Canucks cannot catch a break

After making it to the Western Conference Semi-Finals last year, the Vancouver Canucks seemed to be a safe bet for another post-season appearance in 2009-10. However, very little has been going the right way for the franchise from British Columbia so far.

Although the Canucks are currently holding on to a 6-5-0 record which stills keeps them in striking distance of the eight place in the Western Conference, they were hit by injuries like no other team. Firstly, franchise centerpiece Daniel Sedin broke his right foot just one week into the season and will not return until some point in November. Last year, Daniel Sedin scored 31 goals and added 51 assists for a total of 82 points. However, the problem is not only his absence but also the subsequent line changes that were necessary. Being used to playing with his twin brother, Henrik Sedin seemed to have more trouble finding the net once Daniel was out of the lineup. To make things even worse, Pavol Demitra’s shoulder injury turned out to be more significant than expected and instead of returning to the ice in October he is now looking at missing most of the season. Last year, Pavol Demitra put up 20 goals and 53 points in just 69 appearances. Moreover, veteran defender Sami Salo only appeared in four games this year before suffering a MCL sprain that will most likely keep him sidelined until mid-November.

That said, the Canucks will have to do their best to compensate the aforementioned losses in order to stay in the playoff race until the team of coach Alain Vigneault is at full strength again. Most importantly, the Canucks will have to take care of business at home in December, as the period between January and March could be a tough one for the team around the Sedin brothers. More specifically, the Canucks will enter the longest road trip in franchise history due to the 2010 Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver.

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