Canucks week ahead: It’s time to start some home cooking

Article content

The Vancouver Canucks were supposed to be off for the next two weeks.

Article content

Instead, thanks to the Omicron variant, they’re going to play hockey.

It’s just about now or never for Vancouver’s playoff chase. If the Canucks keep winning, the dream will live.

But if they keep trading off wins and losses, that dim light will quickly flicker out.

That’s where the Canucks are at. But first, Thatcher Demko gets a weekend in Las Vegas for the All-Star festivities.

Here’s a look at the week to eat:

The story

Finally the Canucks will start playing some home games again. After seven games were postponed by the National Hockey League around Christmas and New Year’s — six at home — the Canucks’ schedule was rebuilt around the upcoming two weeks, which were originally set aside as an Olympic break.

Six of their next seven games are at home. It’s a chance to make up more ground in the chase for the playoffs, one that was so deep after their brutal first two months of the season that they’re still stuck in seventh place in the Pacific Division despite a 12-5-4 run under new coach Bruce Boudreau.

Article content

The other way to consider their fine record under Boudreau is they’ve won the equivalent of 14 out of 21 games and to make the playoffs they’re going to have to win 23 or 24 of their remaining 36 games. In other words, the breakneck pace they’ve been on can’t end.

Despite having had seven games postponed, the Canucks have still played 46 games, more than divisional rivals like Calgary and Edmonton, or intra-conference rivals like Winnipeg and Dallas, all teams they’re chasing for the final two spots in the Western Conference playoffs .

The opponents

After this weekend’s All-Star break, the Canucks will reconvene Monday ahead of their COVID-19 induced new schedule.

With capacity restrictions scheduled to lift Feb. 16, the Canucks are still scheduled to play three games at just 50 per cent capacity at Rogers Arena. The team may have asked the government to lift restrictions before then, but if they have it’s very unlikely that the answer will be yes.

Article content

They host the Arizona Coyotes next Tuesday in the first of two games in two nights; on Wednesday they’ll host the New York Islanders .

If you are hoping for exciting games, don’t hold your breath. The Coyotes are the league’s weakest offense, the Islanders the third worst and the Canucks are the fifth-lowest scoring team in the NHL.

Meanwhile the Canucks are the seventh stingiest team in the league, the Islanders the fifth fewest in goals against per game.

NEXT GAME

tuesday

Arizona Coyotes at Vancouver Canucks

7 pm, Roger’s Arena. TV: Sportsnet Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650.

stock-rising

JT Miller : The Canucks’ star forward has 15 points in his last 14 games. The Canucks’ offense may have sputtered a few times this season but Miller has been the constant. We know the chatter from outside markets that he might be a target for Stanley Cup contending teams. Miller’s trade value will never be this high: His contract is rather economical, he’s still got another year on the deal and he’s at the top of his game. The Canucks are hoping to stay in the playoff chase but the math is heavily against them. This is why club president Jim Rutherford has talked openly about making trades and adding younger players.

Article content

Brock Boesser : Quietly, the winger has five points in four games. It hasn’t been a flashy year for him, but after a dip in form last month he seems to be back on course. Boeser is a restricted free agent this summer so, like Miller, he’s an interesting trade chip. He won’t be as valuable as Miller in a trade but would still help a Cup contender because of his scoring talents and strong two-way play. Plus he is the younger player.

falling stock

Nils Hoglander : The hustling Swede hasn’t scored since Jan. 1 in Seattle, 13 games ago. He’s influencing the game decently when he’s on the ice, but the Canucks really could use more finish from him. It’s a tall order given how much his role has diminished of late, but he has a goal-scorer’s hands and needs to find a way to appear on the scoresheet more.

Article content

Question of the week

“Will actually having some home games lead to a run of wins?” — Tony S., Maple Ridge.

A great question. The Canucks are just 8-8-3 at home this season, the seventh worst home record in the NHL.

That said, they’re 5-1-3 under Bruce Boudreau.

Of the remaining 36 games on their schedule, the Canucks still have 22 home games to play.

Guess which goalie has the league’s best five-on-five save percentage at home? You’ve got it: Thatcher Demko, who has posted an eye-popping .963 save percentage over his 13 home starts. That’s far and away the best in the league.

When you add Jaroslav Halák and Spencer Martin’s starts, the Canucks are still posting a .953 save percentage at five-on-five at home, again the best in the league.

Article content

So here we are again in the same spot: So much of this is about goaltending. How long can that go on? The Florida Panthers posted the best five-on-five save percentage in 2020-21 at .944. How likely is it that Demko keeps playing as he’s played? Even a slight shift back towards the median will be difficult for the Canucks to absorb, given they’re one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league.

So sure, they could yet win the bulk of their remaining home games, but it’s all tied into their goalie. And even then it might not be enough.

[email protected]

twitter.com/risingaction

The Canucks Report, powered by Province Sports, is essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. Sign up here.