Playoff Push Thread

[Addison Rae]

I'm still skeptical on this team being playoff calibre but I certainly am enjoying this season much more than the last 3 or 4 years. If we did get in to the playoffs it's likely a 1st round exit.

Probably more beneficial in the long term to shoot for a high draft pick but as long as we don't sacrifice assets to load up for a playoff run I'd have no problem with us sneaking in.

Yeah, I'm not one of those "tank or bust" guys. If this team can make the playoffs on the backs of guys like Boeser and Horvat, while also selling off bad assets like Sutter and Gudbranson at the deadline for value I'd be extremely happy.

 

[Ryan Miller*]

Go Caps and Flyers tonight!

 

[Ryan Miller*]

Washington scores!

 

[DL44]

A significant difference that could result in a better finish.... our PP is looking good.

It is currently ranked 14th in the league which is INSANE to me considering it was running at like 26th or lower over the first 15- 20 games of the season...

I havent checked yet (on phone).. but that must mean its been on a huge run over the last 10ish games...

Team last yr didn't have that type of key contribution to get back into games when down a goal or pull ahead when tied.

Also... last yr we had no scoring.. period.
This year we have some sleeper depth players that have stepped up at various times... like last game it was the rare Granlund goal plus a rare Dman goal for the win.

Its a good sign if we can be carried to wins without the top line scoring.

Anyways.... theres a couple of points to add to the optimism.

 

[Nomobo]

Caps are up by two now...

 

[DL44]

Also helping... the teams around us also are greatly flawed as well...

*Outside of Anaheim who are just injured as hell.

Im expecting LA to fall off their perch soon. Vegas will remain tho.. just so fast and deep.

 

[denkiteki]

It will be tough just because its hard to imagine the Oilers being out of it all season long. You know they will make a push and the Ducks likely will when they get healthy.

Basically you look at the teams ahead of us, only Vegas is likely to drop. Out of the teams behind us, its hard to imagine that Chicago, Edmonton, and Anaheim all finish below us (could imagine 1 but not 2).

 

[CanaFan]

Because you can still finish 3 wins out of a playoff spot and still get the 2nd overall pick. Edmonton ruined the option of tanking for everyone.

That’s not *making* the playoffs though.

 

[polarbearcub]

Not winning the draft lottery may be the best thing that's happened to this team in a long time , if petterson turns out how he's looking now.

I wonder who we would have drafted instead of boeser if we finished out of the playoffs that first Willie year

 

[Addison Rae]

@Abaddon wager $500, put your money where your mouth is.

 

[Nomobo]

Good night so far, Sharks lost and the Flames are behind 4-2.

 

[Ryan Miller*]

Sharks remind me so much of where we were after 2011. Though their poor drafting is still better than ours was when we were a contender, so they're better set up to rebuild.

That Hansen trade though. Loved the guy but 1 assist in 16 games this year. Wonder what happens to him if he doesn't turn it up a little. And people were demanding a first round pick + for the guy! Thankfully he had that one 20 goal season under his belt alongside the Sedins and we were able to extract decent value for him.

 

[Nomobo]

Sharks remind me so much of where we were after 2011.

With a core going stale.

 

[2011 still hurts]

I want honey badger back on this team sometime

assuming he still has his legs by then

 

[Brock Boeser]

Brock with a 5 goal first round performance incoming

 

[2011 still hurts]

ya'll mind if I

carry this team to the conference finals

 

[Ryan Miller*]

Another good sign already alluded to by 2011 still hurts:

Canucks stat of the week: The power play is up to 20.6 per cent and the penalty kill is running at 79.8 per cent.
Combined, that adds up to 100.4 per cent.

Last year, the PP (14.1 per cent) and the PK (76.7 per cent) added up to just 90.8 per cent.

 

[Peen]

I really like Vanek. I know he struggled as a rental last year, but if I was a playoff team, I'd have no issues paying at least a 3rd for Vanek - which is what I'd take. Anything with a 3rd and I'm happy.

But on this topic, people forget last year we had a 4-0 start and were in the thick of the playoff race until the 40-45 game mark of the season (I believe we had won 6 in a row), before we only ended up winning only 10 of our last 40 or so games lol.

Reality for me is that boeser is going to hit a wall at some point this season.

We have a ton of home games this month, but we've not been good at home and the games are tough.

I think if by the end of january we aren't in the bottom 6 or 7 teams, I'd be shocked.

 

[DL44]

10 PPG in the last 10 games..

10/26!

38% PP over 10 gms. That'll get you places in the standings.

Overall it sits as the 13th ranked PP @ around 20%.... The team will naturally drop as teams pick up tendencies of our new units... but if they can float around 20% from here on out... it would be the best team power play we've had since the team went to the Stanley Cup Final....

This probably the best 10 game run our PP has had since that cup run team.

 

[Ryan Miller*]

10 PPG in the last 10 games..

10/26!

38% PP over 10 gms. That'll get you places in the standings.

Overall it sits as the 13th ranked PP @ around 20%.... The team will naturally drop as teams pick up tendencies of our new units... but if they can float around 20% from here on out... it would be the best team power play we've had since the team went to the Stanley Cup Final....

This probably the best 10 game run our PP has had since that cup run team.

Agreed, it looks quite sustainable too, with many players put in positions to succeed on the first PP and a decent second unit PP. Only need is a better PP QB than Edler, but perhaps he gets going a little with this recent hot streak of play.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Agreed, it looks quite sustainable too, with many players put in positions to succeed on the first PP and a decent second unit PP. Only need is a better PP QB than Edler, but perhaps he gets going a little with this recent hot streak of play.

A 36% PP is not sustainable.

 

[DL44]

When was the last time we've had the skill depth a second unit PP with the talent it can currently put out there?

Vanek-Gagner-Eriksson
Baertschi-Pouliot

3 new additions on that unit. Eventually will likely shuffle in Goldobin..

 

[DL44]

A 36% PP is not sustainable.

We were talking about 20%.

A 20% PP finish would be the best since the 2011 cup run team.

 

[Ryan Miller*]

Up to 3rd in the division.

 

[PG Canuck]

I’ll be convinced If we are sitting in a playoff spot in April.