I feel like by this 3rd article you must think I’m very pessimistic, but I’m not. I am probably one of the most upbeat guys you’ll meet in your life. It’s just the Canucks…well they aren’t good. They haven’t been good this season. Well, let me correct that, outside the Sedins, Hansen, McCann at times and Ryan Miller the Canucks flat out have been horrible. For a team who want’s to make the playoffs this season, it’s hard to believe that this year they’ll make it to the round of 16, but hey prove me wrong?
I think the most frustrating thing for me to watch is how the Canucks aren’t committed to a rebuild but are a few points out of the last place in the Western Conference and are right in the thick of things for Auston Matthews.
It’s either you’re in a rebuild, or you’re not. You can’t compete for a playoff spot while rebuilding on the fly. Commit to one or the other.
During this struggling time, the Canucks offense has been a huge reason the Canucks are free falling through the standings faster than the speed of light. Radim Vrbata, who was there, leading goal scorer last year hasn’t been able to find the success he had this year and has only three goals in his last 15 games.
It even gets worse, Sven Baertschi hasn’t had a point in 8 games and has been struggling on the ice.
Jared McCann, who was hotter than a tamale at the start of the season, has cooled off on the offensive production. He’s only got 1 point in his last eight games.
So as you can see the Canucks offense has been sputtering and in a downward spiral. You wonder if it gets’s any better? No, it doesn’t. The Canucks defense has been anything but spectacular on the ice. It’s just simple things too with the d-core. Zone entries, passing, everything. Alex Edler a couple of games ago had an awful pass during the Kings game that led to the game-winning goal for the LA Kings.
Dan Hamhuis has turned into the new Kevin Bieksa this season. The new whipping boy hasn’t done any favors for himself on the ice that has led to many speculating that his health and age is catching up to him faster than a jack rabbit chasing a carrot.
Now I know what you’re thinking.
“You expect the Canucks to win with this team?”
Well no, I don’t. The problem that I have and I’ve pointed out earlier in the article are that they need to commit to one thing or the other. If you’re going to rebuild, then rebuild. Take a couple of years off from making playoffs and develop your young kids in the system. Throw out the old boys on the team and inject more youth. You’re not going to win now, you’re not going to make the Cup Finals anytime soon, so just relax, take a deep breath and come back stronger in a few years.
But again that’s all up to the Aquilini’s who have forced the hands of President Trevor Linden and GM Jim Benning to make playoffs every year. Can I blame them? Who wouldn’t want that playoff money revenue? But let’s be serious, you got to do what’s best for your team and not for your back pockets. If that’s the case then maybe they should be selling the team.
Yes, they’ve won two games in a row, but they got lots more work to do if they want to stay true to their goal. Two games aren’t enough and especially against a team like Buffalo, who has consistently struggled all season. Don’t get me wrong it was two good team wins, but it’s also up to them to stay like this and continue this consistent play.
As they start out on this six-game road trip, I’m calling this road trip the make or break of the season. If they want playoffs, they better play like they want it. Because clearly their team slogan “play for this” obviously doesn’t mean what they are putting out on the ice….
Or does it?
Written by: Kevin Cawthra
Image via Vancouver Canucks / Facebook
