Still Confident.

[Justin6Schultz]

Still confident.

[DownUndaCanuck]

The 1st round is always the hardest in the playoffs. Hopefully we get a good team but someone we can handily beat.

The Kings or Detroit would be perfect. Both are very respectable teams, but both are beatable, especially this season. As good as Chicago has been, every team in the top-8 have a pretty much equal chance of winning the Cup.

There are plenty of things that bode well for these Canucks. Of course after the 2011 we've learned that nothing is set in stone and history means nothing, but the Canucks have a few things in their favour, they just need some things to click into place:

1) Depth at center. Cup winning teams have plenty of depth here, and with Kesler back we have some decent centers. A 3rd line center acquisition at the deadline would go a long way.

2) Depth at forward. The Canucks probably have the deepest forwards in the NHL right now in all honesty. Henrik, Daniel, Raymond, Hansen, Higgins (barely) and Burrows are all scoring at a 20-goal pace, and that's not even including Kesler or Booth who will be back for the playoffs. 8 20-goal scorers is terrific depth. Having 20-goal scorers on your 3rd line is essentially what wins Cups, because they're the game-breakers when the top two lines are checked to death.

3) Great Powerplay: sure they've been terrible so far, but this unit has the ability to break out at any time. All it needs to do is start clicking in the playoffs and team's won't be able to stop us.

4) Physical defence: Our defence is bigger and tougher than it has ever been, with Garrison, Alberts and Barker getting plenty of time. Bieksa is also playing a lot more physically than usual. We've had a fragile, fast defence for ages that has been victimized in the playoffs by big forwards, but not any more.

5) Giants at forward: Finally the Canucks have some big forwards. Since 2011, we essentially swap Samuelsson, Hodgson and Glass for Booth, Kassian and Sestito - a huge upgrade in size and right across our lineup.

6) Great goaltending: We have a better chance than any other team of getting a red-hot goalie in the playoffs because we have two of them. They say not many teams have won a Cup with a goalie tandem in the playoffs, but I remember Detroit doing it not long ago and in this abbreviated season, anything is possible. It makes sense now more than ever with other goalies being more worn out than ever before after playing such a condensed schedule.

7) Hunger: The Canucks have to be hungry after a disappointing playoffs last year, their window closing and fighting for the NW title. We should play with a lot more urgency now than last season.

[Ray_Cathode]

So what's your point, if we suck during Regular Season maybe we'll win in the Playoffs? LOL

Let's get real here, the team has gotten complacent, tonight WAS a do or die type of game, and the Canucks once again failed to show up.

First of all, how do you fail to show up when you get paid Millions to play? Would YOU fail to show up if you were given Millions to play?

I'm a Canucks fan through and through, but lets cut through the bullsh!t and get real here. We need a change and MG has the tools to do it. Trade Schneider and some other players if need be and make a change up. A solid multi-player deal could spruce things up.

As I see it the only GOOD thing we have going is our 1st and technically 3rd lines are scoring, and that is great to see.

We still need a 2nd line and we need a 4th line that continuously hits. I saw the Canucks get out-muscled once again in this game.

I also think Newell Brown and Rick B needs to get canned. Defense and Special teams suck ass and each of those areas have a SPECIFIC coach for them.

[binktown]

This theory only works if we MAKE the playoffs. I myself have stuck to the theory that the regular season doesn't mean anything come playoff time. But at the same time we are tied for 8th in the West, only 2 points ahead of 11th place, and have lost 6 of our last 7 games with 3 of our last 4 losses coming from some of the league's worst teams and bottom feeders in Calgary, Minnesota, and Columbus. Our goaltending has been mediocre, our defense has been horrible. Our offense has been good 5 on 5 but our power play has been atrocious. While I wouldn't say it's time to panic, we are only a few more games without a win away from that point.

The only positive out of this is the fact that we'll be getting a much higher draft pick this year and should be making a little more of a splash this year at the trade deadline.

Am I alone in saying that if we continue to play this way it's time to see a change in coaching? Lindy Ruff is available and in my opinion we should seriously be considering hiring him if things continue to go South.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

Of course we're confident when we have a winning streak going on!

[RWMc1]

The idea that we need a rebuild or a major shake-up is ridiculous. All we need is a healthy Kesler and a good third line center. The center plays a large role in team defence. Let's face it Henrik isn't naturally defensive. We have only one defensive centerman. Our d-men seem to tense up whenever Henrik, Raymond, or Schroeder are on the ice. If our d-men were more confident, they would play more relaxed. If the team weren't so fixated on defensive posture, they would probably create more offense.

Eventually Schneider and/or Luongo will make those clutch saves when we need them to. Early and late goals have cost us lately.

I am still confident.

[canuck73_3]

Why would we trade the younger, better goalie?

[Lui's Knob]

If they added a couple pieces and even kept lui I would be confident but no way is Roy enough for a team that has overachieved in the wins column facing Detroit la or Minnesota in the first round

[canuck73_3]

If they added a couple pieces and even kept lui I would be confident but no way is Roy enough for a team that has overachieved in the wins column facing Detroit la or Minnesota in the first round