These past few weeks have all held watershed moments for all Canadian-based NHL teams. I will reluctantly and cautiously use the phrase “if the season ended today (insert team) would be in the playoffs.”
Leafs fans remember hearing that for basically 95 per cent of the regular season last year, but “if the season ended today,” five of the seven Canadian-based NHL teams would qualify for the playoffs.
The two on the outside would be the Ottawa Senators – who are just one point out of a playoff spot – and the Edmonton Oilers, who have seemingly and hopefully turned corner towards respectability with their recent winning streak.
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When the regular season ended in 2013-2014, the Montreal Canadiens stood as the only Canadian-based entry in last spring’s playoffs. Canadian hockey fans continue to cheer passionately for their home team, but at the end of the day, they’d also like to see as many Canadian NHL teams as possible opposing their team in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Montreal has basically picked up from where they left off last season and sent a strong message that they had no tolerance for any passengers onboard. As they try to go one round further in this year’s playoffs, they dispatched playoff “star” Rene Bourque (eight goals in 17 playoff games) to the American Hockey League.
In Vancouver, Jim Benning and Willie Desjardins should get full marks for their hockey intellect and common sense in righting the Canucks’ ship. Ryan Miller has made goaltending controversies a thing of the past while additions like Nick Bonino and Radim Vrbata have more than made up for the lost offence of departed Ryan Kesler.
Veterans like Kevin Bieksa have also adopted more of a “practicing rather than preaching” style in taking immediate action against those who choose to take any physical transgressions against the Sedin brothers, a seemingly growing hobby by opposing NHL antagonists in recent years.
The Winnipeg Jets are in the playoff dance and dare we hope that the long suffering Winnipeg hockey fans are rewarded by an opportunity to revive their playoff whiteouts at home playoff games.
While Bryan Little, Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler have supplied decent offence as they have just been re-joined by the injured Evander Kane, it has been defence that has been winning games for the Jets. Hard to figure, but they’ve been doing it. Give Ondrej Pavelec credit for answering his critics with excellent goaltending and give coach Paul Maurice credit for both his style and moving Dustin Byfuglien up to a full-time role at forward.
The biggest surprise has been the Calgary Flames. Brian Burke, GM Brad Treliving and head coach Bob Hartley have delivered as promised with a hardworking and committed hockey team.
Mark Giordano is emerging as a defenceman worthy of Norris Trophy consideration and Leafs castoffs like Mason Raymond and Joe Colborne are fitting in quite well with the young Calgary core.
The tandem of Jonas Hiller and Karri Ramo have, for now, provided quality goaltending. Arguably the most exciting rookie in the league, Johnny Gaudreau, is having more success with the “Johnny Hockey” handle than Johnny Manziel is with his “Johnny Football” in his first year in the NFL.
Then there are the Toronto Maple Leafs, who despite appearances at times of a not so great start, are actually just three points off their phenomenal start of last season. They are looking for more balanced scoring and team defence rather than being a team that solely relies on excellent goaltending and one line offence in Kessel, Van Riemsdyk and Bozak.
A great start for more of a Canadian presence in the 2015 NHL playoffs and the possibility of the first Stanley Cup won by a Canadian team since Montreal won in 1993.
