Stanley Cup Playoffs: Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild series preview
The Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild are set to square off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to get underway on August 1. A 24-team postseason allowed the Minnesota Wild to sneak into the playoffs and they’ll be facing the Vancouver Canucks in the play-in round.
It’s easy to overlook this series with other series that look more interesting on paper, but this should be a great series. Vancouver’s had a surprising season and they’re back in the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Meanwhile, Minnesota turned their season around after firing Bruce Boudreau in January.
Since it’s been a while since the two teams have played, you probably need a refresher on how these two teams got to where they are. So here’s how their seasons went.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
After signing Tyler Myers and trading for J.T. Miller this summer, expectations were high for the Canucks. Their season has been a roller coaster, as they’ve pretty much alternated between good months and bad months. Here are their records by month.
- October: 8-3-1
- November: 5-7-3
- December: 8-5-0
- January: 8-3-0
- February: 5-6-2
- March: 2-3-0
The Canucks have been inconsistent, but when they’ve been at their best, they’ve been one of the best teams in the league. But when they’ve been bad, they’ve been really bad. Which Vancouver team will show up in the postseason?
MINNESOTA WILD
On Valentine’s Day, the Wild fired head coach Bruce Boudreau. At the time, they had a 27-23-7 record and were still in the postseason hunt, so it was an odd time to fire him. Dean Evason took over as the interim head coach. Under his tutelage, the Wild finished the season strong with an 8-4-0 record, which was good enough for them to grab the 10th seed in the Western Conference.
Minnesota has some veteran players who are running out of chances. But at the same time, a younger batch of players, led by Kevin Fiala, Luke Kunin, and Joel Eriksson Ek, has given the Wild a bit of a spark.
Matchups
How do the Canucks and Wild matchup against each other?
Forwards
The Canucks have an underrated core of top-six forwards. Each of them scored at least 15 goals, including trade-deadline acquisition Tyler Toffoli. Elias Pettersson had an excellent season with 66 points in 68 games while posting outstanding underlying possession numbers. Miller led the team in points with 71. Boeser had 16 goals and 45 points in 57 games while Tanner Pearson quietly had a very solid season with 21 goals and 45 points in 69 games.
Though Vancouver’s top-six forwards steal most of the spotlight, they have a surprisingly effective group of bottom-six forwards. Jake Virtanen had a surprisingly strong season, posting career-best numbers with 18 goals, 18 assists, and 36 points. The addition of Toffoli will likely push him into a third-line role where Virtanen could thrive.
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Adam Gaudette finally proved himself as an everyday player by putting up 33 points in 59 games. Josh Leivo’s quietly good season (19 points in 36 games ) ended in December, but he could be back in the postseason. Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, Tyler Motte, and Brandon Sutter aren’t anything to write home about, but they provide some defense and penalty killing.
On the other side of the ice, Minnesota has an interesting combination of forwards. Each of their current top seven forwards in points are either over 30 years old or under 25 years old. Zach Parise had a healthy season, which is a rarity for him, and had 25 goals in 69 games. Eric Staal had one of his trademark quietly very good seasons with 47 points in 66 games.
Kevin Fiala had a breakout year, finally delivering on his massive potential. He finally turned his strong play with the puck into results, tying his career-high with 23 goals and setting a career-high with 54 points in 64 games. Joel Eriksson Ek, Jordan Greenway, and Mikko Koivu stand out for various reasons in their bottom six.
Advantage: Both teams have solid depth, but Vancouver’s top forwards are better.
Defense
The Canucks got a significant boost from rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was recently named a Calder Trophy finalist. He might wind up winning the award, though Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche could win it too. Hughes made a significant impact in his first season, both in terms of points and as far as underlying numbers. Christopher Tanev was his primary partner, though it’s obvious Hughes was the stronger of the two.
Alexander Edler had one of his usual quietly solid seasons, though he’s on the decline. Tyler Myers and Troy Stecher each spent time as his partner, though the former posted better numbers. Jordie Benn’s status isn’t 100% clear, as he’ll be returning to be with his family for the birth of a child, but if he’s available, he’s a decent third-pairing defenseman. However, with Oscar Fantenburg, he might be the odd man out. Vancouver’s defensive numbers at 5v5 were among the worst in the NHL.
Ryan Suter is the leader of the Wild’s blueline. Every year, he plays a ton of minutes and remarkably, his body has yet to break down. Suter’s declining, but he’s still a quality two-way defenseman. Jared Spurgeon had a very nice season. Mathew Dumba’s numbers declined and his defensive numbers were a bit alarming.
Jonas Brodin is the running for the most underrated defensemen in the NHL. All he does is post strong underlying numbers and quietly put up points. Carson Soucy and Brad Hunt form a decent third-pairing.
Advantage: Minnesota
Goaltending
Jacob Markstrom took a while to develop, but this season, he finally delivered on his potential. He probably should have been a Vezina Trophy finalist, as he put up very strong numbers despite having a defense in front of him that bled shots against. Markstrom was injured at the time of the hiatus in mid-March, but he should be back fully healthy. Thatcher Demko is a solid backup goalie.
Devan Dubnyk had a poor season for the Wild. His .890% save percentage was by far the lowest of his tenure in Minnesota. Alex Stalock stepped up with a .910% save percentage, including a .920% save percentage after January 1.
Advantage: Minnesota
Coaching
I like what Dean Evason did in a small sample size, but it’s hard to judge how good of a coach he is because he only coached for 12 games. One thing I noticed is he seemed to utilize his younger players a bit more than Boudreau did. Evason put them in positions where they had success, even if it didn’t always show up on the score sheet.
Travis Green was in the running for the Jack Adams. However, this was a very strong year for coaches, so he wasn’t a finalist. I question Green’s utilization of certain forwards at times and the Canucks’ defensive numbers are alarming, but I think he did a good job considering he didn’t have the best roster to work with.
Advantage: Vancouver
Burning Questions
These questions will probably determine how this series goes.
How Will Green Utilize A Finally Healthy Forward Group?
It’s been quite some time since the Canucks could ice a fully healthy roster. But the hiatus has allowed guys to get healthy. I’m especially interested to see how Travis Green uses Josh Leivo if he’s healthy. He gave Vancouver a nice spark when healthy, but he has to be used in a sheltered role. A sheltered third line featuring Virtanen, Leivo, and Gaudette could do some damage.
Who Starts In Goal For Minnesota?
I don’t envy Dean Evason right now. He’s got a tough decision to make between Devan Dubnyk and Alex Stalock. Dubnyk has more experience, but it’s undeniable Stalock was playing better before the novel coronavirus pandemic shortened the season.
light. Related Story. Top 3 Reasons Wild Could Surprise
Whoever’s in net for the Wild probably won’t have a long leash. Minnesota doesn’t need great goaltending to win in the postseason. They merely need their goalie to be good enough. Defensively, Minnesota is one of the best teams in the league.
Can The Wild Exploit The Canucks Defense?
Minnesota plays pretty conservatively. Their defense doesn’t allow much, but their offense doesn’t create much either. The Wild would be wise to try to push the pace against Vancouver, especially since Markstrom hasn’t played in a while.
Next. Top 3 Reasons Canucks Will Beat Wild. dark
Prediction
I’ve got the Canucks in four. The Wild present an interesting challenge for Vancouver, but ultimately, I trust Vancouver way more than I trust Minnesota. They have stronger forwards and much better goaltending, especially if Markstrom plays as well as he has all season.