Image Credits: Bob Frid, USA TODAY Sports
As we approach the end of the regular season, we are seeing a separation between the good and the bad, the frauds from the underdogs, and unfortunately for Vancouver, it's looking more and more by the day that they've peaked too early.
A look at why: The Canucks started the year off surprisingly strong, maintaining a top position in the league for a quarter of the season, and even when they were at their worst, the effort was always there. They were beating even some of the better teams pretty good, like the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers. However, they were never playing the best Pacific Division opponents, such as Vegas and LA, and they have not fared well against them since they started playing each other. The Canucks have just 1 regulation win in 7 games against LA and Vegas, have a record of 2-5, and have allowed 4 of more goals in 4 of those 7 games.
The All-Star break is a time in the season where we really start to find things out about the teams, and that Vancouver sent 6 players and a coach was a sign to the league and the doubters that things were different this year. Once everyone started playing up to Vancouver, they stopped playing their game, and ever since the break they have looked disjointed. They had a 4 game losing streak where they scored the first goal every time, and their defense was uncoordinated, and they started taking undisciplined and lazy penalties. That the Elias Lindholm trade hasn't worked out yet isn't helping matters, and what they are up against with the prospect of facing LA or Vegas is the fact that these are battle tested teams that are physical, and have Stanley Cup quality rosters. With that being said though, the entire theme of Vancouver's season has been defying the odds and the critics, and as a fan and this time a critic, I am hoping they will prove me wrong this year.
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