Canucks Army Postgame: Ten Thoughts from Mom Night in Arizona

Hey, guys! It’s Cat Silverman with the post-game, live from Glendale’s press box. 

Since I sat right above the Canucks moms – and heard how rowdy those ladies got every time things got too rough for their baby boys – I feel like this kind of special game deserves a special kind of recap. 

(Also, the arena Wi-Fi is killing me tonight, so I’m changing things up). 

Head coach Willie Desjardins thinks that guys like Jared McCann were able to play a mature and developed game against a tough Coyotes roster on Wednesday, but it goes beyond that. Mark my words – Jared McCann is better than just your average mature rookie. He’s got an eye for making plays, and it pays off. 

JUST LOOK AT THAT.

Earlier this season, the Canucks were abysmal in the third period; they’d go from dominating possession in the first 20 to 40 minutes to looking like an AHL squad in the final 20, resulting in an unreal number of overtime losses via late game collapses. 

That may still be a problem; this game could be an anomaly. But from where I sat, the Canucks looked like a strong team in the final periods of the game – which is good, because they were a disaster early on. 

When Brad Richardson is knocking you off the puck, it’s time to reevaluate your zone entry strategies. 

No, seriously. I love my mother, but Beth Bartkowski is a treat. So are all the moms, and the players made sure to give them some credit for their win; whether you believe in an extra gear possessed by players in games they want to show off or not, the players themselves certainly believe that this win goes to the mommas. 

In what’s been an objectively mediocre season for Ryan Miller, the veteran netminder was excellent on Wednesday night – something that shouldn’t actually surprise Coyotes fans, as he’s got a perfect record in Gila River Arena throughout his career. 

The reason? Well, Miller actually admitted that he met his wife, Noreen DeWulf, in Scottsdale. During the post-game interviews, Miller admitted that Phoenix is a city that has a lot of happy memories for him and his family; in keeping with the  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ factor that goalie stats sometimes possess, he’s pristine in the city that he loves so much. 

Now I know. 

Looking at the Pacific Division, it’s actually feasible that one of either the Vancouver Canucks or the Arizona Coyotes – or the Anaheim Ducks – will make the playoffs after basically looking like rebuild teams for entire chunks of the season, so it’s actually reasonable for the players to be considering this a potential playoff run. 

Do you know who isn’t allowed to treat this like a reasonable playoff run, though? Jim Benning. The Canucks were evenly matched by the Arizona Coyotes – a team who won’t look to buy this season – for an entire 60 minutes of play. They may see the post-season, but it won’t be a terribly deep run; if they can smartly be sellers instead of buyers this spring, that’s what the Canucks need to be. This isn’t a team that can likely be true cup contenders without a lot of cosmetic restructuring, so it would be remiss for the club to try and trade assets to win now. 

I think we all knew that, but I’m just reiterating. 

I want to say more, but there isn’t anything else to say. A large chunk of the team’s sustained offensive pressure was all the Sedin twins tonight. 

Anyways. 

(Just saying it again). 

If you guys read my work often enough, you know that I’m firmly invested in seeing a Danish player who isn’t named Frans Nielsen hit 20 goals in a single season – mostly because it’s never been done before. 

As a result, Hansen – who now has 16 goals and counting this year – is a player I’m actively rooting for this year. 

If he hits the big 2-0 before the regular season ends, he’ll become just the second Danish-born NHL player to ever achieve the feat. He’s one of four Danish-born forwards on pace for the milestone this year – Mikkel Boedker, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Nielsen himself are all also statistically capable of 20 goals this year without too much effort – but it’s cool to think that Hansen, who’s been Vancouver’s perennial “good but not great” speedy non-finisher over the years, could be a rare milestone maker for his nationality.