M. J. MASOTTI JR.
In 2009 and 2010, the Vancouver Canucks entered the playoffs coming off a 100-plus-point regular season and a Northwest Division title.
Both times, however, they came up short in the second round, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks both times.
This season has been different for the Canucks in many key ways, as they put up a franchise-best 117 points, won the Presidents' Trophy and went into the playoffs the favourites.
And they're already in the third round, for the first time in 17 years.
Here's a look back at Vancouver's last three playoff runs, comparing statistically in 10 key categories what they did in 2009 and 2010 to what has happened this postseason. Consider this simply a closer look at what the Canucks have done differently and why they've had more success than in the recent past:
|
|
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
Games played |
10 |
12 |
13 |
|
Record |
6-4 |
6-6 |
8-5 |
|
GF/game |
3.00 |
3.58 |
2.31 |
|
GA/game |
2.80 |
3.42 |
2.54 |
|
PP% |
25% |
22% |
22.2% |
|
PK% |
82.4% |
68.5% |
86% |
|
Save % |
.908 |
.889 |
.913 |
|
Shooting% |
11.4% |
12.0 |
7.3% |
|
SF/game |
26.3 |
29.8 |
31.5 |
|
SA/game |
30.6 |
30.9 |
29.2 |
Now, obviously Vancouver has faced different opponents in each postseason, including a different Blackhawks team in all three years.
But the most significant differences are fewer goals for, fewer goals against, better penalty killing, better save percentage, more shots on goal and fewer against.
That's a pretty promising combination, especially when you consider that shooting percentage number should come up. Vancouver scored on 9.8 per cent of its shots during the regular season, second best in the NHL, and is generating quite a few shots on goal.
Throw out the disastrous Games 4 and 5 against Chicago, when the Canucks were out scored 12-2, and they have scored 2.55 goals and allowed just 1.91 per game in the other 11 games.
That points to them being a far better team, defensively and in goal, than they were the past two seasons.