Are the Canucks falling off a cliff?

[Inflict]

No. While the team has an aging core and trending downwards, they should still be competitive for the next 2 seasons or so. The Sedins are still elite, Miller is a good staring goalie and their top 4 D is pretty good. The problem is depth and the lack of scoring wingers. The Canucks are about two top 6 wingers away from a good playoff run.

Would it be better to blow up the core and start a rebuilt? It will have to happen eventually, but It's too soon for that, IMO.

 

[Dontdive]

They're just reverting to the form of last year, where they had a great first month and then.... fell off a cliff.

Somewhere, JT is laughing.

It's just a soft team, "led" by too many soft players.

They could still do well again, though, after all, this is just the regular season. But things are tough now, and I think it's a good indication of what would face them even if they do make the playoffs.

 

[thepuckmonster]

Trending downwards and still in second in our division.

So obviously yes.

 

[keslerbomb]

Probably a bubble playoff team like everyone expected. If the Sedins aren't PPG players any more (and it looks like they aren't) then we have mediocre offense and below average defense.

 

[Action]

Pretty frustrating last couple of games.

Not really buying the "Hamhuis is out, that's why we're losing" schtick. He was already gone a few weeks before this slump occurred. But I guess some sort of fatigue might be settling in for guys like Stanton, Sbisa, and Weber who are being asked to do a bigger portion of the work than usual.

I think offensively the team will be fine. May need to call up a young offensive guy like Jensen or Shinkaruk to spark some offence and creativity but there's a lot of decent talent that was able to get the job done in the first two months. It's times like these where Willie gives a guy like Vey an extended look to get us going. Hopefully the Sedans and Vrbata can get going again as well.

Overall, not too worried. The work they did in the first two months kind of negates the fall they're experiencing. Too early to say they'll miss the playoffs or play like they did in the second half of last season.

 

[Jyrki]

Bad defensive depth and Miller playing substandard costing us a lot of points for sure.

 

[zeke]

if the sedins really aren't magically bouncing back to ppg+ star performance, then the team doesn't look so hot.

if they're 65pt guys again, then that's an ok top line but not a great one...but then the rest of the lines start to look pretty shady. higgins and burrows aren't second line material, but they are the best options, whixh means the bottom six ain't so hot either. the defense has two good but not great guys in edler and hamhuis, but a bunch of question marks after that....and the goaltending isn't great either.

without that sedins bouncback year, this looks like a bubble team to me, and probably on the bottom of the bubble

 

[flaneur]

Blame the San Andreas Fault.

lol

they've hit a bump but from what i've seen they should come out okay (caveat that the sedins stay healthy)

 

[Hyack57]

The Sedins skating has been getting worse with each year. They've really gotten slower and it's shown in their breakouts and back checks. When the tic tac toe passes work it's great but when they don't the Sedins are stuck flat footed and unable to change flow.

 

[JuniorNelson]

Sedins have looked terrible in the last two games. They actually were terrible on the road trip before that.

They go back to being fresh as daisies or they stink and the Canucks are finished. That's not too much to ask? Only four of the top six are in their thirties, so they aren't too old or anything. Should be no problem!

 

[WarriorofTime]

They're still utterly reliant on the Sedins. Once those two are gone the Canucks are in a world of hurt.

 

[IAmBobo]

They may be falling, but they DOMINATED every game of the season

 

[Robongo01]

Yes, eerily similar to last year. Forwards are marginally better than last year, but the defense is much worse. We haven't even entered the difficult portion of our schedule. If we lose one of Hank, Tanev or Edler for an extended period of time, this team will be contending for McDavid

 

[8816 others]

At least they are getting production from a workhorse like Santorelli with 22 pts so far - oh wait

 

[Canucks LB]

Shocker the canucks go on a massive losing streak after Hamhuis gets hurt.

When you lose your best d-man, making up that kind of player with our **** defense is nearly impossible.

Of course nobody will bring him up tho, just an excuse I guess right?

 

[Anglesmith]

Shocker the canucks go on a massive losing streak after Hamhuis gets hurt.

When you lose your best d-man, making up that kind of player with our **** defense is nearly impossible.

Of course nobody will bring him up tho, just an excuse I guess right?

Lots of people are bringing him up.

 

[KPower]

They play Calgary next....somebody's slump will end.

Edit...flames play stars first

 

[HOLDITHERE*]

Weren't the Sedins Hart locks like last week?

 

[Rey]

The Twins are only good for about a goal per game, you can't really expect much of anything to happen when your other lines aren't scoring. Every player overachieved at the beginning. Bonino's line was hot for a while, then slowed then luckily Matthias's line woke up, but now they are both run out of luck and therefore they've become the team that everyone expected them to be - a bubble team.

 

[PullHard]

Shocker the canucks go on a massive losing streak after Hamhuis gets hurt.

When you lose your best d-man, making up that kind of player with our **** defense is nearly impossible.

Of course nobody will bring him up tho, just an excuse I guess right?

He's been mentioned numerous times in this thread.

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

They are burning out. Five in a row. Sedins look low on gas

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

If losing one Hamhuis screws your season..... You are *********

 

[LiveeviL]

Weren't the Sedins Hart locks like last week?

Got a quote on that or was it just pulled from out of somewhere?

 

[LolClarkson*]

Sedins look bad like last year, Miller is terrible, Bonino and other new additions calming down, soft and fragile defensive core, teams have figured them out.

Do you think that the Canucks are coming back down to earth, I.E, a bubble team like most predicted?

we shall see

 

[Orca Smash]

At least they are getting production from a workhorse like Santorelli with 22 pts so far - oh wait

Just a history lesson for leafs fans, we did have santorelli last year and he produced equally well for us early on, but he could not save the team, he dried up with the rest of the team in late December and then got hurt shortly after. Our 3rd and 4th lines have actually carried us in a number of games and have been some of our better players. The only people that can get the canucks out of this are the sedins and top players.