Who's in for Clinchbeard?

Ok.  Here we go.  The Vancouver Canucks have officially clinched a playoff spot, and as is tradition in hockey markets amongst players and fans alike, its time to grow a playoff beard.

A playoff beard is a beard that you start growing at the start of the playoffs and don't shave until your team is eliminated or, ultimately, raises the Stanley Cup.  The longer your scruff, the longer your team has survived in the playoffs.  Call it superstition or call it support, or, nowadays, call it a fashion statement, it has been a Canadian tradition for many, many years.

A clinchbeard is basically the same thing, except you shave and start growing your beard when your team clinches a playoff spot.  In the Canucks case, that was last night when the lowly Oilers surprised the LA Kings with a regulation win.  The Kings, even if they win out

Oilers Play Spoilers and Canucks Clinch From Couch

Canucks Nation was abuzz all day Tuesday after a huge Canucks come from behind shootout win over the reeling LA Kings.  The win put the Canucks firmly in control of their own destiny and, even though they picked up a loser point, put the Kings in a spot of trouble.

However, the season wasn't over yet and the Canucks hadn't officially clinched, after all.  They could clinch with another win on Thursday versus the lowly Arizona Coyotes.  Or, with a little help from the out-of-town scoreboard, they could clinch beforehand.  There were multiple scenarios that would put them in.  The least likely was the Spoilers, err.. Oilers beating the Kings in regulation.

Canucks followers, myself included, basically ignored that possibility.  The Los Angeles Kings had only lost in regulation ONCE in the last 27 games against the Oilers.  The Oilers are having a terrible season even by their standards.  The Kings thumped the Oilers 8-2 in their last meeting. You could basically chalk up 2 points

The Canucks Playoff Chase As it Stands on Good Friday

The Canucks appear to be in good shape to get into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year after missing last year.  With 4 games to go in the regular season, the Canucks hold down 2nd place in the Pacific Division and sit 4 points up on 3rd place Calgary and 5 points clear of the 4th place Los Angeles Kings. However, last night's regulation loss to the Blackhawks couples with LA's win over Edmonton, makes things even more tricky for the Canucks.

The Canucks currently hold the 1st tie-breaker (ROWs) on both Calgary and LA.


The remaining schedule for Vancouver looks like this:

@Nashville (WIN 5-4 in shootout)
@Chicago (LOSS 3-1)
@Winnipeg
Los Angeles
Arizona
Edmonton

Compared to Calgary and LA, the Canucks have the toughest remaining schedule

The Lowdown on the Canucks Playoff Implications (updated)

The Canucks appear to be in good shape to get into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year after missing last year.  With 5 games to go in the regular season, the Canucks hold down 2nd place in the Pacific Division and sit 4 points up on 3rd place Calgary and 7 points clear of the 4th place Los Angeles Kings.
The Canucks currently hold the 1st tie-breaker (ROWs) on both of those teams.


The remaining schedule for Vancouver looks like this:

@Nashville (WIN 5-4 in shootout)
@Chicago
@Winnipeg
Los Angeles
Arizona
Edmonton

Compared to Calgary and LA, the Canucks have the toughest remaining schedule

Canucks Playoff Poll

Canucks fans, let me know what you think the Canucks chances are for the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs for my next blog post.

Will the Canucks make the playoffs?

Yes or no?

Can they beat the LA Kings in the 1st round?

Yes or no?

Can they beat the Calgary Flames in the 1st round?

Yes or no?

IF they get to round 2, what are their chances to beat Anaheim?

Yes or no?

Winnipeg?

Yes or no?

Minnesota?

Yes or no?

How far do you see the Canucks going?

a) miss the playoffs
b) lose in 1st round
c) lose in 2nd round
d) lose in Western Conference Championship
e) lose in Cup final
f) WIN THE STANLEY CUP!

You can follow Sporting Vancouver on Twitter

Canucks Trump the Kings in Crucial 4 Pointer

The Canucks came into the Staples Center for a key battle against the Los Angeles Kings with both teams jockeying for playoff position in the NHL's tight Western Conference.  Still smarting from a blowout loss at home to the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets and having been owned by the Kings in recent years, things didn't look good early on as LA took a 1-0 lead 7 seconds into their first power play of the game.  Usually a 1-0 lead is all the Stanley Cup Champions need to cement a win. Especially at home. Especially, especially against the Vancouver Canucks.

But not today.

No today, would be different.  The Canucks came alive

Canucks Face Do or Die vs Arch Nemesis

Dating back to Round One of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the LA Kings have absolutely owned the Vancouver Canucks.

Yes, the Canucks have had difficulty with all of the California based teams in recent years, but the LA Kings it seems, have proved to be kryptonite to the Canucks Superman

Canucks Lack of Depth is Showing

The Vancouver Canucks got thumped by the San Jose Sharks last night by a score of 5-1.  Can't score, can't keep the puck out of they're own net.

While the Sharks appeared to be firing on all cylinders and looked like a team ready to seize a playoff spot in the NHL's tough Western Conference, the Canucks looked like a team with no direction.

Injuries on the back end to Tanev and Bieksa, and a Dan Hamhuis in the lineup who looks like he hasn't fully recovered from injury, have exposed the Canucks lack of depth on D.  Even without any significant injuries up front, their lack of scoring depth throughout the forward lines is apparent.  Without any significant secondary scoring threats through the line-up, it all falls on the top line of the Sedins with Vrbata; and when they're not going, the results are self-evident.

The Canucks, if they are going to threaten for a playoff spot and do anything at all meaningful should they get there,

Evander and the Jets

Evander Kane missed the game against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena because: (vote for your favourite in the comment section below)

a) he was late for the team bus
b) he went drinking at a bar on a game day
c) he wore sweat pants to the arena
d) he's injured
e) coach's decision
f) Dustin Byfuglien threw his pants in the shower
g) he wants out
h) his balls were deflated while getting a lap dance
i) all of the above

Depending on any number of reports, or what time of the day it was, one could believe

Lynch Doesn't Need to Talk; He's "All About That Action"

Much has been made this week about star Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch thumbing his nose at the media and the NFL.  He made his NFL mandated appearance of 4 minutes and 30 seconds.  Not a minute more.  He did the bare minimum that was required of him for player media availability, answering all questions with. "I'm only doing this so I don't get fined" or "You know why I'm here."

This begs the question.  Is Marshawn Lynch making a mockery of the NFL

One For the Ages: Seahawks Compete Improbable Comeback in NFC Championship

As I sat to watch this game, I was feeling quite confident that the Seahawks would knock off Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers en route to their second consecutive Super Bowl.  As the game progressed, and as the Seahawks offense sputtered, and the defense were forced to contend with short fields due to turnovers, I must admit, I started to get a bit of an uneasy feeling.  However, I never gave up hope, and like just about everyone I've spoken to since is claiming to, I had a feeling they would come back, I must admit things looked quite bleak at 16-0.  Not just because of the score, but because of how terrible the Seahawks' offence looked.  Not only were they not scoring or even moving the ball efficiently, they were turning the ball over time and again and gifting the Packers fantastic field position.  The Seattle defense kept them alive by holding the Packers to field goals instead of touchdowns and the team had a pulse, however faint.

What is most amazing to me about this game is