Welcome Matt: Are Canucks now the best team in Western Canada?

Jan 19 2022, 11:18 pm

The Welcome Matt can be heard weekdays on Sekeres and Price. Stream the live show online Monday to Friday, or download the latest podcast at SekeresAndPrice.com.


It’s still unlikely, and it has always been improbable.

But could the Vancouver Canucks be the best team in Western Canada?

It would have been crazy talk not six weeks ago, but take a look at the bunched Western Conference standings and how the Canucks sit vis-a-vis the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets.

And I know, those other teams have games in hand on Vancouver.

All three Canadian rivals have four games in hand against the Canucks. They’ve each played 35 games, while the Canucks have played 39 times.

Two of them — Calgary and Winnipeg — do have more standings points, although Vancouver did leapfrog Edmonton, struggling Edmonton, with a 3-1 win in Nashville Tuesday night.

But when you take a look at how these teams have fared since the Canucks bottomed-out after 25 games, it’s astonishing that they’re even in Vancouver’s neighbourhood.

Calgary is three points up on the Canucks, while the Jets are just one point up. There are still four games left between the Canucks and Flames this season.

The Canucks have to keep up their winning ways to make this a race, and while there’s no trophy for being the best in the West, you’d have to think at least one of these teams will make the Western Conference playoffs, right?

Before that, the Canucks play host to the Oilers next Tuesday before heading off on the road to Winnipeg and Calgary.

It could easily be a road trip from last year’s Canadian division.

And could easily determine whether the Canucks are ready to climb over their fellow Canadian clubs.

Matthew SekeresMatthew Sekeres

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