Welcome Matt: I was wrong about the Canucks this season, here's what surprised me
Didn’t think I’d be writing about the Vancouver Canucks and the Stanley Cup in the same sentence this year, but here we are.
Like many pundits, at the outset of the season, I had the Canucks missing the postseason again.
Nice depth additions in the offseason, but not needle-movers and I had grave concerns about the defence corps and secondary scoring.
The Canucks are now halfway through the season and second in the NHL, leading their division by six points over the defending Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, and a contender.
So, in the spirit of this show —Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong — gonna tell myself I was wrong.
Here are things I was wrong about:
1. Boeser returning to rookie form
Given his lack of pace in an ever quickening league, and even with reports of an improved offseason regiment, I didn’t see Brock Boeser hanging with the league’s top goal scorers.
But he is.
His 25 goals are tied for fifth in the league. It’s the best he’s looked since that terrific rookie campaign of 2017-18.
2. Canucks having NHL’s best defence pairing
With apologies to Cale Makar and Devon Toews in Colorado, Vancouver’s top-pairing of Quinn Hughes and Flip Hronek has risen to the top. They went nearly a month before giving up a goal, and they’re the top two defencemen in even-strength points.
3. Canucks having an effective third line
Conor Garland had been tried with just about every Canucks centreman over the last two seasons and failed to find chemistry. So, of course, he found it with Vegas’ fifth-line centre from last year, Teddy Blueger.
Those two and winger Dakota Joshua, who is on pace for 20 goals, have formed such an effective trio that it has allowed the coaching staff to reunite the Lotto Line and still feel good about secondary scoring.
Speaking of secondary, is this the new second line?
4. Tyler Myers and Noah Juulsen
Unlike many, I wasn’t ready to throw Tyler Myers overboard, but I also didn’t see him playing at this level. He’s been more than adequate. He hasn’t been Topic A in post-game recriminations.
Chaos Giraffe nights have been fewer and further between. As for Noah Juulsen, like Myers, he’s stabilized the right side. He played 25 consecutive games and was more than fine. Moreover, I’m using these guys as proxies for team defence. Didn’t think it would be nearly this good.
5. DeSmith one of the top backups in NHL
Casey DeSmith was coming off a difficult year and was tossed aside by a bad Montreal Canadiens team. Was he an upgrade over last year’s duo of Spencer Martin and Colin Delia? Of course. But he’s got points in nine of his 12 starts, including seven wins.
DeSmith’s play has allowed the coaching staff to maintain success while resting Thatcher Demko.
Follow Channels and Categories