Fans prefer Predators in the playoffs
There is just over a month to go until the start of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. For the first time in nine years, the Vancouver Canucks will host a playoff game in front of fans at home.
Fans have been waiting a long time to hear Where The Streets Have No Name. To wave a white towel in ironic celebration.
To dance with joy like Ed Jovanovski in a penalty box. To feel sadness like ...
OK, let’s skip that last metaphor. Anyway, you get the point. Happy times are indeed here again — but there are still anxieties.
As we do at the end of every week, we turn this space over to the fans, to ask them what they’re thinking about.
This week, we asked about preferred playoff opponents and how fans would fix the ailing power play.
Nashville is far and away the most common, most-desired Canucks Round 1 playoff opponent proffered by fans on social media.
There aren’t many real options left at this point: Both Vegas and Nashville are currently sitting in the two wild card spots, although that could shift slightly, with Vegas managing to overhaul Los Angeles to take thirdplace in the Pacific Division. Nashville, though, is pretty much dead-certain at this point to be one of the wild card teams.
The Canucks are in a race to finish first in the Western Conference, which would match them up with the lower of the two wild card teams.
But no matter which of the wild card squads the Canucks get, the fans do have a clear preference, and it’s no surprise that it’s Nashville.
First of all, Vegas may be wounded, but they are the defending Stanley Cup champions. Even with captain Mark Stone out of the lineup for a couple months, Stone’s replacement Tomas Hertl yet to make his debut because of injury, and key veteran blueliner Alec Martinez now also out short-term, the team is still a very deep squad and have a great coach in Bruce Cassidy.
Los Angeles, should they slip behind Vegas, are a strong opponent, one the Canucks looked awful against at first blush, but were much improved against the second time around. They wouldn’t be any easier than Vegas, however — their grinding style is designed to frustrated opponents and they’ve got plenty of scoring talent in the mix, ready to strike back when you make a mistake.
Nashville is clearly the weakest sibling of the three. The Canucks won all three meetings between the two squads this season, outscoring them 13-6 across those three wins. Nashville isn’t a sexy team by any stretch of the imagination, but they’re better than you think — their goal differential is plus-12, while Vegas’ is plus-14 — but they don’t have the same depth of game breakers as Vegas or the Canucks.
Nashville. Because Vegas still scares me. — Luc the Bartender, via X, formerly Twitter
They clearly need a left shot in the bumper. None of their current options are skilled enough. Time to try Quinn Hughes there (he said, mostly in jest)
— Dave Heikkila, via BlueSky
Put Miller back on the left half-wall.
— Tyler Horsfall, via X, formerly Twitter
Thinking of passing? Shoot. Thinking of shooting? Shoot. Thinking about your next contract? Shoot. Thinking about a pass to the point? Shoot.
— Arr Sea, via X, formerly Twitter
Just shoot. Literally, just shoot all the time.
There is no doubt the Canucks’ power play is in a funk. If you look at the season overall, you’d think they are one of the league’s best.
When the quartet of J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Brock Boeser have been on the ice for a power play this season, the Canucks have taken about 124 shot attempts per hour of power play time, which would be the third-highest team rate in the NHL.
They have also scored on 16.2 per cent of their shots, which would put them fourth-best in the NHL.
So what gives? Our perception is the power play has struggled in recent times — and our perceptions do match reality.
Since the All-Star Break, the Canucks’ shooting rate and finishing rate have both been in steep decline. When the core four have been on the ice for a power play, their shot attempt-rate is down about 20 per cent and their shooting percentage is down about a third.
So yes, they definitely need to shoot more, at the very least.
But it’s also possible their power play has been scouted out.
And if so, the team needs to find a new approach.
Many suggested getting Miller back on the left wall, where he’s had so much success as a Canuck. The winning goal in overtime against Los Angeles was scored from that spot, as was his electric opening goal against Toronto last fall.
When Miller plays there, he adds movement to the power play.
Or, yes, as was suggested, maybe something wild like Quinn Hughes in the bumper? Or Nils Höglander in the bumper?
Whatever it is, the Canucks need to figure it out before the playoffs start.