Don’t look now, but the Vancouver Canucks are one of the hottest teams in the NHL.
It may not please all their fans, many of whom are hyper-focused on what draft pick the Canucks will get in June, but it’s otherwise a great sign from a group that has been through a lot this season.
J.T. Miller confirmed on Tuesday that it hasn’t been very fun to come to the rink for Canucks players on many nights this season. How could it?
Not only did the Canucks sink to near the bottom of the overall league standings, players, coaches, and management were frequently the topic of juicy rumours, not just in Vancouver, but league-wide.
But with the trade deadline now out of the way, not to mention the inevitable firing of Bruce Boudreau and dealing of Bo Horvat, there is finally a sense of calm surrounding this team. In a season full of noise, it’s finally quiet — at least by Vancouver standards.
And the Canucks are winning. They’ve rattled off four wins in a row, and have a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games.
It has coincided with Thatcher Demko’s return to the lineup, as the Canucks’ No. 1 goalie is 4-1 with a .928 save percentage in five games since his return.
When asked this morning about an improved sense of “camaraderie” around the team, Miller pointed out the obvious and admitted it was a distraction.
Miller, “This wasn’t too fun of a place to be in the beginning & mid-part of the year. It was a bit of a shit show…it really was. A lot of distraction. I think we’ve moved on, we understand who we’re going to be moving forward. It’s fun to come to the rink again.” #Canucks
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) March 14, 2023
“This wasn’t too fun of a place to be in the beginning and mid-part of the year. It was a bit of a shit show… it really was,” said Miller, transcribed above by Farhan Lalji of TSN. “A lot of distraction. I think we’ve moved on as a team, we understand who we’re going to be for the most part moving forward. It’s fun to come to the rink again.”
While it’s a small sample size to be sure, the Canucks own the fourth-best record in the NHL since February 18, with a .750 points percentage. Vancouver has the ninth-most goals per game (3.50) during that span, but it’s their 2.50 average goals-against that has to be most encouraging.
The Canucks haven’t won games simply on the back of Demko, although he has played well. This team no longer resembles the run-and-gun Canucks we saw that give up Grade-A chances with regularity under Bruce Boudreau.
“Structure” has been a buzzword with Canucks management and head coach Rick Tocchet, but we’re finally starting to see it come to fruition. Despite a depleted defence with AHL players filling in, the Canucks have looked more in control.
Miller, more than anyone, looks like a different player. The giveaways and lack of attention to detail in the defensive zone that plagued him on so many nights are no longer prevalent. He may not receive Selke Trophy votes, but the 30-year-old forward does appear capable of playing a 200-foot game, which the centre position requires.
Instead of breaking sticks, he’s banging bodies on the other team, as a power forward.
#Canucks were PUMPING Fleetwood Mac in the dressing room after the game.
Players talked about it being like a playoff atmosphere tonight. Tocchet said he was surprised just how many Leafs fans were in the crowd.
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) March 5, 2023
“The main part, we’re playing well as a group,” Miller said, adding that the process is more important than the results right now.
“It’s about enjoying the process of getting better as a group, having good habits, and being accountable. We’re starting to do that and I think the results are showing as well… [It’s] just a more fun place to be right now.”