Music: {allcanada} Canucks should clear space on mantle

Sunday, April 10, 2011

{allcanada} Canucks should clear space on mantle

The Vancouver Canucks enter this week as the team to beat in the NHL playoffs and some of the league's award races.

With a team-record 117 points, the Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks had to wait until Sunday night to find out they will play the No. 8 Chicago Blackhawks, the defending Stanley Cup champions, in the opening round. Though the Blackhawks fell 4-3 to the Detroit Red Wings earlier in the day to provide the Stars an opening, Dallas lost to the Minnesota Wild 5-3 to give Chicago the final spot.

The Blackhawks narrowly avoided becoming the third team since 1995 to win the Stanley Cup one year and miss the playoffs the next.

The Canucks led the NHL in points, goals scored, goals-against average and power-play percentage.

When members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association vote for awards over the next couple of days, Vancouver's Daniel Sedin is a front-runner for the Hart Trophy as league MVP and Ryan Kesler is probably the favorite for the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward. Also, Alain Vigneault could win the coach of the year award, which is voted on by NHL broadcasters.

NHL general managers decide the Vezina Trophy, and goaltender Roberto Luongo could at least be a finalist for that award. The Boston Bruins' Tim Thomas is the favorite.

The Blackhawks knocked the Canucks out of the playoffs the past two years. They each won twice in the season series, with Chicago winning once in a shootout and outscoring Vancouver 12-8 overall.

Winning the Presidents' Trophy hasn't been a dependable predictor of playoff success: One of the past seven winners has won the Stanley Cup. Last season, the Washington Capitals lost in the first round.