Enjoy the 2016-17 Canucks While you Still can

Nothing screams masochism like the self-inflicted indemnity of Canucks’ fandom. Some are born into it; others convert willingly later in life. And they all suffer alike like clockwork.

To borrow a psychological term from grade school, you’ve ‘killed your idol’ more times than you can keep track. In many of those instances, the city’s collectively redeemed those same idols only to sacrifice them at the altar not long thereafter.

You’ve watched your team make the Stanley Cup Final thrice, seen them get within a game of winning it twice, and watched your city burn on each regrettable occasion. Success is always short lived and a step short of the grand prize, and even then, you have to suffer each short-lived run for at least twice its lifespan. Remember the good old days of #EmbraceTheHate? What a time.

So I can hardly blame Canucks fans when they lose track of perspective. What’s the point in enjoying anything short of the Stanley Cup at this stage? I mean, you’ve seen everything short of that, a hundred times over.

At some point, though, nihilism gets old. Now and then it’s fun to unburden one’s self of expectations and just enjoy what’s laid plainly before them. Which brings us to the upstart 4-0 Canucks, they of the whopping 28-minutes spent with the lead.

The season is early, and if you’re reading this most analytics-inclined of websites, I’m sure you’ve cautioned yourself against placing too much stock in this nascent surge up the standings.

A 36-year-old Ryan Miller and the yet unproven Jacob Markstrom aren’t likely to carry the Canucks with the league’s fifth-best even-strength save percentage. And colour me skeptical of Brandon Sutter’s ability to carry a 55-point pace at the age of 27, having only crested the 40 mark once.

Make no mistake about it; the Canucks are playing well. There’s a difference between getting lucky in small samples and performing well in a small sample. They’ve been much more the latter than the former, but one shouldn’t discount the luck caveat entirely.

Vancouver’s made systemic changes to the way they approach the game. Their breakout is solvent after years of lengthy passes attempted by the incapable or unwilling. They support each other. There’s always an outlet, often several.

There will likely come a time when that’s not enough, though. The Sedin twins — bless their souls — are likely past the stage where they can carry this club nightly. They can take a game over at the drop of a hat. They showed as much in last week’s opener against the Calgary Flames. Three home games later, though, and signs of fatigue are readily apparent. It’s fair to wonder how many more of those shifts they’ve left in the chamber.

Similarly, one wonders how much Miller has left in the tank. If Markstrom can’t continue his upward trajectory (and I’m not suggesting that) then the Canucks could be in dire straights. Miller was lights out for the Canucks last season. And whether it’s in the club’s best interests long-term or otherwise, he could be the difference between a middling finish and the Nolan Patrick sweepstakes. 

There’s nothing new, though. These same questions linger over the Canucks from night to tenuous night. And make no mistake about it, the burden of proof is placed firmly on the Canucks’ shoulders. You’ll be right to question them right until game 82 of the season.

For now, though, that’s not the case. The Canucks are winning. And I’ll be damned if they haven’t looked good in the process. They’ve surrendered eight goals to date, and two of those were self-inflicted. They’ve controlled 60% of goals at even strength and carry an expected goals for of 53%.

That likely overstates the strides the Canucks have made. But I’ll be damned if it hasn’t been fun. This team was expected to finish with 65 points by USA Today. Hell, even EA Sports had them at 63 points, and they’re a local company!

The long-term riches of a lost season make everything more palatable in retrospect, but they sure suck at the time. This Canucks roster, as currently constructed, was likely never bad enough for a worthwhile shot at first overall. Probably not good enough for the playoffs either, but they’ve certainly forced the notion upon me. 

It could all come crashing down on them. Hell, I wouldn’t rule out the powerhouse Los Angeles Kings giving Vancouver a dose of reality. Until that happens, though, enjoy this run. Could be a while before we see another of its kind.