Chances of Vancouver Canucks Winning the Stanley Cup this Year - 2011 NHL Playoff Predictions
Probably no team has a higher chance of taking this years’ Stanley Cup than the Vancouver Canucks, who have shown their best performance in their 40-year franchise history this season. Winners of the Presidents’ Trophy in the regular season, Vancouver looks
to continue that domination into the post-season.
The Canucks might have made a few mistakes when entering the playoffs against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks, during the quarterfinals but they certainly improved in round two against the Nashville Predators. Vancouver’s main
problem is that they begin to take things easy when the stakes are high and it results in them having to put in that extra effort instead of just annihilating the opponent on the spot. The Canucks are an extremely capable team and discussing what factors will
ultimately lead them to the Stanley Cup is something exciting on its own.
Chicago barely made it into the playoff race and was able to take the series against Vancouver into a game seven decider which was due to the Canucks lazy approach after taking a dominating 3-0 lead in the quarterfinals. Nashville almost did the same when
they were down 3-1 after game four but were finally eliminated in game six, which went to show that Vancouver is adopting a serious attitude towards its game-play. On Sunday, they won game one of the Western Conference finals against the San Jose Sharks and
look to continue their domination and prove that they really are the best team in the league.
Reasons why the Canucks will win the Stanley Cup this year are:
Team Chemistry
Vancouver is a team which truly has team chemistry. The Sedin Twins, Henrik and Daniel along with their American team-mates combine to make an unstoppable force, which if unleashed, is hard to control. Sparking that inner will is probably the toughest part,
but when the fire burns, boy does it burn.
The Sedin twins might not have showed off too much in the previous series but are starting to participate now. Henrik Sedin scored the winning goal for Vancouver in game one against San Jose to finalise the match and that too on an unexpected power play
opportunity. If all works out in Vancouver’s favour, they might even get a chance at a clean sweep of the Sharks.
Ryan Kesler
The Canucks already have an Art Ross Trophy Winner, awarded to Sedin as the player with the most points at the end of the regular season, and now they also have a prospective nominee for the Conn Smythe, which is awarded to the player with best playoff performance,
in Ryan Kesler.
The American playing for Canadian glory seems to be putting it all out and performing for the Canucks so they can finally win their first cup. His performance throughout the playoffs has been a game winning one which will ultimately lead them to the finals
and beyond.
Amazing Depth
A team who is able to easily turn over the puck in the defensive end and have control all the way up until the opponents net is known to have amazing depth and Vancouver would be the top candidate if there was an award for this skill. The Canucks know how
to push their game forward and get things done but it all depends on how seriously they are taking the current conditions.
Overall, Vancouver has all the ingredients which are needed for a team’s success in the postseason, but it’s just a matter of them using it to their advantage.
Tags: