Canucks in unlikeliest playoff race
It’s the unlikeliest of playoff races.
Think, for a moment, where you’d have the Canucks placed if, in the summer, you were told by the midway point of this season that Daniel Sedin would be on pace for fewer than 50 points. Let’s say you found out Troy Stecher and Luca Sbisa would be playing huge minutes and Loui Eriksson would be trending toward a sub 20-goal season.
Add to this, Anton Rodin has played just 17:30 minutes in total, and Jayson Megna hasn’t just played some shifts with the Sedins, he’s played several games. Playoff team or ponderous disaster? Good luck not picking the latter. And sometimes, it feels that way. But for all the things the Canucks lack, and the list is long, they don’t quit.
They’re beating the teams they should beat, like the Coyotes on Wednesday, 3-0. It was a bad game against a bad team in front of a great crowd. See what a win streak can do? That’s five straight wins for Vancouver in a run that’s carried them to ninth place in a Western Conference that’s seen better days.
They’ve been led by the unlikeliest of lines. Consider, Bo Horvat started the season on the fourth line. Alex Burrows ended last season believing he was going to be bought out. And Sven Baertschi, goalless after the first 13 games, was a healthy scratch just a month ago.
But, together, they’re driving the bus, pressuring teams, playing great defensively and scoring big goals.
Baertschi had another to open the game Wednesday, and Horvat scored to finish. Both were beauties.
Baertschi charged in on Kevin Connauton and blocked a clearing attempt before taking a moment to set up his finish.
Horvat spun defenceman Connor Murphy into the ice with blazing speed before scoring the third goal in a shutout win.
It was impressive.