I predict IF the Canucks can win the next 5 games it will be "game over" for most of these other contenders as Canucks are leading most of them with games in hand.
those games in hand have to be won to be an advantage, and at the moment vancouver need 'more', hopefully
this new defenceman they have acquired makes a difference, and canucks also have to make the 'push' i'm
talking about to stay with the bunch, and remain a playoff spot.
games in hand sound nice when a team has them, so we'll see how that plays out.
as the season winds down later on, the majority of a teams games are within their division.
don't have a clue what the canucks will do, i'm interested in the division and conference, and how
everything will play out, i like it close in numbers, which it is, so they all will battle to get
points, no team has a free ride, all will have to be at their best.
san jose is starting to look stronger now.
l.a. are having trouble scoring goals, but as the season continues, they also will raise their game,
as desperation sets in with teams, and they figure it out.
canucks are not fast and are not very physical, top line is pitiful 5 on 5, they have to have powerplays
to do much, last night henrik sedin got knocked all over the place, must have fallen down 5 times,
as he just hasn't the physical strength or skating ability to stay with bigger players who skate well,
or who are very physical, daniel just stayed out of that type of situation.
the best players are starting to make their mark, mathias was great last night, vey is a very good skater,
fast thinker, and good passer, higgins had a better game, kassien is slowly improving, and the horvat
line was very good, not a top line, but definitely a good line.
and miller has to be very sharp, he had a poor game last game, but the team didn't help him at all,
didn't even score one goal.
they wouldn't have dared to lose last night, as buffalo has now lost 14 games straight, and no team
wants to be the one to see that streak end.
the canucks are doing fine, but i don't see them as a power within their conference.
jim benning has improved the team somewhat, butit is in a transition, and he has a
couple more seasons to bring the team up to the standards they have been use to in
the past. he needs to build a number one line, but maybe mathias is showing him that
he has the 'stuff' to be part of that, when it happens.
they certainly won't collapse like they did under torterella, but if theydon't make
the playoffs, that won't be horrible, they are a work in progress, but this coach
is heads and shoulders better than last year, he dragged them off the floor,
and showed them how to have structure, a fourth line, and be a 'total' team, even
though they aren't world beaters this season, they will come along in time.
too bad they didn't have calgary's coach last year, he has brought that team along
very well, they have done much better than anyone expected, but they are also a
work in progress.
a prediction is just a guess and a hope and a bet, but not really based on much, other than one who
is a fan of that team, and wants them to win.
i'm not posting as a canuck fan, but i am very interested in the conference, and all the teams within,
it is fun to watch how each team tries to figure it out.
