A Canuck Ponder: Will They Make the Playoffs?

Written by: Larry "The Nucks IceMan" Johnson

Hey, you know, it’s never too early to be thinking about the playoffs in light of where the Nucks are at this point of the season, which is close to a quarter of the way through.

They currently sit at 11th with 24 points, having played anywhere from one to three games more than most of the teams in their conference.

So, how many points will it take this year to reach the playoffs? Last season it took 91, the year before that it was 91, and three seasons ago, 95. Let’s work with an average number of 92.

With 59 games left, that means they’re going to have to play at a click close to .580 to gather the 68 points still needed, just to make the playoffs. Is that realistic in this very competitive Western Conference?

Furthermore, do they have the horses to do it? Case in point, Chicago Blackhawks came into GM Place the other night on a back-to-back and beat the Canucks 1-0. How can you play a team on a back-to-back and not take the body to them in order to wear them down?

Chicago actually outhit the Nucks, 15-11. Just who was the tired team here? How can a well-rested (three games in eight days) Canuck team with all but one player (Pavol Demitra) out of the lineup only muster 11 hits and no goals? I’m not going to get into the physicality of this team, as I’ve beat this to death before.

I have had several commentators mention on a number of occasions the lack of talent, once you get past the Sedins.

But are the forwards as bad as last year? To date this season, the top three lines have collectively scored 46 goals. Last season, they scored 56 goals with a healthy Daniel Sedin.

He does have a point there; otherwise if there was enough talent, they wouldn’t have missed Daniel this much.

What is even more glaring is the poor support from the back end, as in: Show me some goals!

Christian Ehrhoff leads all defensemen with five goals, followed by Willie Mitchell with two, Mathieu Schneider with two, Kevin Bieksa with one, and Sami Salo, Alex Edler, Shane O’Brien, and Aaron Rome with none.

Ten goals from the defense and half of those from one player is not good enough.

Special teams—will the penalty kill be the Achilles heel for the Nucks this year? They currently sit at 24th, which is even worse than the 16th they finished last season. You had better score a lot of goals with a ranking like that, and that’s not happening.

The power play has made a remarkable improvement over last year and currently is ranked at fourth. That will win you a lot of games on most nights if your offensive totals are strong; otherwise it’s a moot point.

This team needs another strong line, and I’m talking about the third line now. When was the last time you could say that about a Canuck team?

Steve Bernier is quietly putting up some decent numbers with his seven goals, but they still need another winger and a centre man who can consistently produce.

Kyle Wellwood’s days look numbered, and Jannik Hansen is yet to prove that he can put up much in the way of points, let alone goals.

So, I guess the best that could happen for a third line would be if Michael Grabner could return and continue on his scoring pace, along with Bernier, and the Canucks would find a centre man who could work with them.

As I've mentioned previously, I think they have one already in Ryan Johnson, with Rick Rypien centering Tanner Glass and Jannik Hansen.

www.nucksiceman.com

Will the Canucks make the playoffs? We will all know by the time the Olympics start.