Vancouver Canucks: Why Their Cup Run May Not Be Easy

Perhaps the best Canucks team we have ever seen, the area of Vancouver has a lot to be proud of, as their team clinches the President's trophy for the first time in franchise history.

Bars in the downtown of the Pacific Coast city are ornamented with blue and green team flags, and the streets are filled with a sea of orca crested jerseys. Clearly, Vancouver fans have every reason to be excited about this spring. Also, several sports books have the Canucks as heavy odd favorites to win the Cup. There is no question that they are top contenders this year. One thing that can be questioned, however, is if the Canucks will be able to cope with unfamiliar challenges in the playoffs. 

The reason I pose this question, is because year after year, I have witnessed that teams that experience fewer obstacles throughout the regular season often find it difficult to exercise resiliency when challenges arise in the postseason.

While it is unfair to say that the Canucks are not a resilient team, seeing from which they have fought off their opponents very well all season, they also have not experienced a high amount of hardship. Throughout the season, the worst stretches that Vancouver experienced were a couple four game losing streaks; one in late November, and one in late January.

Other than that, most of the Canucks season consisted of multiple win streaks followed by an odd loss here and there. In other words, it is safe to say that it has been smooth sailing for them for the most part.

An interesting consideration is the way things have panned out in the playoffs since, and even prior to the lock out. Let's take a look at the last few President trophy winners and conference leaders.

Dating back to 2003, the President trophy winners goes as follows, from most recent onwards: Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators. Of those eight, only the 2008 Detroit Red Wings managed to carry their triumph right to the end (Now normally I like to leave the Red Wings out of several discussions because of their perennial success in comparison to other teams in the league).

The Sabres and Capitals had similar journeys in their respective years, as both came into the playoffs following little or no struggle throughout the regular season campaign. They both met obstacles that they could not overcome, and failed to proceed to their expected destination.

Another notable mention are the top seed 2008-2009 Boston Bruins, who looked virtually unstoppable at several points throughout the regular season, but saw an early second round exit to the Carolina Hurricanes. The San Jose Sharks have been notorious for their early exits despite finishing at the top of the conference year after year, therefore I will leave them out of my argument.

The Ottawa Senators are another team that has lost to lower seeds a few times in the last decade, despite often finishing at the top of the conference. The one year that they did make it to the finals, they did not finish in the top three.

My point is, it takes a developed character team to win the cup, and sometimes, team character is built through overcoming enormous obstacles. This is why many of the teams that end up going to the finals are the lower seeded teams who can only work with what they have, and what they have learned over time. They will block shots because they know what happens when they don't. Goaltenders will be prepared because they know what it is like to face many shots. Forwards know that they have to work  a little harder if scoring goals doesn't come naturally.

The 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins are a great example of a team that became stronger through overcoming obstacles. They experienced a stretch in the season where they were on the outside looking in, and with resiliency throughout the entire organization, the Penguins were able to pull themselves together and win the championship. This season there are a few teams who could be already molded to be playoff warriors just like the Penguins.

The Penguins themselves have been overcoming the loss of their two top forwards this season. The Washington Capitals, unlike last season, know exactly what it is like to struggle, and have really added character and resiliency to their team as well. The Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings, are all teams who have also found themselves battling obstacles all season long, and on the outside looking in during several marks.

Like anything else, hardship that doesn't cripple a team's chance of making the playoffs will only make them better prepared for them.

An unfamiliar obstacle can come in any form. It could come in the form of a hot goaltender. It could come in the form of shot blockers. It could come in the form of a dark horse sniper, an agitator, or four lines that will do anything it takes to win. Ask the Bruins, Senators, and Capitals about their early exits, and they will tell you that they encountered a new challenge that they just could not battle.

Just like the core muscles of a body, a team that has been exercised to deal with jolts, pulls, and shakes, will likely be more prepared for new challenges than one who has not been trained to face different situations.  

As for the Vancouver Canucks, this article is, by no means, any attack at the team's success and ability. It is simply just one perspective that can be applied to the nature of recent playoff outcomes. It would be very unfair to say that the Canucks are not built to battle unseen challenges just because they have not faced many.

Canucks fans might argue that their team is completely different, and more complete than several of the previous President Trophy winners and conference leaders, and they may be right. However, only time will tell if they will be able to deal with an unfamiliar obstacle if need being.