Hockey

[Brad Reddekopp]

The Vancouver Canucks have been in the NHL since 1970 and have yet to win the Stanley Cup. They've come close a twice but have delivered only heartbreak each time -- not to mention a riot in downtown Vancouver when they lost the final game by one point in 1994.

Could this year be the year? Maybe. Right now, they're number one in the league by a comfortable margin, 99 points compared to Philadelphia's 91:

NHL standings - 2011 03 12 - League top 4.png (36.98 KiB) Viewed 820 times

Anything could happen in the playoffs, of course.

Things are not quite so rosy for most of the other teams in the Western Conference. Only the top eight teams in each conference make the playoffs and, tonight, there are only three points separating 4th place and 10th:

NHL standings - 2011 03 12 - Western Conference.png (69.77 KiB) Viewed 820 times

At this point, I guess the most exciting race in the NHL is to see who does and doesn't make the playoffs in the West.

Screen shots are from http://tsn.ca/nhl/standings/

[Hierophant]

I am way out of touch. I don't recognize any of the player names any more.

[Brad Reddekopp]

Well, I did mention the Sedin twins to you when you were doing that virtual hockey coach game a few years ago.

[Hierophant]

That has long ago passed into the incredible attic jumble rummage-a-thon that is my long-term memory.



I'm pretty sure it's in there somewhere.

[Brad Reddekopp]

Well, the Sedins are quite the pair. They're identical twins (Henrik and Daniel) who are both highly skilled hockey players, currently forwards on the number one line of the Vancouver Canucks. Looking at the current NHL stats, we see their names in the top five in several categories. In points, Daniel and Henrik are #1 and #2, respectively. In goals, Daniel is #2. In assists, Henrik is #1 and Daniel is #2 (any player fortunate enough to be the third forward on their line tends to see his stats improve as a result). In power play goals, Daniel is #1.

In addition to having point-getting skills, they're big and steady on their feet (difficult to push around).

They also starred in the best ever NHL promo ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6tBr6PMkBY

[Brad Reddekopp]

So, the Canucks are now 22 points ahead of the Calgary Flames (the Flames are in second place in the Northwest Division), 12 points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings (the Wings are in second place in the Western Conference), and 9 points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers (the Flyers are in second place in the NHL).

Could this be the year?

[Brad Reddekopp]

Only eight days left in the NHL regular season and still only one of the teams in the Western Conference (the Vancouver Canucks) has clinched a playoff berth. Only eleven points separate second place from ninth, eighth place being the last one to make the playoffs and a win being two points. So, what I said earlier remains true: the most interesting contests between now and the end of the season are going to be the ones that determine who does and doesn't make in into post-season play in the West.

For the past two years, the Chicago Blackhawks have been the team that has knocked the Canucks out of the playoffs. If the standings were to remain as they are at this time, Chicago would be the team the Vancouver faces in the first round this year. However, Chicago isn't the team they were last year when the won the Stanley Cup. Because of the salary cap and other factors, they lost a number of key players and are now struggling just to make it into the playoffs at all. I'm sure it would still be sweet revenge for the Canucks to be the ones to knock the Blackhawks out, though.

Of course, earning first seed in the playoffs is no guarantee of anything. Last year, the Washington Capitals finished first in the NHL but were knocked out of post-season play by the Montreal Canadiens, who finished eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia Flyers, who finished seventh in the East, also made a surprising playoff run last year, making it all the way to the finals, where they were defeated by the Blackhawks.

[Brad Reddekopp]

In the West, the San Jose Sharks have now clinched a berth in the playoffs, leaving six spots up for grabs. In the East, only three places in the top eight remain available.

There's a chance that last year's Stanley Cup winner won't even make the playoffs. Chicago currently holds eighth spot in the west, with Calgary only three points behind.