A look at the Canucks’ great start and what we can expect them to be

[The Arrogant Worms]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/a-look-at-the-canucks-great-start-and-what-we-can-expect-them-to-be/

 

 

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• Breaking: The Vancouver Canucks have been very, very good.
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• Which brings us to the obvious question: are they very, very good, in a sustainable way?I’m pretty sure Canucks fans haven’t watched their team rattle off nine wins in 12 tries and hope to read some “well actually” stat article that says they haven’t been awesome, or won’t be. And don’t worry, this isn’t that. Canucks fans should most certainly be enjoying the ride, which has been built on superb hockey.
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• But I do want to just lay out what the numbers say so far, simply so they can have a peek under the hood and set expectations a bit, since most had the Canucks pegged as a fringe playoff team coming into the season. As things currently sit, they’re second in the Western Conference, three points up on the chasing Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings, behind only the Vegas Golden Knights.
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• Vancouver is 9-2-1, they have a league-best plus-30 goal differential, and they’ve basically made the Edmonton Oilers have an existential crisis. Their best players have their names in early conversations for the Norris, the Vezina, the Selke, and the Hart. Their coach is the betting favourite for the Jack Adams. Yes, they have some inflated numbers, but having inflated numbers can be sustainable when you have elite players.

   

  That said, the Canucks are currently on pace for 130 points, a mark only hit by the 1977 Canadiens, the 1996 Red Wings, and last year’s Bruins. They’re probably not that.

   

   

  More in the link.......

[Nucker67]

It's like a lightbulb went on when Tocchet came in, and the whole team has bought in and they believe in each other.  

 

1. JR/PA deserve a lot of credit for bringing in the right mix of players:

 

Aman

Kuzmenko

Joshua

Mikheyev

Blueger

Cole

Soucy

Suter

Lafferty

Friedman

DeSmith

 

and also importantly, got rid of the excess baggage and weakest links (e.g. OEL). They're a tougher team to play against, the D has improved by leaps and bounds.

 

2. Coaching - Tocchet is bringing the swagger and the players are following. Imagine a whole team of Tocchet-minded players. Great offseason preparing. 

 

3. Young players are ready to take that next step / Quinn Hughes as Captain

 

4. Goaltending and D. Canucks are not giving other teams much to work with and Demko/DeSmith are there to shut the door.