Unable to beat San Jose: with new playoff Format are the Canucks screwed?

[Tobi Wan Kenobi]

I think the difference between Coach Bubblegum and Tortorella is already clearly visible. My expectations were low but I'm seeing flashes of brilliance from the team that I haven't seen since 2011.

Agreed, and it's a lot more entertaining to watch regardless of our success.

 

[corker]

I think the difference between Coach Bubblegum and Tortorella is already clearly visible. My expectations were low but I'm seeing flashes of brilliance from the team that I haven't seen since 2011.

I agree completely.

The start isn't brilliant, but its still the best start to a year we've had since Crawford was coach. And this is while learning a new system. They seem to be working harder and bouncing back better (Montreal game aside). I think we will be atop the division at the end of the year.

 

[Bure All Day]

Sharks are our new Blackhawks, the boys just have no confidence against them, hopefully that will change in a few more matchups this season..

 

[LolClarkson*]

So far it seems like San Jose will be the cream of the crop in the Pacific Division. The new playoff format requires to the canucks to win their division before advancing to the conference finals, which will make playing San Jose in round 1 or round 2 almost a certainty.

The problem is the Canucks just don't match up well against San Jose: they have lost 9 straight regular season and playoff games to the sharks, 11 straight counting the preseason.

Is it really likely the canucks can win 4 of 7 against the Sharks in the playoffs?

This is a team who's never been to a final. Ever

#findawaytochoke

 

[RandV]

The Sharks have our number now but nothing's permanent. Some of there veteran core is a few years older than our veteran core, and we have more quality forwards in the pipeline. If guys like Jensen/Horvat/Shinkaruk/Gaunce can break out in a meaningful way in 2-3 years time, Boyle should be done and Thornton on his last legs. We could easily see the pendulum swing back in our favour.

 

[Ernie]

I'm pretty sure we owned them for a year and half prior to that series.

And then they owned us for like 5 years prior to that.

The Canucks aren't where they need to be right now to excel in the postseason, but it's a long way off.

The good news is they only have to play the Sharks twice more this season.

 

[Zombotron]

Spitballing conference outcomes, anyone?


Pacific Division:




Central Division


+ ????


Wildcards

???? + ????


Scenario 1

1. 
2. 
3. 

vs. Wildcard

vs.


Scenario 2

1. 
2. 
3. 

vs. Wildcard
vs.



Scenario 3

1. 
2. 
3. 

After L.A underachieves in the regular season as per their reputation


----------------


I don't even know if I'm getting the playoff format correct, so bear with me. tl;dr: we're not screwed until we're screwed.

 

[CP]

Today we are 5th in the pacific and would take the wild card spot to cross over to play Chicago in the central in the first round, so why worry about SJ when we have a much easier opponent.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

hot goalie > history

Yes, the Sharks have had your number for a little while. But you all know that in the playoffs, a hot goalie trumps all.

 

[Brenton Williams]

People who keep referencing the Sharks 7-0-1 start from last year as a sign they'll 'cool off' this year aren't paying attention to the details. The Sharks of this year are a much better team -- they're absolutely dominant right now. I don't assume they'll go 75-7, but they should win the Pacific fairly handily if they can stay healthy.

I don't like the Canucks chances in the playoffs, but I wouldn't count them out. Anything can happen.

 

[dmacgreg37]

I'm less concerned about their team on paper than with the fact that they've beat the canucks 11 times in a row.

Please tell me you're not including pre-season in this. It's 9 games in a row that are meaningful in any way. For one of the preseason games, F. Corrado was our 2nd most experienced d-man.

 

[GrogZilla]

Gotta figure our team will get better as the new system becomes second nature & a few players who are struggling early start rounding into form.

Plus by the time the playoffs roll around we should have Jensen, Corrado, Gaunce & Shinkaruk available after they've all had another full season of development.

If we meet the Sharks in the playoffs, we won't be the same team that the Sharks have dominated early in the season.

 

[Brenton Williams]

Gotta figure our team will get better as the new system becomes second nature & a few players who are struggling early start rounding into form.

Plus by the time the playoffs roll around we should have Jensen, Corrado, Gaunce & Shinkaruk available after they've all had another full season of development.

If we meet the Sharks in the playoffs, we won't be the same team that the Sharks have dominated early in the season.

The Canucks might be better come playoff time, but I'm absolutely positive the Sharks would love to play against Jensen, Gaunce and Shinkaruk in the playoffs. They're not even proven AHL players at this point let alone NHL regulars. It's hard to believe they'll have an impact this year, especially in the playoffs.

 

[ItsAllPartOfThePlan]

Gotta figure our team will get better as the new system becomes second nature & a few players who are struggling early start rounding into form.

Plus by the time the playoffs roll around we should have Jensen, Corrado, Gaunce & Shinkaruk available after they've all had another full season of development.

If we meet the Sharks in the playoffs, we won't be the same team that the Sharks have dominated early in the season.

high expectations much?

those guys aren't going to bail us out.

 

[ddawg1950]

Way too many variables to factor in, in terms of worrying about playoff match-ups..

First off, let's just worry about getting there.

Secondly, I'd like to know what I am having for supper tonight.

Because that hasn't even been mentioned yet.

 

[Amused To Death]

Health and reffing. Health and reffing.

 

[BB6]

hot goalie > history

Yes, the Sharks have had your number for a little while. But you all know that in the playoffs, a hot goalie trumps all.

my gf wouldn't bang Lu...... sooo not hot?

 

[mrmyheadhurts]

The Canucks are always screwed but that's a topic for a different thread.

Regular season records and match-ups are rendered nearly meaningless once the playoffs start. I mean, if the playoffs started to today we get trounced fairly easily, but both rosters won't look the same come April.

 

[Ernie]

People who keep referencing the Sharks 7-0-1 start from last year as a sign they'll 'cool off' this year aren't paying attention to the details. The Sharks of this year are a much better team -- they're absolutely dominant right now. I don't assume they'll go 75-7, but they should win the Pacific fairly handily if they can stay healthy.

I don't like the Canucks chances in the playoffs, but I wouldn't count them out. Anything can happen.

Indeed. The Sharks' underlying numbers look good this year. They've certainly gotten some luck so far, but they look like a dominant team. They likely have the best overall forward group in the NHL.

Hopefully Tortorella can build a strategy to counter them. Despite what the scoresheet said, I thought the Canucks skated pretty evenly with them in the two games this season.

 

[RandV]

Please tell me you're not including pre-season in this. It's 9 games in a row that are meaningful in any way. For one of the preseason games, F. Corrado was our 2nd most experienced d-man.

And if you want to include preseason games then we broke their streak with the prospect match

 

[BB6]

truth be told, we haven't even got to November yet with our new system and we're doing okay, I expected more growing pains.


I like our chances

 

[Tanevian*]

So far it seems like San Jose will be the cream of the crop in the Pacific Division. The new playoff format requires to the canucks to win their division before advancing to the conference finals, which will make playing San Jose in round 1 or round 2 almost a certainty.

The problem is the Canucks just don't match up well against San Jose: they have lost 9 straight regular season and playoff games to the sharks, 11 straight counting the preseason.

Is it really likely the canucks can win 4 of 7 against the Sharks in the playoffs?

If we can't beat the Sharks then really our problem isn't the new conferences, its the NHL in general.

It's October 20, relax about the playoffs.

 

[LiquidSnake]

Sharks are definitely the favorites if we play them.

Playoffs are different though as anything can happen. And injuries always come into play

 

[Tanevian*]

Health and reffing. Health and reffing.

I hope we don't start diving practice until late March, then devastate officials and our opponents with a perfectly synchronized fall down fest rivalled only by frosh week at a 2nd rate Southern university.

 

[GrogZilla]

high expectations much?

those guys aren't going to bail us out.

Not expecting them to bail us out or even play.
No idea how any of them will look.
Just thinking they'll be available for depth if needed.

A year ago no-one would of thought it possible for Corrado to be dressing for playoff games last season, but it happened.
Not out of the realm of possibility for one of the kids to bump Sestito out of the lineup come playoff time & maybe make the 4th line actually playable.