Back near the start of the 21st century, the Wild were the Canucks' biggest rival. That feud could be reborn this summer under a 24-team playoff format. (Via imacSportsnet)
The Canucks moved into the top eight in the Western Conference with a 5-4 shootout win against the New York Islanders on March 10, which turned out to be Vancouver’s last game. But despite generally playing well, the Canucks lost five of their six previous games when Markstrom was out with a knee injury and Boeser was missing due to fractured rib cartilage.
But all of the Canucks except middle-six wingers Josh Leivo and Micheal Ferland are healthy now, and Leivo, at least, should be ready to play in the summer. “I’m excited that our team is going to be healthy and we’re going to have a healthy group,” Benning said. “But having said that, all the other teams should be healthy too. We’re going to be in the mix with whatever they decide, so we’re just waiting for what the league agrees to do with the Players Association.
But under coach Dean Evason, who had just replaced the fired Bruce Boudreau, that victory launched an 8-3-0 Minnesota run that saw the Wild score 43 goals and climb back towards the playoffs. When the season halted, Minnesota was only one standings point behind 36-27-6 Vancouver, which was tied with Nashville for sixth on winning percentage but lost out on the first tie-breaker. The Canucks are followed by the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets .
You won’t get any of the Canucks to say it, but they’d choose to play the Wild over any of those teams. Of course, they’d be thrilled to play anyone.
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