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The Vancouver Canucks are off to a historic start this season with a outstanding 20-9-1 document – the quickest they’ve ever hit 20 wins in a marketing campaign. They sit second within the league behind the Vegas Golden Knights with 41 factors and are on tempo to eclipse the century mark for the primary time since 2014-15, the final time playoff hockey was seen at Rogers Arena. I feel it’s secure to say Christmas has come early for Canucks followers as they see their crew among the many NHL’s elite, not their typical place within the basement with an early look towards the NHL Draft.
All in all, Santa has been beneficiant with a bunch of early toys beneath the tree. Let’s check out what the Canucks have unwrapped up to now.
Brock Boeser’s Emergence As an Elite Goalscorer
Sixty targets. That’s what number of Brock Boeser is on tempo for this season. Not dangerous for a man who seemingly had one foot out the door as just lately as final season. He already has 22 targets and is barely eight away from shattering his career-high from his rookie season in 2017-18. He appears to be like extra assured on the ice, and as Ray Ferraro identified within the broadcast final evening (Dec. 14) towards the Florida Panthers, a step faster on his skates, too. That’s notable contemplating pace has been one of many knocks on his sport since his draft 12 months in 2015.
Boeser can also be scoring targets in numerous methods, not simply off his one-timer on the facility play. The Canucks’ man benefit setup doesn’t have him tenting out on the left circle ala Alex Ovechkin, however moderately shifting out and in of the slot, web entrance and bumper positions and bouncing out to obtain passes from JT Miller, Elias Pettersson or Quinn Hughes. He already has 9 energy play targets – one off his career-high of 10 in his rookie 12 months – and most of them don’t look the identical.
After his four-goal sport towards the Edmonton Oilers on opening evening, Boeser has not slowed down. His longest purpose drought is barely 5 video games and he has scored in back-to-back video games 5 instances – his newest coming towards the Panthers on Thursday and a pure hat trick towards the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday (Dec. 12). His shot/one-timer look as deadly as ever and he’s not simply scoring on the facility play, however at even power too, all whereas enjoying on a matchup line with Miller and Nils Hoglander.
All of this to say, Boeser has emerged (or possibly re-emerged?) as an elite goalscorer within the NHL and the Canucks are lightyears higher for it. I’m certain followers are past stoked that administration or Boeser’s agent wasn’t able to facilitate a trade within the offseason.
Joshua, Blueger & Garland Channeling Torres, Malhotra & Hansen
While the Canucks’ top-six and high pairing have pushed the offence to a league-leading 115 targets, the bottom-six deserves some credit score as nicely – particularly the third line of Conor Garland, Teddy Blueger and Dakota Joshua. The final time the Canucks had an efficient checking line was again in 2011 once they had Raffi Torres, Manny Malhotra and Jannik Hansen terrorizing opponents with their pace, forechecking and physicality. It’s fascinating as a result of this present version bears a putting resemblance to that trio.
Related: Dear Santa: Vancouver Canucks’ 2023-24 Wish List
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Joshua is for sure the Torres of the road along with his hitting and skill to get beneath the pores and skin of his opponents. He can also be large, has underrated offensive capability and is thought to drop the gloves once in a while. Blueger is the Malhotra – albeit with out an elite presence within the faceoff dot – a great two-way middle that kills penalties, is efficient on the forecheck and might rating when given the chance. Finally, Garland is, in fact, Hansen, a speedy winger whose work ethic and tenacity are current each time he steps foot onto the ice.
Just like within the fashionable period, that third line was one of the best the Canucks needed to supply each evening – they usually have been an enormous motive why they gained the Presidents’ Trophy and led in nearly each stat conceivable. The backside line is, that the Garland, Blueger and Joshua connection has been constant and possibly the primary elite third line they’ve had in over a decade.
Elite Offence & Defence
It’s been some time since followers may take a look at the standings and see the Canucks within the high 10 in relation to goals-for and goals-against. But that’s precisely the place they’re proper now. As talked about, they lead the NHL in targets with 115 – eight greater than the Detroit Red Wings, are tied for seventh in targets allowed with 74 and boast the league’s greatest goal-differential at a gaudy plus-41.
To put these superb stats into perspective, the Canucks haven’t had a purpose differential that prime since 2011-12 once they had a plus-51. Their largest weak spot over the previous few seasons (actually since their dominance within the 2010s) has been their crew defence. They have had 4 coaches since Alain Vigneault (John Tortorella, Willie Desjardins, Travis Green and Bruce Boudreau) are available and try to repair the issue with zero success. Rick Tocchet, together with Adam Foote, Sergei Gonchar and Mike Yeo, is the primary teaching workers since then that has been in a position to establish a system that works each offensively and defensively.
Compared to the mess that followers have needed to witness because the 2010s, this model of the Canucks is a large breath of contemporary air. Thank you, Santa for this very welcome early Christmas reward.
Thatcher Demko’s Return To Vezina Trophy Caliber Form
A by-product of that improved defensive sport is the return of the Vezina Trophy (aka Bubble Demko) type of Thatcher Demko. After a irritating season that noticed him take care of a long-term harm and subsequent rehab, the goaltender followers all know and love is again to his elite methods. He’s on tempo to have his greatest season within the NHL and is arguably the favorite – or at the least be one of many finalists – to win the Vezina.
“He is the total package…Size (6-foot-4, 192 pounds), flexibility, quality movement, technique, competitiveness. He’s got everything. You name it, he’s got it, and that’s pretty tough to say about a lot of goalies in this league, I feel like. … His size, quickness, flexibility, he has it all in spades and then he’s got the work ethic to go with it. And when you put that all together, behind a team that’s been playing pretty well, it’s scary what he’s capable of.”
Demko’s stats converse for themselves: 15 wins, 2.30 goals-against common (GAA), .923 save share (SV%), three shutouts, .863 high-danger SV%, 1.57 purpose differential per 60 minutes, and 12 targets saved above common (GSAA). All of these rank within the higher echelon of the league and make it powerful to argue that he shouldn’t be thought of one in all, if not one of the best goalie within the NHL proper now. When was the final time let’s imagine that? Oh sure, Roberto Luongo, the person they inducted into the Ring of Honour final evening (Dec. 14).
Quinn Hughes & Filip Hronek’s Chemistry on the Top Pairing
In addition to the elite goaltending of Demko, the Canucks even have a high pairing to be happy with early on this season. Hughes, the reward that retains on giving, and Filip Hronek have fashioned an enviable partnership and may become one of the best high unit the crew has ever had. Not solely do they drive the play each time they’re on the ice (52.5 Corsi for share – CF%), however in addition they rack up the factors combining for 10 targets and 66 factors. If they sustain this tempo, they’ll mix for 180 factors by the tip of the season – by far probably the most of any pairing in franchise historical past.
According to Natural Stat Trick, amongst duos which have performed at the least 300 even-strength minutes collectively, Hughes and Hronek have been on the ice for probably the most goals-for (31, six greater than second-place Brent Burns/Jaccob Slavin), the ninth fewest targets towards (14), fifteenth fewest pictures towards (194) and have the Tenth-best CF% at 52.69. Whether it’s via the attention check or superior stats, the Canucks’ high pairing has been a drive up to now this season.
“What I’ve seen, it’s mainly chemistry. They’re giving fits to the opposition. There was one time in Tampa where (Nikita) Kucherov’s line had two shifts where they were defending the whole time. And they don’t like to do that.” – Adam Foote
Santa Has Been Generous With Gifts This Season So Far
Santa determined early that the Canucks deserved some costly items this 12 months. Amid extra franchise data damaged or matched by Hughes and Boeser, they’ve gotten off to one of the best begin ever by any crew of their over 50-year existence. Yes, higher than the Presidents’ Trophy-winning groups of 2010-11 and 2011-12. It’s onerous to imagine, but it surely’s true. They additionally boast a potent offence, stingy defence, and elite-level goaltending that hasn’t been seen in over a decade.
Call me loopy, however I feel Santa may need the last word reward in retailer quickly – a playoff spot and a prolonged run within the postseason. Could it additionally embody a Stanley Cup? We should wait and see.
All stats are from Hockey Reference, NHL Edge and Natural Stat Trick
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