Who do you want?

[gordphish]

Assuming the Canucks make the playoffs, who would you want them to face in the first round and why?

[KB in Kelowna]

Right now I am having nightmares about the Canucks collapsing and a suddenly streaking Oiler team making it in ala 2006. However, the Canucks are as likely to put together a good streak and still win the Division and get the third spot in the West.:shrug:

If they got that spot I can see them doing well against Calgary, who have been as inconsistent as Vancouver this year. Ditto for the Wild

If they hold on to the 8th spot they could surprise Detroit, but Osgood has been a Canuck killer in the past.

I don't like their chances against San Jose, who have the scoring and goal tending to finally reach their potential this year, espcecailly with the addition of a puck moving defenceman in Brian Campbell.

If they face Colorado, it boils doen to goal tending I like Luongo over Theodore, as I think that nagging injuries will hamper the Av's.

I don't know about The Ducks or Stars.

[gordphish]

Right now I am having nightmares about the Canucks collapsing and a suddenly streaking Oiler team making it in ala 2006. However, the Canucks are as likely to put together a good streak and still win the Division and get the third spot in the West.:shrug:

If they got that spot I can see them doing well against Calgary, who have been as inconsistent as Vancouver this year. Ditto for the Wild

If they hold on to the 8th spot they could surprise Detroit, but Osgood has been a Canuck killer in the past.

I don't like their chances against San Jose, who have the scoring and goal tending to finally reach their potential this year, espcecailly with the addition of a puck moving defenceman in Brian Campbell.

If they face Colorado, it boils doen to goal tending I like Luongo over Theodore, as I think that nagging injuries will hamper the Av's.

I don't know about The Ducks or Stars.

I'm not that concerned about the Oilers or Coyotes now. Look at it this way. The most the Oilers can get now is 95 points. That means the Canucks need just twelve from their last 18 available. If they go 5 and 4 in their last nine and pick up two loser points in the four losses, the Oilers are done. And that's assuming the Oilers run the table the rest of the way. If the Canucks beat them tomorrow, you can pretty much write the Oilers off as far as them catching Vancouver.

It's down to Nashville now really, unless one of the other Northwest teams completely dissolve the rest of the way.

[TimmyTabasco]

Hmmm...

I chose Dallas

This is a team that the Canucks can beat

The wings would be my second choice..

[rustybadcock]

I like our chances against either Detroit of Calgary. Let SJS, Dallas, Minnie and Anaheim punt the hell out of each other.

I think we play Detroit very well and as good as they are all year I suspect they might not have anything left if a heavy forecheck should be taken to them. I think we have the speed to do the trick and obviously the goaltending.

Calgary has the exact same record as we do today, however when you look at our GA vs theirs...they have 20 more and only one more goal for.

Van GF 193 GA 184
Cal GF 205 GA 204

for all this talk of Vancouver having no scoring we can at least play D. D wins cups and those who can't play in their own end are usually out first. Kipper's gonna have to turn it on to prove me wrong in this instance.

My gut tells me we're seeing one of these two teams. And again, I like our chances Vs both. With Detroit, the Twins always seem to play well. Can they carry on with an aging D line AND goalie? Perhaps but after likely winning the Presidents trophy I would not be at all surprised if they bowed out first. If they clear the first round, look out.

RB

[Nelson19777]

In order, I take:

Calgary
Colorado
Detroit
Dallas
Minnesota
Anaheim
San Jose

You guys pretty much summed up all the whys.

[AtLossForWords]

I think Detroit is the best matchup for us, because Morrison, Shannon, and Raymond won't be afraid to play a hard game against them.

Detroit is one of the only teams in the Western Conference that can't beat us up. It takes more than a goalie to win the in the playoffs, as we learned last year, so with Osgood as a Canuck killer, there's going to have to be other guys who will get the job done regularly for Detroit.

Detroit has an excellent blueline, but after getting much more beat up and bruised than our blueline, I would like our chances in the latter half of the series.

No one is easy, but Detroit is one team that can't beat us up on the forecheck, and that makes them a better team for us to press our luck against.