Canucks above .500 for first time this season and they're sneaking up on a playoff spot
Just when you thought they were out, they pull you back in.
Don’t look now, but the Vancouver Canucks have a points percentage above .500 for the first time this season, with a 16-15-3 record.
And a playoff spot is in sight.
The Canucks have taken advantage of a weak December schedule, which has seen them play just four teams currently above the playoff bar in 11 games. Vancouver is 7-4-0 during that span, holding a 5-2-0 record against the non-playoff teams.
It hasn’t always been pretty. They needed overtime or a shootout in five of their seven December wins, and that included victories over bottom-feeders like Arizona, Montreal, and San Jose.
And their losses have been ugly, losing by a 5-1 score on home ice three times in December (to Florida, Winnipeg, and St. Louis), which followed a 5-1 loss to Washington on November 29. They were also shut out on home ice by Minnesota, losing 3-0 on December 10.
But Vancouver’s last three wins have been impressive. They beat a much-improved Seattle Kraken team 6-5 in a shootout on December 22, and managed a 5-2 comeback victory on the road in Edmonton the next night with third-string goalie Collin Delia in net.
They followed that up by beating up on San Jose Tuesday at Rogers Arena, knocking off the sad-sack Sharks 6-2.
Vancouver has passed St. Louis and Nashville in the standings, and now has Edmonton and Calgary in their sights.
The Canucks have games in hand on both Calgary and Edmonton
While the Oilers have a five-point lead over Vancouver, and the Flames a four-point lead, the Canucks have two games in hand over both of them.
The Canucks could catch the Flames in the standings when they play at the Saddledome on New Year’s Eve — provided Calgary loses in Seattle tonight and Vancouver wins in Winnipeg tomorrow.
While they can’t catch the Oilers in the standings before 2022 is done, they could pass Edmonton by points percentage on December 31 — if Vancouver beats Winnipeg and Calgary, and Edmonton loses to Seattle and Winnipeg.
The Canucks have been in positions like this before in 2022, but have failed to surge into a playoff spot and keep it. So needless to say, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done.
“It feels like we’ve been playing Game 7 for a year and a half now,” J.T. Miller said last week. “It’s exhausting.”
Asked JT Miller about the #Canucks emotional roller coaster: "It feels like we've been playing Game 7 for a year and a half now. It's exhausting. We just got to work hard, compete and care about each other. Work for each other. When we do that, our results have been really good."
— Randip Janda (@RandipJanda) December 21, 2022
That work will need to continue, because of the 0-5-2 hole the Canucks dug for themselves to start the season.
Vancouver’s record is respectable in the 27 games since that ugly start.
The Canucks are 16-10-1 since October 25, and have the 13th-best points percentage (.611) in the NHL during that timespan.
They’ve done it being a run-and-gun team, simultaneously scoring and giving up 3.70 goals per game. The Canucks are fourth in goals per game and power-play percentage (29.2%) during that span, and sixth-worst in goals against and penalty-kill efficiency (70.9%).
That makes this team both fun and maddening to watch.
Trade rumours likely won’t subside, because the Canucks desperately need to change their mix and improve team defence.
Just like last season
The Canucks have the exact same record (16-15-3) as they had after 34 games last season.
They finished 10 games above .500, but missed the playoffs by five points.
When will Demko return?
Vancouver’s December run has been accomplished without their star goaltender, as Thatcher Demko has been out of the lineup since suffering a “lower body” injury on December 1.
Demko was given a six-week timeline by the team on December 3, which, if true, would have the Canucks netminder back by January 14.
Sounds like he might be out longer than that.
“I’m hoping it’s within the next month,” Bruce Boudreau said prior to Tuesday’s game. “That may sound silly, but I’m hoping it’s in January.”
Neither Demko nor Spencer Martin have put up good numbers this season, at least when it comes to save percentage. Demko is at .883 in 15 games, while Martin is at .886 in 18 starts.
But all Martin seems to do is win, as he has a sparkling 11-5-1 record this season.
January will be more difficult
The Canucks have a much more difficult schedule in January, with nine of 13 games against teams currently above the playoff bar. They play Colorado and Tampa Bay twice each, to go with games against Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, Carolina, Edmonton, and Seattle.
They’ve also got three sets of back-to-back games to play.
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