Looking back four games ago, the remaining season for the Vancouver Canucks looked full of promise for lots of points. The Canucks' last batch of games are mostly at home, and for the most part, against sub-par opponents. On paper, smooth sailing into the playoffs at the to of the NHL.
Well, if there's one thing we appreciate as fans of the Canucks, it's that the easy, predictable road is often not the one taken. Vancouver finds themselves mired in a slump that has seen them drop three of their last four home games.
The latest shortcoming came March 10 against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canucks opened up scoring, with Ryan Kesler finding the back of the net at 11:58 in the second frame, after a scoreless first for both sides. So far so good, but then the wheels came off the bus.
Blake Geoffrion scored with under two minutes left in the second period, then Eric Cole added another just 13 seconds into the third. The power play killing of the Canucks defense was as absence as their power play scoring when they have the advantage lately. The power play is a key component of the game when the Canucks are on, and a indicator of how things are going when they are not.
Eric Cole ended things with another goal, following a score from P.K. Subban to make the final score 4-1. The separation between the best teams and those that won't make the playoffs or might just scrape in isn't as great as some might think, and a letdown against any side means they will take advantage.
Things all wrong at once
When things slump for Vancouver, it seems to be several things that go haywire at once. In addition to the power play, the Sedins are in a dip, and Roberto Luongo is having problems making the key stops. One of the great things about sports that can also be quite maddening is the unpredictable nature of what sometimes happens when things are misfiring.
The good news?
If there's a slump to go through, getting past it with at least 10 or 12 games on the regular season schedule could be a nice setup for storming into the playoffs on a hot streak. The players, coach Alain Vigneault, and the rest of the coaching staff need to work to end it as soon as possible.
Getting past the slump will be the easy part, keeping up the high level of play required to go all the way through the playoffs will be the challenge.
Jeff Musall has been a fan of the Canucks since he started following hockey years ago. Watching from his home near Portland, Oregon, he considers Vancouver to be the home NHL team of the Pacific Northwest.
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