GDHQNHL15_4pg-Vancouver Canucks 2

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50 Henrik Sedin led the Canucks with 50 points, the lowest total to lead any Western Conference team. Projected Roster HEAD COACH: WILLIE DESJARDINS LW C RW 1st Line: Daniel Sedin Henrik Sedin Radim Vrbata 2nd Line: Chris Higgins Nick Bonino Alexandre Burrows 3rd Line: Nicklas Jensen Shawn Matthias Zack Kassian 4th Line: Tom Sestito Brad Richardson Derek Dorsett D D #1 Kevin Bieksa Alexander Edler #2 Dan Hamhuis Christopher Tanev #3 Yannick Weber Luca Sbisa G Starter Ryan Miller Backup Eddie Lack Scoreboard 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 PLAYOFF FINISH DNQ Conf QF Conf QF Cup Finals Conf SF REGULAR SEASON 36-35-11 26-15-7 51-22-9 54-19-9 49-28-5 POINT TOTAL 83 59 111 117 103 SHOOTOUT RECORD 5-7 5-6 8-7 4-5 4-4 GOALS SCORED 196 127 249 262 272 GOALS ALLOWED 223 121 198 185 222 POWER PLAY % 15.2 15.8 19.8 24.3 20.9 PENALTY KILL % 83.2 84.0 86.0 85.6 81.6 Conference, but it should help bring Vancouver back to relevance at the very least. Defense Dan Hamhuis solidified his place as one of the top defensive defensemen in the Pacific Division with another strong performance last season despite the turmoil surrounding the Canucks. Hamhuis is the team’s go-to option in penalty killing situations and when the Canucks are backed up in their own zone. Hockey Prospectus rated Hamhuis a +8.9 on defense last year, the highest mark on the Canucks and second in the division to Marc-Edouard Vlasic. One bright spot for the Canucks was the development of young defenseman Chris Tanev, who also received a very good defensive rating from Hockey Prospectus (+7.0 in his case). Tanev also earned a +12 rating in 64 games, second to Hamhuis. Tanev and Hamhuis give the Canucks a strong pair of defensemen they can turn to in tough situations. Kevin Bieksa played his usual solid level of hockey as a plus defender with some contributions as a passer on the offensive end of the ice. Bieksa plays on a pairing with Alexander Edler, who is perhaps the best example of what ailed the Canucks last season. Edler struggled badly on both sides of the ice, particularly on defense, where he was lit up to the tune of a dismal -39 rating. If Edler doesn’t return to form quickly this season, the Canucks will have no choice but to look at other options. Overall, the Canucks have a strong group of defensemen although they are somewhat lacking on offense. It will help greatly if Edler returns to form, but even if he doesn’t, having a core of Bieksa, Hamhuis, and Tanev is enough for Vancouver to have an above-average defensive group. Goaltending It wasn’t long ago that fans debated whether the Canucks should keep Brian Schneider or Roberto Luongo. Now the team has neither of


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