Canucks This Week: October 14th, 2009

After three straight losses to open the season, the Canucks finally managed a big win over Montreal and then followed it up with a shootout win over the Stars. Their hard work from the first three games has finally paid off; Now we can only hope that the long layoff doesn't take away all the momentum they should be building up. We'll find out on Friday when they take on the Flames in Calgary.

Power Rankings: What a Joke

The ESPN, TSN, and Sportsnet Power Rankings this week all place the Canucks in the bottom third of the league. That's ridiculous. Not only did they just win two games in a row, but in their first three games, they --for the most part -- outplayed their opponents and only lost because the bounces didn't go their way. How does a team outplay their opponents but still lose, and then outplay their opponents and win two straight games barely advance in these standings, but a team (Calgary) that's been getting outplayed in every game but manages to win their first four -- and then get beaten badly in game number five -- stay at the top? This just goes to show what many Canucks fans have suspected for a long, long time: the media doesn't like the Canucks. Here's hoping they can keep the wins coming against Calgary and Minnesota this weekend and get the respect they deserve.

Injuries: Should we be worried yet?

I posted last week that we shouldn't panic over the Canucks' slow start. I was right! They came out strong against the Canadiens, and then a strong showing against a determined Dallas team gave the boys another win. Now, the big problem facing the Canucks are the recent injuries to Daniel Sedin and Sami Salo. I don't think anyone was really surprised to hear about number 38 for number 6, but it will hurt. How much? Well, that depends on how well Rome plays in his absence until Matthieu Schneider comes back. We -- that is, Canucks fans -- have been bragging since the end of August about how deep the Canucks' defence is this season, so now is their chance to show it. Shneider will be back in six games, so I'm hoping the boys can manage a 4-1-1 record in that time.

Losing Daniel Sedin could be a terrible thing for this team, even worse than losing Luongo last season. Nothing needs to be said about how well the twins play together, but how well will Henrik play without Daniel? This could potentially sideline three players for a month: Daniel, Henrik, and their right-winger. Even though there is real potential for disaster with this injury, I think it could be a blessing in disguise, especially since it's this early in the season. What better opportunity for all the on-the-bubble players to show everyone what they're capable of and show all the critics that the Canucks don't really need to be so dependent on the twins for offence? A few AHL call-ups could really shine, and this could end up making the future of this team even brighter than it already is.

Now we have Pavol Demitra. It was announced a few days ago that his recovery isn't going well, and we may now be looking at December for a return to the lineup. Demitra might be the current goat among Canucks fans, but I have always liked him as a player, and I think his contributions to the team are seriously underrated. However, I commented to some people at the beginning of the season that the only way the Canucks could stay under the cap this year would be to get rid of his $4 million salary; I'm really beginning to wonder if this "delayed recovery" isn't actually a postponed retirement announcement or a Derian Hatcher-esque permanent placement on the LTIR for cap relief. If he comes back healthy, the second line will be stronger, but if he can't return, I have little doubt that the team will still find ways to win.

The injuries to four key players could hurt the team, but it's better to have it happen early in the season than later on. This will give the team a chance to gel and get back to the basics, which should pay off dividends when the whole team is healthy again. It's still early enough in the season that I'll say again, "Don't panic!" The Canucks will be just fine.

Final Thoughts

One thing I've noticed about the Canucks this year is how great the power-play has looked. They're calm, not throwing pucks away, and keeping the puck in the offensive zone -- all the time. This is how a power-play should look. If they can keep it up all year, things will be very good. I can't remember the last time I've been so excited when this team has been on the PP. Now, the PK hasn't been quite as impressive, but I really think it's just a matter of early-season rust; they'll find their game again, and as I mentioned above, I really think these injuries will force it on them.

That's it for me today. Check back next week for more analysis on the Canucks' progress so far, and check tomorrow for HockeyTalk, musings on the rest of the NHL. My podcast will be coming soon!