely hard to  stay in the playoff picture.

If the season were over now, the Canucks would be playing the Detriot Red Wings. This matchup wouldn't be as interesting as say, playing Minny or the Flames.

The last time the Wings faced the Canucks, they were without their top line, Zetterberg, and Lidstrom, so the team wasn't as hot as they would have liked to be.

But the Canucks came out big with their checking line, and their defensemen were too hot to handle, scoring two big goals. One by Alex Edler to get them on pace, and one by Sami Salo to seal the deal.

Then their checkers played a well-fought game, and on two breakaways, Ryan Kesler five-holed both of them giving them a 4-1 lead.

I do think that Detriot would be a hard series for Vancouver's struggling offense, but it could also be a good starter for them.

But it would be a boring series in many ways.

The worst senario for playoff matches would be if the Canucks had to play the Dallas Stars again.

It wasn't a very interesting matchup last year, and it held up too many 'Great Save Luongos'. It also helped them get into the second round of their push for Lord Stanley.

It would also be a bad draw for them to be set up with San Jose, because the Canucks have struggled to win games against San Jose.

I think that the best option for the Canucks in the playoffs would be Calgary. It would be physical, and they are close rivals since they are in the same division.

They would also be great games to watch because most of the games they play in the regular season are like playoff games already.

Minnesota would be a good matchup as well because they are both talented teams, and they play tight, physical, high-scoring games.

Everyone thinks that Luongo is the only thing the Canucks can have taking them to the playoffs.

While he is an amazing goalie, probably the best or second best in the league, the Canucks can't just rely on their goaltender. They need to rely on their players to play just as well as Luongo does every night.

He did save them from times where they were behind just one, and Bobby Lou didn't let another in, giving his team a chance to score.

That's what our team needs. To believe that if they can do it, and know that Roberto will always be playing his best, then they have a great chance of making it to the Stanley Cup finals.

The Stanley Cup. Everyone desires to at least win one.

Do the Canucks have what it takes to make it?

I believe they do.

They have the fire in their bellies to make it through hard-fought games, and agitate the away team's top lines.

The Canucks aren't just a team with an amazing goalie. We are a team that never gives up, and doesn't back down from a fight.

It motivates their teammates to say, "Hey, we still have a chance in this hockey game."

They believe that they have a solid goalie who plays his best every chance he gets, and know that if they have everyone contributing to the scoreboard and making smart plays,  that yes, they do have a chance at Lord Stanley.

They are one of the more diserving teams in the run for the cup.

All of the players on the Canuck roster played great hockey last season, and are still remaining the hockey players that they were.

They are even growing more confident, and are playing at career highs and setting new records for themselves.

That is why I, a true Canuck fan, believe that we have just as much of a chance to get a run at the cup.