It’s not quite time to plan the Stanley Cup parade, but the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Canucks team that was widely expected to struggle this season has collected three of a possible four points out of the gate. Not bad!
Yes – last year's team started 4-0-0 before losing nine in a row on the way to a 29th-place finish in the 30-team NHL, but there are some signs that the long winter nights at Rogers Arena could be more enjoyable for hockey fans this year.
Here are five fresh elements that have amped up the Canucks’ entertainment value in their first two games.
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1.ÌýÌýÌý They're healthy
Last season, the Canucks dealt with the most injuries in the NHL – by a long shot.
NHL injuries: # of man-games lost vs # of wins. Points in standings lost to injury is bubble size (Lost-ps metric)
— Man-Games Lost NHL (@ManGamesLostNHL)
By the end of last year, 26 different forwards, 10 defencemen and three goalies had appeared in at least one game. It couldn’t have been easy for now-departed coach Willie Desjardins to get any traction on nights when he had as many as 10 regulars out of the lineup (remember the mumps?)
It’s early days, but fringe NHLer Brendan Gaunce and minor-leaguer Cole Cassels are the only Canucks currently on the injured list. Some of the toughest decisions new coach Travis Green has had to make so far have involved which healthy players to scratch from his game-night lineups.
2.ÌýÌýÌý They’re matching lines
So far, Green is showing a willingness to adjust his player deployment based on the opponent and the situation. That meant taking some heat over the decision not to play rookie sniper Brock Boeser, but proved to be effective when Derek Dorsett, Brandon Sutter and Markus Granlund successfully shut down league MVP Connor McDavid in the Canucks’ opening-night win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Green has experience as a high-level . Those skills translate on the bench as he assesses opposing teams and puts together game plans designed to give him the upper hand.
3.ÌýÌýÌý Less is more with the Sedins
Last season, Daniel Sedin logged 22:18 of ice time on opening night and brother Henrik tallied 21:48, the most of any forwards. They finished the season with averages of 18:23 and 19:02, respectively.
Green played Daniel just 14:02 and Henrik 13:30 on Saturday against Edmonton. Those totals increased to 15:31 and 16:00 in Tuesday’s overtime game against Ottawa – and the twins were on the ice for both Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»goals.
They’ve still got some magic in their sticks, too.
Henrik with the cheeky play - setups Tanev to tie game at 1
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech)
Now 37, Daniel and Henrik won’t be the focal point of the Canucks offence every night but with more strategic deployment, they should still have their moments.
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4.ÌýÌýÌý They’re looking for offence from the defence
One way the Canucks are hoping to increase their offence is by getting some scoring from the back end. Last season, the entire Canucks defence corps scored 22 goals – seven less than Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns tallied by himself with the San Jose Sharks.
In the early going, Chris Tanev, in particular, has taken this message to heart.
Now established as a smart, effective defender, Tanev has never been much of a scorer. In 350 NHL games, he has recorded just 17 goals on 253 shots, but it looks like he’s ready to step it up on the score sheet this season.
Displaying a sharper shot and a willingness to jump up in the play, Tanev has four shots in his first two games and scored his first official goal of the season on Tuesday.
Also, check out this game-tying beauty from preseason action in Beijing.
Tanev, you wonderful man.
— Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Canucks (@Canucks)
5.ÌýÌýÌý They’re fun!
Just two games into the season, the Canucks are playing at a higher pace than we've seen in past years and have generated some exciting moments that should help draw disgruntled fans back into the fold.
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The Canucks host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday and the Calgary Flames on Saturday before hitting the road for five games.
• Follow Carol Schram on Twitter .
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