Vancouver Canucks: Bring On November

EPow Now
EPow Now
Nov 7 · 3 min read

The last time we saw the Vancouver Canucks, it was Tyler Myers inadvertently slide-tackling his teammate in a crucial 3–0n-3 Overtime, leading to an extremely rare 3-on-0 odd man rush..

Jakob Markstrom did what he could against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, but to no one’s surprise, it wasn’t enough.

A crazy miscue that eventually led to a sour ending in a game the Canucks probably deserved to get 2 points out of, it is one that they are going to have to put behind them immediately, because the infamous month of November is here.

Canucks fans are far too familiar with the yearly battles this month brings. Injuries, losing streaks and brutal travel scenarios has obliterated the team in November’s in the past. The month has traditionally set the team back and forced them to chase the pack in recent years, a race they have never been able to come back in.

2019 has a different feeling to it, though. This time around, like a lot of this season, feels as if the Canucks are more readily prepared for the impact this time of year brings. They enter as a 9–3–3 hockey team with all systems firing. They look deeper then they have in years and they have already faced injury, it hasn’t wavered them.

After seeing Rookie phenom Quinn Hughes go down with a bruised knee in Anaheim, followed by star forward Brock Boeser temporarily exit on the next play after blocking a shot. Canucks fans everywhere held their breath, they had flashbacks and thought: “WOW, we really are cursed.”

After a slight heart attack and a couple days, all is well for the team and their young stars, with Boeser returning in the same game and Quinn Hughes scoring the game tying goal to force overtime against St. Louis in his return.

Onward and upward for the young team from here, it begins tonight in Chicago against a rebuilding Blackhawks team, whose Captain Jonathan Toews sees a very bright future, as well as a shiny present for the Canucks who were once a long time rival of Toews and the Hawks.

“They’re doing it the right way” said Toews about the Canucks young core. “They come out every night and work hard, they mix in their veteran experience and use their younger skill and are clearly making it work for the results.”

High praise from a guy who has seen the best of the best, and the worst of the worst in his career against Vancouver.

The Canucks travel doesn’t get easier, tomorrow night they will play the second of back to back games in Winnipeg, their fifth of their last 6 games that have been played away from Rogers Arena. After that they will return home for 4 straight games. A much needed period for the team to recoup and start to build even more momentum. It doesn’t come without challenges, though, as they are set to take on some of the NHL’s best including Nashville, Colorado, Dallas and New Jersey.

Team Practice in Chicago

The month will round up with the teams second longest road trip of the campaign, a trip that will see them play 6 games in 11 nights in 6 different cities. Not only travel, but the competition is stiff. Powerhouses such as Washington, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Nashville, all tough arenas to win in. The trip wraps up with games in Dallas and Edmonton for a divisional showdown with the Pacific leading Oilers.

The key to the success this month will be placed firmly on staying healthy. The more they can stay in games the more success they will get out of this month. After these next thirty days we will have a very good look at who they are as a team and we can begin to project where they can take this thing.

For now, it is about staying consistent and keep outworking teams the way they have been, that usually results in the victories they are hoping to make a habit here in Vancouver.

Go Canucks Go,

Evan Power, BCIT

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