Canuck Killers: 5 Roadblocks on Vancouver's Journey to the Stanley Cup

Let’s rewind the clock back 18 years, all the way back to 1993.  Wow, that’s a long time ago.  

Jean Chretien and Bill Clinton just began to lead their respective countries, Jurassic Park was the highest grossing film, Whitney Houston topped the charts with “I Will Always Love You," and, oh yeah, it was the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup.

Based on that statistic, Canadians across the country should be thanking their lucky stars for the Vancouver Canucks. 

At this point in the season, the Canucks are the outright favourite to raise Lord Stanley come early-June. 

Yes, a strong case could be made for the Flyers, but let’s take a second look at Vancouver’s impressive resume.

The Canucks are first in the league in goals per game, goals against per game, powerplay percentage and faceoff percentage.

Pretty good, right?  But wait; there’s more.

The Canucks are also fourth in the league in penalty killing, and have the second-highest winning percentage when scoring first, and when leading after the first. 

Yep, I think it’s safe to say that they’re the favourites.

Dave Nonis also deserves a pat on the back for putting together a textbook Stanley Cup-contending team. 

In net, the Canucks have a gold medal-winning goalie with Luongo.  They have a defensive core that, when healthy, certainly cracks the top five in the league (Salo, Edler, Bieksa, Ballard, Hamhuis and Ehrhoff).

They have a dominant first line comprised of two of the top three scorers in the league, and for the first time in a long time, they have legitimate secondary scoring (thank you Kesler, Raymond and Samuelsson.) 

Add in great role players that include Malhotra, Hansen and Torres, and you have one heck of a hockey team.

But rather than cut the season short and ship Lord Stanley off to the West Coast, let’s take a look at five potential reasons the Canucks won’t win the Cup.

5. Roberto Luongo

Rich Lam/Getty Images

VANCOUVER, CANADA - FEBRUARY 12: Goalie Roberto Luongo #1 of the Vancouver Canucks makes a save against the Calgary Flames during the first period in NHL action on February 12, 2011 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich L

There is no question that when Luongo is on his game, he is an elite goaltender.   It’s just that when he’s not on his game, it’s absolutely terrifying to watch. 

Take for example last year’s playoff performance.  A dismal 3.22 goals against average and a .895 save percentage for a guy who’s earning $10 million dollars? 

I could bring in Dan Cloutier to do that for a quarter of the price.

And while we’re on the topic of terrifying things, have you ever seen Luongo handle the puck? 

Nothing destroys a team’s morale more than a playoff goal gift-wrapped to the opposing team by their own goalie. (Actually, on second thought, letting in a goal from centre with 30 seconds left in the second period of a 1-1 hockey game probably destroys just as much morale.  Oh, Dan Cloutier...). 

Either way, somebody should try to tell Luongo to keep his puck handling to a minimum.

In the end, if Luongo can continue his regular-season play right into the playoffs, things look good for the Canucks. 

But if Luongo mimics his playoff performance from last year, then it could be another early exit for Vancouver.

4. A First-Round Matchup with the Kings or Ducks

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks and Dustin Brown #23 of the Los Angeles Kings battle for the puck at the Honda Center on November 29, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

No matter which team Vancouver plays in the first round, it’s going to be a tough matchup; that’s just the way the Western Conference works. 

But, if I were the Canucks, I’d want to avoid the Kings or the Ducks at all costs.

Why Los Angeles?  Well, first of all, the Canucks are winless in two tries against them.  Yes, this was during the Canucks struggles at the beginning of the year, but it’s still not a pretty stat. 

Secondly, there’s a man by the name of Jonathon Quick between the pipes.  He’s currently posting a GAA of 2.12, which is good for second-best in the league. 

Not to mention the defensive core surrounding him, led by Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson. 

And lastly, aside from Vancouver, the Kings may have the best depth in the Western Conference.  Kopitar, Williams, Brown, Stoll, Smyth, Handzus, Simmonds and Sturm. 

Not a bad lineup if you ask me.

Okay, so avoid the Kings.  But why Anaheim? 

Once again, the Canucks haven’t matched up very well against them this season, with the Ducks taking five of a possible six points. 

If Jonas Hiller can come back healthy, he has the special ability to steal games almost singlehandedly. 

The Ducks also boast a pretty solid defensive core with the likes of Visnovsky, Fowler, Lydman, Sbisa and the newly acquired Beauchemin. 

And how about that top line of Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan?  Arguably the best line in the NHL, posting 73 goals between them—and that even includes Getzlaf missing 15 games due to injury. 

Now I’m not saying that if the Canucks happen to run into either of these teams in the first round it’s an automatic exit. 

I’m just saying that a series against either of these teams would be a gruesome battle, leaving less left in the tank for the rest of the playoffs.

3. Injuries

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

CHICAGO - MAY 09: A trainer attends to Sami Salo #6 of the Vancouver Canucks at the end of the first period after Salo suffered an injury against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Play

Ah, the injury bug.  Every team’s worst nightmare come playoff time. 

But all Canucks fans are hoping that their dues have been paid and that the injury bug will leave them alone from now on. 

The Canucks have dressed 13 different defensemen this year.  Thirteen! 

The poor Manitoba Moose have no one left to give up.  With key injuries to Bieksa, Edler, Alberts and Sweatt (I don’t know if I’d classify Sweatt is a “key” injury, but…), the Canucks are really testing their depth.

The return of Ballard and Hamhuis this week is a positive sign for the Canucks.  But concussions are a funny thing, and you have to hope that no injuries get re-tweaked. 

And then there’s Sami Salo.  It really isn’t a matter of if he’s going to get hurt; but a matter of when and for how long. 

Team trainers should consider wrapping him in bubble wrap. I know it would slow him down a bit, but it may be better than the alternative.

It looks as though the Canucks are scheduled to get most of their key players back come playoff time, which is good news for the Vancouver faithful. 

But if new injuries occur, or any nagging injuries from the past resurface, the Canucks' depth could be tested once again. 

I mean, there is no doubt that Vancouver has great depth, but the playoffs aren’t exactly the time you want to be testing that out.

2. Dustin Byfuglien

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

CHICAGO - MAY 09: Dustin Byfuglien #33 of the Chicago Blackhawks tries to slip the puck past Roberto Luongo #1 of the Vancouver Canucks in Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at United Center on May 9, 2

The image of Byfuglien with his hands in the air while "Chelsea Dagger" plays in the background is a nightmare for all Canucks fans and players. 

He has been a Canuck-killer for the past two postseasons. 

Whether he was parking his 6’5”, 265-pound frame in front of Luongo, drawing penalties or cleaning up the garbage from Kane and Toews, Byfuglien was a nuisance, which earned him the title of “Public Enemy #1” in Vancouver.

The good news for Canucks’ fans is that Byfuglien no longer calls the Western Conference home.  This means that the only way Vancouver has to worry about him is if Atlanta makes the cup final, or if something happens at the trade deadline. 

Atlanta currently sits in 11^th place in the East, and their performance in the past 10 games (2-7-1) doesn’t exactly suggest an upward movement. 

As for the trade deadline, Byfuglien just signed a nice lucrative contract extension, so I really can’t see him going anywhere.

So, good news.  The city of Vancouver can sleep sound tonight knowing that Dustin Byfuglien shouldn’t affect the Canucks’ run to the Stanley Cup.

1. Pressure

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 02: Head coach Alain Vigneault of the Vancouver Canucks during the NHL game against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena on February 2, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. The Canucks defeated the Coyotes 6-0. (Photo by Christian Pete

Yes, pressure.  Easily the biggest threat to Vancouver’s playoff success this year. 

The Canucks are expected to make it to the Cup final at the very least, and anything less is a complete failure. 

Are the expectations too high?  Definitely not.  

This team is the real deal, and a Stanley Cup is well within their reach.  The players know it.  The city of Vancouver knows it. 

And I’m pretty sure that the rest of the league is also well aware that the Canucks are the team to beat.

Pressure can do funny things, especially when things don’t go as planned.  Players can start trying to do too much; or even worse, they can start trying to do it all themselves. 

Pressure can also cause people to choke—just ask Tom Watson after his chance to clinch the 2009 Open Championship. 

Some people perform better under pressure, while some don’t.  Let’s just hope that the majority of the Canucks fall into that first category.

And not to add any pressure, but the Stanley Cup really is there for the Canucks’ taking. 

Vancouver has one of the best teams in recent memory, and if they play at the top of their game, there is no team in the league that can beat them four times in seven attempts. 

I’m really hoping that the Canucks can bring Lord Stanley north of the border for the first time in a long time, and to be honest...I like their chances.