Author Archives: Sean Chesman

What I’ve been spinnin’ – April 14, 2024

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This is my last article on this website. It’s been fun!

In case you don’t know: What I’ve been spinnin’ is my end-of-week series covering the best music I heard that week. It can be old material, newer material, entire albums, songs, doesn’t matter.

I changed up the formula last week, only talking about music released in 2024; but we’re taking this thing back to its roots today, covering music in a broader spectrum rather than a straightforward topic.

There’s too much of the goods to cover, so, let’s not waste any more time and begin the final instalment (at least on this site) of What I’ve been spinnin’. 

Casanova – Thornhill

Dude. I think this guy likes Thornhill.

Casanova was released to the world on October 28, 2021, and is still, to this day, one of Thornhill’s most controversial songs in the metal scene: It spearheaded an entirely new sound for the band, leaving many disappointed that it wasn’t reminiscent of their debut album The Dark Pool (which is a terrific album). Fortunately, I did not partake in the anti-Casanova discourse. I love this song and have since the moment it dropped.

Thornhill are an interesting case because they’ve always fallen under the more ambient style of metal and metalcore, but the heel turn from The Dark Pool to Casanova was so huge that I can fully understand why people didn’t dig the song at first. Instead of the proggy, atmospheric ambience, the band opted for hints of shoegaze and ’90s alternative rock on Casanova; creating an incredibly fun, metal/dance-pop/alt-rock track.

Jeez, that’s a lot of different genres.

Jacob Charlton (vocals) comes through with one of his strongest vocal performances, howling and wailing throughout the track’s duration, stretching those vocal chords to the absolute max. Heck, we get an Ethan McCann guitar solo in this one; a rarity in Thornhill’s catalogue, but he absolutely shreds here.

You’d think that maybe this song would be too much to handle, but it’s a seamless blend of all the genres I just mentioned; which is so, so impressive considering the varying sounds each genre provides. This track just makes me want to dance, in all honesty: An incredibly fun track from beginning to end.

Drunkship of Lanterns – The Mars Volta

Oh god, everyone get away, Sean’s coming in with a prog pick.

Look, my prog phase ended in, like, 11th grade, but The Mars Volta are different, okay? This band has put out some of the most chaotic and immersive music the world has ever heard; so, I beg that you don’t write them off for being classified as a prog band.

Drunkship of Lanterns is the 5th track on one of my personal favourite albums of all time, Deloused in the Comatorium, The Mars Volta’s debut record that was released just 30 days before I was born. Each track on the record is a masterclass in songwriting and progression, but the journey to which this track takes me on with every listen is so special, making it my personal favourite track in the band’s discography.

The song starts with guns blazing with some warped guitars and a quick snare drum pattern- holy smokes what is happening with the bass guitar? The rhythm section absolutely murders it on this track; the bass in the verses is just lightning quick, courtesy of Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The song goes through many phases and changes, with the song’s climax being the best part of the song. After a chaotic and ambient bridge section, the song bursts into a reprise of a previous section and gives it new life with howling vocals and an incredible guitar solo.

The song starts with a bang and ends with a bang, kind of The Mars Volta’s blueprint on this album. Give this one a listen if you want a more challenging listen.

Let’s fire through the final rapid fire section:

Cheerleader – Porter Robinson

I’ve highlighted this one in a previous instalment, but I don’t care; this song is going to be a song-of-the-year contender when 2024 is wrapping up. The j-pop sound pallet mixed with emo and pop-rock instrumentals is such an awesome fit that only Porter Robinson could pull off with this level of precision. What a song.

Orion – Metallica

One of the few songs which I didn’t highlight in my Master Of Puppets review gets its flowers on this series, instead. Simply put: This is the greatest instrumental rock song of all time and it came from the minds of Metallica in their absolute prime. We are genuinely so lucky to have this album at our disposal.

If Only You Were Lonely – The Replacements

An extra from The Replacements’ debut record: Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, is a lovely acoustic alt-country ballad featuring lyrics about lead singer Paul Westerberg’s unrequited interest in someone who is already taken. I’m sure we can all relate to this one.

Hysterical Us – Magdalena Bay

Magdalena Bay are one of the most exciting pop acts in music right now – apparently they have a new album on the way – and Hysterical Us is probably my favourite song they’ve put out. It’s just incredibly infectious and undeniably sweet; straight-up ear candy.

Understanding Decay – The Dillinger Escape Plan

This is probably my favourite gym song, at the moment. This track is on an album chalk-filled with chaos, yet it stands out as the most ridiculous song of the bunch. The instrumentation is masterful and the way the song ends is both grand and cathartic as hell.

And with that, the rapid fire section is over.

A LA CARTE – Quadeca, brakence

This song is going to live in my head forever.

Although I’m doubtful that this song will end up being my song of the year by the time 2024 is over, I still think it’s a lock for the top ten, and for good reason.

I’ve talked plenty about Quadeca in these articles, and I know that, but his SCRAPYARD mixtape just keeps hitting even two months after its release; and A LA CARTE is a standout on a nearly flawless album.

Quadeca’s vocals on this track have been proven to steer some people away from this track, especially at first listen, but I’m telling you that you just don’t see the vision. To me, the vocals actually complement the song’s fun, yet uncomfortable vibe perfectly; he sounds anxious throughout the track’s duration, which I believe is done on purpose because of the track’s lyrical contents.

Brakence absolutely kills his verse, beautifully singing about some anxiety he – or a character he may be playing – has regarding- how do parents describe this to their kids, again? “When two people love each other very much…”. In all seriousness, I have never heard a song cover this topic before, and I think it’s a brave and vulnerable thing to broadcast in a musical form.

Yeah, this song absolutely rules. It’s an automatic non-skip whenever it comes on, and will probably dominate my Spotify Wrapped by the years’ end since it’s three-minute runtime is so perfectly concise that I have had days where I just put this thing on repeat.

Check it out if you haven’t yet, and while you’re at it, spin the record, too.

Postgame: Canucks’ depth shines in massive 3-1 win over Edmonton

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Last night felt different around the NHL and its not hard to see why: It was the last Saturday night of the regular season. The playoff bubble teams in the East are all fighting to the nail to make the playoffs, while in the west, it’s settled; we know who the eight teams will be. But, that’s not to say there aren’t any stories to be told regarding the Western Conference playoff landscape: In fact, last night’s late game was one that I have had circled on my calendar since the start of the season.

Canucks vs Oilers is always a great matchup, but this year is different; both teams are contenders at the same time, which is something I hadn’t previously seen in my life, up to this point. I think it’s, honestly, really cool tha- okay, enough of this: The Canucks owned the Oilers like they did in October and November, asserting themselves as the real top dog in the Pacific Division.

Take a breath, Vancouver. It seems as though the Canucks are going to win the Pacific Division for the first time in franchise history. They had to beat the Oilers in order to clinch the division, without actually clinching the division; so, let’s talk about how the Canucks were able to fend off the best possession team in the NHL.

A two-game reset was perfect

Casey DeSmith hasn’t had it easy ever since that dreadful 10-7 game against the Minnesota Wild in mid February. After Thatcher Demko left a game early on March 9th – effectively putting him out of the lineup for over a month – DeSmith was tasked with the starter’s net and the results have been mixed.

None of that matters anymore, though: DeSmith was absolutely lights out against the Oilers on Saturday, stopping 32 shots and allowing just one goal – which came off a double deflection directly in front of the net.

The American netminder finished the night with a .970 SV% and a 2.94 GSAx; a great performance from a bottom-of-the-lineup piece, something the Canucks haven’t had a great deal of over the last several weeks.

Ian Clarke is the best goalie coach in the world, by the way.

The top guys weren’t the top guys

…And how dare they.

This game was a complete heel turn to the win vs Vegas on Monday night, where the Canucks’ best players carried them to a comeback win against a formidable foe. This time, it was the depth guys who came up huge.

Sam Lafferty scored his first goal since March 25th, and it was oddly similar to another one he scored against, well, Edmonton.

Lafferty had such a crazy good start during the Canucks’ PDO run of dreams to start the season, but has since cooled back down to his usual form: A speedy, physical, low-end third liner who doubles as an incredibly solid fourth line defensive piece. Even still, there’s a lot of value in a guy like Lafferty playing fourth line minutes and tonight was a great indicator as to why. He’s a sneakily snarly player that can occasionally chip in offensively.

You know who else hasn’t scored in a minute? Pius Suter. Despite some growing frustrated with Suter’s lack of production in the last month or two, Suter provides enough value as a middle six, two-way ace that can play with anyone on any line and provide similar production and underlying results.

After an incredibly poised play in transition from Tyler Myers, Suter redirects the puck past Stuart Skinner to give the Canucks a two-goal cushion in the second frame.

It was nice to see the depth carry the Canucks to a win; it was reminiscent of a win we would’ve typically seen in November or December during the PDO run of dreams. The Canucks are no longer PDO merchants, they’re a true contender, and they’ll need more nights like these from the bottom of their lineup if they want to get to June.

I also think it’s really impressive that Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek lost their matchup and the Canucks still won the game. It’s rare for the top pair to not win their matchup, let alone get caved; and the Canucks don’t typically win those games, making tonight another statement as to why they should be taken seriously as a true, top-end team in the NHL.

Lineup decisions were razor sharp

Although the top guys ghosted, I really liked what I saw throughout most of last night’s game, in general. When the lineup was announced, I took a look to see what the mindset must’ve been for Tocchet and his coaching staff to match Edmonton’s high flying, possession based style.

What I found was that these line combos all had good possession numbers prior to last night’s game, at least adjacently for some.

I know that the Canucks front office needs to acquire more firepower to play alongside of Elias Pettersson, but I have generally liked what I’ve seen with him and Nils Höglander on the same line. Adding Ilya Mikheyev on the right wing was another solid shout, as he’s proven to both produce and drive play when flanking Pettersson.

Suter – Miller – Boeser is, by the raw data, the Canucks’ best possession line. In 183 minutes played, that line has a 65.2 xGF%; and although it’s a small sample size, I genuinely think that Suter’s defensive acumen fits well with Miller, giving the power forward more free reign to be the line’s top offensive driver.

Then there was the third line of Joshua – Lindholm – Garland. Going into this game, I was curious to see if this would end up being the line to matchup against Leon Draisaitl: It was, and the third line somehow managed to limit Draisaitl’s line to just two high danger chances in the head-to-head matchup.

It doesn’t matter how you deploy them or who you put with them, Joshua and Garland drive play no matter what; but I’d like to give Elias Lindholm his flowers because I think he’s starting to come alive a little bit here. His performance against Arizona was noticeable for his reps on the penalty kill, where he was anticipatorily tenacious in his approach and was rewarded as such with praise from the fanbase and media. Last night vs Edmonton was just more of that same type of game, just with more offensive flashes and stronger underlying’s at even strength.

I hope the points start coming for Lindholm; it would be a cool story for him to bring back some contractual value for himself after flaming out to start his Canucks tenure.

So, it looks like the Pacific Division belongs to the Canucks, meaning they’re most-likely to face Nashville in round one. Vancouver matches up against them well and I would much rather them play the Predators over the Kings – and this is coming from a pure entertainment perspective, I don’t want to sit through a seven-game series of 1-3-1 hockey.

It’s been one heck of a season for the Canucks and there’s only two more games to be played: Calgary on Tuesday and Winnipeg on Thursday. This has been, in my mind, the most fun season of Canucks hockey I have ever watched. The Benning era is far away and greener pastures are ahead. It’s good to be a fan of this team again.

A concise look at “Master Of Puppets”: The greatest metal album of all time

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You ever think about those moments in history that you just wish you could’ve witnessed with your own two eyes? There’s a few for me: The Canucks’ 1994 Stanley Cup run, Live Aid, The Replacements being permanently banned from Saturday Night Live after drunkenly performing two songs; among other notable moments in history.

There’s one, however, that I think about often: What would it have been like to be alive on the day Master Of Puppets was released?

Metallica’s 1986 album, Master Of Puppets, is widely considered as one of the greatest metal albums of all time. The masses are wrong, though; it’s the greatest metal album of all time. I know that it’s actually impossible to crown any album as “the greatest”, but it’s my personal favourite album ever and one that I frequently come back to.

I have loved, listened to, and talked about this album at length since I was in elementary school, it’s just an incredibly immersive experience from start to finish and every single song is a 10/10; a flawless album in every way. So, I figured I’d write an ode to my favourite record of all time and talk about what makes each of my favourite songs so special. This’ll be a fun one.

Battery

Fun fact: This was the second Metallica song I had ever heard (Enter Sandman being the first). Battery is not only an incredibly fitting title, but a marquee example on how to start an album. The song feels so ahead of its time; a brutally fast and – equally – brutally heavy thrash metal classic.

Let’s make this quick, just like how the song would want.

The album’s opener begins with some beautiful duel acoustic guitar, only to quickly turn the electricity on with a more grand take at the opening riff. Once that’s over, James Hetfield will greet you with, simply put, one of the most incredible metal riffs ever written. It’s as if you were to take Steve Harris’s (Iron Maiden) galloping bass technique, speed it up, and applied said skill to every instrument. The verses and choruses are huge and do a great job at carrying the weight of the truculent beast that Battery is. Kirk Hammett’s blistering solo after the bridge is also one of his best.

I don’t know, Battery is just a perfect way to open an album that’s as immersive and grand as Master Of Puppets. It’s explosive.

Master Of Puppets

It’s the song from Stranger Things!

In reality, the title track is an effective commentary on drug addiction which doubles as an absolute giant in music history.

Master of Puppets picks up right where Battery left off with a pulsating, quick, and heavy thrash track with an anthemic chorus – a chorus that is absolutely electric when played live thanks to the call and response of “MASTER! MASTER!” – making for a song that is instantly recognizable and iconic as hell.

But, it’s the song’s bridge that keeps me coming back. The band slows it down with some melodic guitar harmonics from Hetfield and Hammett and then builds up to a giant call and response section to lead into Kirk Hammett’s second solo of the record… you know the one I’m talking about.

All jokes aside, this scene is cool as hell.

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

I know ‘Fade To Black’ (Ride The Lightning) and ‘One’ (…And Justice For All) receive their flowers from music fans, and it’s warranted, but I feel as though Welcome Home (Sanitarium) doesn’t get enough credit for being an absolute masterpiece; only receiving a single tulip as opposed to the other two getting full bouquets of flowers.

Luckily for Welcome Home, Tulips are better, anyway.

The sinister, unsettling vibe throughout the first leg of the track adds a new vibe to the overall experience and bodes well with lyrics; which tells the story of a man trapped in a mental asylum, yearning to break free. The track’s second leg picks up the pace with some quick down-picking and creative chord progressions. Then, of course, Kirk Hammett shreds two quick solos and the band closes it out with a grand, epic finish.

Lars Ulrich tends to get a lot of flack for his technical ability as a drummer, but I think he kicks ass on the album as a whole and especially on this song. He drives the engine on this song and is the biggest reason as to why the ending had such a huge impact.

This song rules. Full stop. An absolute masterclass in compositional progression.

Disposable Heroes

If I were asked to pick the perfect metal song, it would be Disposable Heroes. 

This song is the reason why I love this album so much; it was so good on first listen that I made my dad play the whole album on our next ride to one of my hockey games. It’s not like it was hard for him to sit through it, though, he’s the one who showed me this album’s deep cuts.

Disposable Heroes is a commentary on war and the cruel reality that comes with serving in the army; feeding the war machine. The reason why this song is another masterclass in sogwriting is because the lyrics are paired with instrumentals that are so blistering; so ferocious; and so heavy, that it literally makes you feel like you’re in a warzone.

It seriously can’t be said enough: This album’s greatest strength is how consistently immersive it is from front to back.

The track’s ever-changing structure is beautifully chaotic and is never too much to handle; with the best part of the song beingwhen they build up – after another incredible Hammett solo – and unleash the blistering riff from the pre-chorus.

Keeping the same level of relentlessness throughout a track with an eight-and-a-half-minute runtime is so impressive on so many levels, but this is the Cliff Burton era we’re talking about here. Metallica are a one-of-a-kind band and I think this song is their magnum opus. A phenomenal song.

Leper Messiah

This is, in my mind, the album’s most underrated track.

Lyrically, the song serves as a metaphorical commentary on televangelists and organized religion – with a focus on Christianity. It’s an interesting, but effective approach.

Leper Messiah is a bit of a slower one in comparison with the rest of the album, although it’s not a ballad a la Sanitarium. This song actually feels reminiscent of something Pantera could have put out in the ’90s, making it kind of ahead of its time, in a way; it’s a pre-curser to groove metal. With that said, the song eventually picks up in the second leg and features a chilling, repeated refrain of “LIE!” in its winding moments. Song progression is yet another strength for this album and Leper Messiah is another shining example of that. It’s pounding, occasionally thrashy, and just another flawless track on a flawless album.

Master Of Puppets will stand the test of time; it really is a ‘once in a genre’ type record and a one-of-a-kind experience. The record takes you to several, distinct sonic worlds that are all equally immersive and memorable. Eight tracks, all killer, no filler; this album will forever be my absolute favourite and should be a must listen for any music fan.

Team Breakdown: The Colorado Avalanche are the biggest threat to the Western Conference

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I was so, so close to having the Edmonton Oilers as my number one ranked team in the West, but alas, the Colorado Avalanche are more than worthy of stealing their spot.

Thanks in large to a razor sharp NHL Trade Deadline for Avs General Manager Chris MacFarland, the Avalanche made all the right moves to bolster what was already a formidable foe, but is now a world beating juggernaut that I don’t want anything to do with come May (when the Canucks could end up meeting them).

The Avalanche scare the hell out of me. They’re essentially the Vegas Golden Knights on steroids: Speed off the rush, size at both ends of the ice, and are a good possession team (something the Knights are not). Much like most of their elite Western Conference counterparts, Colorado’s flaws are few and far between; but I think their upside exceeds the likes of the Canucks and Stars, for example.

It was basically a coin flip as to who I thought was the number one team in the conference, but the Avs profile as a team that is destined for another deep run, and that’s why they’re ranked number one on the list. Let’s not waste anymore time as to why I think the Avalanche are, maybe, the best team in the entire NHL.

The altitude advantage

Yeah. I’m not joking, I think this is an underrated aspect of the Avs’ dominance on home soil. Playing at such a high altitude, and ultimately getting used to it, could end up being an underrated x-factor for this squad.

I’m not actually going to dedicate a full section on this, but I thought it was worthy to note, at the very least.

They are LOADED at defence

Why does this team still choose to employ AND deploy Jack Johnson as an NHL defender?

Besides him, the Avalanche have one of the scariest defensive cores league wide; and that’s even with the down years from Cale Makar and Devon Toews. The (typically) best defensive pair in hockey has had quite the dip in form at 5v5 this season compared to most years, but the high-end ability is still there and the point production is undeniable. Makar has set a new career high in points (20-67-87) while having his worst season – based solely off the underlying numbers. Toews, on the other hand, has had a pretty similar year to Makar: Poor underlying form at 5v5 but is just one point shy of what he had last season (50 points in 2022-23).

So, Chris MacFarland went out and got an analytical darling in Sean Walker; a defenceman that can drive play at a high level when deployed correctly and an excellent puck mover and transitional defender. Paired with him is Jack Johnson, who… hasn’t been good for multiple years, now.

Then there’s the case of Sam Girard. The 5’9″ defender has had a bit of a rocky career in Colorado thus far, but is having an absolutely monster season playing alongside of Josh Manson, who’s no slouch in his own right – although the underlying’s aren’t quite as bullish on him.

Even with their top pair playing at an unusually low level at even strength, they are the leading duo on a stacked Avalanche defence core that, again, might be the best in the league… on paper.

The Avs’ defensive numbers this year, as a whole, have been mediocre at best; ranking 18th in xGA (expected goals against) per JFreshHockey’s model, and 19th on moneypuck’s rankings. Assuming that Toews and Makar’s form is just a strange anomaly, I think Colorado is going to be fine, especially with who they have at forward…

Their offence is loaded

Lines per Daily Faceoff: 

Drouin – Mackinnon – Lehkonen

Nichushkin – Mittelstadt – Rantanen

Duhaime – Colton – Parise

Cogliano – Trenin – Kiviranta

Injured: Landeskog, O’Connor, Wood

Who is stopping this lineup once the three injured forwards come back into the fold? And yes, apparently Gabriel Landeskog might play in the playoffs. Scary, scary stuff.

Obviously, Nathan Mackinnon is the headliner here. He’s having the best season of his career and is an automatic lock to be a finalist for the Hart Trophy (51-86-137 in 80 games). But, like any top forward, he needs support; so, it sure is a good thing that he’s got it in spades!

Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin are two imposing, workhorse power wingers. Rantanen has notched a 100+ point campaign in consecutive seasons and has been one of the league’s elite for quite some time. Nichushkin, however, took a little longer to break in as a top line contributor. After many mediocre seasons with Dallas and a 56-game, 0-point campaign in 2019-19, Nichushkin was traded to Colorado where he became a favourite among the analytics community. His strong two-way game and scoring rate as a bottom six forward left a lot of people wondering if he was just a late bloomer. Then the 2022 playoffs came along: This is where Valeri Nichushkin officially arrived. With 9 goals and 15 points through 20 games – including a monster performance in the Stanley Cup Final – Colorado saw the value Nichushkin brought and gave him an eight-year deal following the cup win.

Those are the top guys, but you can’t win without good depth. The Jonathan Drouin reclamation project is going fantastic and the winger has finally found his form again next to his former Halifax Moosehead’s linemate, Nathan Mackinnon. Adding Ross Colton and Miles Wood in free agency proved to be a boon from the get-go, as their line with Logan O’Connor has been one of the best bottom six lines in the sport. Then you add in the likes of a strong two-way player in Artturi Lehkonen; an incredible, long-term fit at center like Casey Mittelstadt; and a hulking middle six power forward in Yakov Trenin. This team is so masterfully constructed.

The Georgiev situation is overblown

Alexander Georgiev is a good goalie that is being overplayed. Is that a controversial statement?

Much like the Oilers, Colorado’s main weakness – at least in the eyes of the public – tends to be their goaltending situation, which I think is a little overblown, in all honesty. The Russian netminder has played 61 games this season, which ranks second only to Juuse Saros (62). You wouldn’t imagine it, but Georgiev actually has a higher GSAx than Saros this season: Saros has a -1.9 GSAx, while Georgiev has a 7.9. Now, what this actually says is that Saros is having an uncharacteristically bad season – not too akin from Makar and Toews – and that Georgiev, although in a situation where he’s being played far too often, is holding up quite well.

I really don’t think the Avs’ goaltending situation is dire, at all. The one thing that gives me pause is that if Georgiev gets hurt, should they really trust in Justus Annunen to bail them out? We’ve seen young goalies do it in the past, but they’d basically be running on fumes at that point.

All of this is to say that, even with all of their flaws, the Colorado Avalanche are a damn near surefire bet to make a long playoff run; at least in most years, it’s anyone’s guess as to who’s going far in the west this year. It’s a coin flip, but with everything mentioned, the Avs seem like the most complete team in the conference; making them my pick as the Western Conference’s biggest threat.

Team Breakdown: The Edmonton Oilers are elite and I hate it

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This is not where I hoped they’d be by season’s end.

Instead of repeatedly laughing at the Edmonton Oilers for a disastrous season, they are breathing down the neck of the Vancouver Canucks for the Pacific Division title. I hate this.

All jokes aside, the Oilers are a terrifying team. If you were to solely look at their underlying numbers, you’d probably assume that they’re the best team in the entire NHL, which I don’t even think is that much of a stretch; they’re a serious threat with a lot of encouraging pieces. They may only be ranked 2nd on the list, but again, the top four teams are essentially a coin flip for me: These guys are for real.

Here’s why I think the Edmonton Oilers are a even more dangerous than years prior:

The emergence of Evan Bouchard + Mattias Ekholm’s dominance

I really don’t understand the Evan Bouchard hate.

The 2018 tenth overall pick has blossomed into one of the league’s premier defencemen, but the signs were evident going back to last year. To be clear, I was well aware of his pedigree and profile well before and had been high on him since his draft year, but I’m a little surprised to see the production pop at the rate it’s been at this season.

On the surface, Bouchard’s counting stats didn’t jump off the page last year (8-32-40),  but it was after the Oilers traded Tyson Barrie in a deal to acquire Mattias Ekholm where Bouchard gained an opportunity to produce at a higher clip. The Canadian blueliner was promoted to both the top pair (with Ekholm) and the top powerplay unit, leading to a spike in production an underlying form (which was already great).

It’s been all roses for Bouchard this season. Him and Ekholm have combined to become what is – probably – the best defensive pair in the entire NHL, this season, and that can be backed up by both the counting stats and the underlying numbers. For all defensive pairs that have played 450 minutes or more, Ekholm and Bouchard have played over 1100 minutes and have a 63.6 xGF%, a 63.5% goals share, and 123 points in 152 combined games. Just crazy stuff.

While he hasn’t garnered the respect on a National level, Bouchard’s play has been good enough to be nominated for the Norris Trophy; even ahead of someone like Cale Makar, who despite having 8 more points has had a dip in form at 5v5. Bouchard won’t beat out Quinn Hughes for the trophy, but he should be the runner-up when it’s all said and done.

As for the rest of Edmonton’s defence…

I’m not going to lie to you, the underlying’s aren’t quite as harsh on Edmonton’s defence, but I sure am! I think a lot of context is needed when evaluating the strength of the Oilers’ defence, too: I think their top pair carries a lot of weight in determining the core’s overall value, that’s how good Ekholm and Bouchard have been this season.

Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci are deployed as the Oilers’ second pair and, by the numbers, the two have been doing great! The pair has a 54.3 xGF% in ~945 minutes played together; not bad for two players who are repeatedly picked apart by opposing fanbases. Kulak – Desharnais has a 54.7 xGF%, meaning all three of Edmonton’s defensive pairs have made positive impacts in regards to possession.

Also, a funny stat I saw: Edmonton’s bottom two defensive pairs have a better xGF% than Hughes – Hronek. Does Hronek really weigh Hughes down that much?

But here’s the thing about Edmonton’s defence that occasionally messes with them: Themselves. Basically, the team’s bottom four defencemen are all incredibly gaffe prone – meaning they are all known to, occasionally, make stupid decisions with the puck, especially Nurse and Ceci.

Against an opportunistic foe like the Canucks, for example, the Oilers could see themselves in trouble if puck mismanagement becomes an issue, but I don’t think it should rear its ugly head enough to cost them a spot in the Western Conference Final (at least it won’t be the biggest reason as to why).

The obvious

Connor McDavid is, in my opinion, the greatest hockey player to ever grace the Earth. Oh, and he just so happens to have Leon Draisaitl with him, as well. That doesn’t seem entirely fair now, does it?

Not too dissimilar from the dominance of which Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin displayed in the late 2000s and throughout the 2010s, McDavid and Draisaitl are an undeniable, galaxy destroying duo that can singlehandedly win games whenever they feel like it; those two alone makes Edmonton a consistent threat to go far every year. But, you know the old saying: “Hockey is a team sport”. You can’t win with only two guys playing at a high level, you need support.

I hate to break this to the rest of the league, but the Oilers have some really intriguing pieces throughout their forward core.

Obviously, Zach Hyman is putting together one of the most unlikely 50-goal campaigns we’ve seen in recent memory; although it probably shouldn’t be all that surprising. Hyman has consistently proven to be one of the smartest complimentary players in the entire NHL, spanning across several seasons. Whether he’s playing with McDavid, Draisaitl, Auston Matthews or William Nylander, Hyman has always gotten results playing with top players and, typically, helps improve said top players’ possession numbers, as he’s consistently been an analytical darling since his time in Toronto.

Hyman, 32, has amassed 53 goals, 22 assists and 75 points in 76 games, probably the best season of his career (36-47-83 last season).

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has regressed after a 104-point campaign in 2022-23, but is still producing at a top line rate this season (18-48-66 in 76). Adam Henrique was a cheap, yet smart addition for the Oilers at the NHL Trade Deadline; his two-way acumen should prove to be key in a long playoff run. Although he has only appeared in the playoffs twice (New Jersey in 2012 and Anaheim in 2018), Henrique has proven to come up big when the lights get bright, scoring some huge overtime goals for the Devils en route to their Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2012. The likes of Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway are potential X-Factors, too.

I like the makeup of Edmonton’s forward core and I think it’s pretty underrated. Put some respect on them, dammit!

A brief synopsis of their biggest weakness…

Stuart Skinner is a great tandem goalie that is being tasked with the starter’s job in Edmonton, making him the team’s biggest weakness. Skinner’s inconsistency in the blue paint can occasionally prove to be the Achilles tendon of the Oilers: If your team is able to solve him, it’s likely good games and firm handshakes all around. Also, would you trust Calvin Pickard to be the backup for an elite team? I sure as hell wouldn’t.

A lot weighs on Edmonton’s goaltending for them to go on a deep playoff run. If Skinner gets hurt or has a few stinkers, it could be game over for the Oilers.

However, the Oilers are still one of the league’s top threats and could be a surefire bet for a long playoff run. The possession numbers are outstanding, the high-end talent is evident, but their goaltending and occasional defensive mistakes could tarnish their hopes of lifting Lord Stanley, this year.

The best players in the world typically figure it out at some point: So, if you’re going to bet on any Western Conference team, the Oilers would be a great option, but maybe not the definitive number one according to me…

Postgame: Conor Garland’s 400th career game was one of magic

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Do the Vegas Golden Knights scar you?

In my series covering the seven best teams in the Western Conference, I ranked the Vegas Golden Knights 5th out of 7; saying that they’re the most perplexing team of the bunch. Last night’s game was a prime example of what I’m talking about: They have the finishing talent to pick apart opposing goalie’s, but aren’t strong enough in any one area of the game.

Vancouver, on the other hand, also heavily relies on finishing talent but are so good defensively that they’re still able to out-chance their opposition with relative ease on most nights, which was the formula that won them last night’s match 4-2, along with strong performances from the squad’s top guns. It was also a night chalk-full of milestones and highlights, making for one of the better games of the season, in all honesty.

This was a fun one and I can’t wait to get into it.

Jack Eichel is terrifying

There are very few players in the NHL that actually scare me. It’s a short list, but Jack Eichel is a lock; his illusiveness and fluidity combined with a canon of a wrist shot, defensive acumen, and elite playmaking are enough to do it for me. He kind of has that x-factor ability to singlehandedly take over a game whenever he feels like it, which is exactly what he did at the start of the first period.

Eichel scored two quick goals to get the ball rolling for the Golden Knights; the second one in particular was an absolute gem courtesy of Jonathan Marchessault, who made Tyler Myers and Carson Soucy cross signals and sent a dime of a pass onto the stick of Eichel.

But, luckily, the Canucks still won this game 4-3, so take that, Jack! You don’t scare me anymore.

Just give him the Norris, already + the powerplay comes alive

Quinn Hughes is the only option for this year’s Norris Trophy. I don’t want to hear another very well educated and informed writer talk about Cale Makar’s points-per-game anymore, Hughes has popped in terms of both the underlying numbers and the points themselves, and his impact on the Canucks has been far greater than Makar’s on the Avs, this season.

Hughes was, yet again, the Canucks’ best player last night (solely based off the numbers) and I give him full credit for getting the team’s powerplay back on track; assisting on the goal to get the Canucks on the board and scoring one, himself.

The Orlando-born defenceman now has 88 points through 78 games (17-71-88) and became just the third defenceman in league history to record 200 assists in a three-year span.

Would you like to guess who the other two were?

To understand the caliber of player the Canucks have here, he’s doing stuff that hasn’t been seen in 30-40 years. We are currently watching one of the greatest defenceman the game will probably ever see when it’s all said and done in his prime: He’s torching everything and everyone around him and is consistently the best player on the ice in any given game.

It shouldn’t even be a discussion as to who the best defenceman in hockey is this year; it’s Quinn Hughes and it’s not particularly close.

He did it…

It’s always nice to see a player finally reach his ceiling.

Brock Boeser – after two years of family tragedy, trade rumours, and a clear struggle to focus on hockey – has eclipsed the 40-goal plateau for the first time of his career.

This goal was peak Brock Boeser, creating time and space for himself and firing a wicked wrist shot from distance. Also, shoutout to Elias Pettersson, who was in Logan Thompson’s grill all night and factoring (sometimes indirectly) on the first three Canucks goals.

There is not one player who deserves a career year on this team more than Boeser: Everyone goes through rough stretches in life but this man has faced tragedy after tragedy for several years, now. So, seeing him absolutely come to life and being a key contributor of the Canucks’ best season since 2011 is the best case scenario for everyone involved.

Duke was watching last night’s game with a smile on his face, I’ll say that much. Brock Boeser should be incredibly proud of the season he’s put together; one of the best stories of the NHL season.

J.T. Miller is a 100-point scorer

What a difference a year makes. In yet another incredible turn of events, J.T. Miller has gone from being singled out as a tumor to the Canucks locker room to being the team’s emotional leader and leading scorer.

I won’t lie, I wanted the Canucks to trade him before his 7-year deal kicked in on July 1 of last year, but I can admit when I’m wrong: J.T. Miller is, undeniably, one of the best players in franchise history. His three assists performance in last night’s outing was enough to get him to the 100-point mark for the first time. Even disregarding the points, Miller has shown solid play-driving chops when played alongside of other quality play-drivers, and that was the case last night with his line winning the matchup against Jack Eichel.

Let’s collectively agree that this team wouldn’t be anywhere near where they are now without Miller this season. And now on to more obvious observations…

Conor Garland’s 400th career game

I don’t know if you heard, but last night was Conor Garland’s 400th career game.

The guys in that locker room love each other, don’t they?

With Miller and Joshua rocking those brilliant custom made shirts (courtesy of Miller), Garland fed off the good mojo and put together one of his best games of the campaign: Not only scoring the goal to get the Canucks on the board, but the game winner to boot.

And there were people who wanted this guy TRADED in the summer. Am I ever glad that I didn’t participate in such foolish discussions. It doesn’t matter who he’s put alongside of, Garland is going to drive that line and occasionally find the scoresheet. With 42 points (18-24-42), Garland has put together one of his best seasons whilst producing at a lower clip than in years prior. He’s blossomed into one of the smartest two-way, middle six wingers I’ve ever seen: The way he uses his 5’8″ height to his advantage by patiently tracking defenders and then pouncing the moment they get possession is always fascinating to watch.

Having someone like Garland that can play on all four lines and give you close to the same amount of value no matter what is such an advantage for the Canucks; he’s essentially a scoring winger version of Pius Suter, both are smart defensive players, but Garland has more of a knack for scoring goals in tight and driving play.

I think Garland should remain a Canuck for the rest of his career if he wants to stay, and I think the fanbase is open to that idea, too.

Canucks fans love a guy that will give it their all no matter the circumstance, and that’s Conor Garland’s M.O. You just can’t not love how this guy plays.

Arturs Silovs remains undefeated and the Canucks took this one home 4-3; a resilient effort after allowing two goals in just over eight minutes of play.

The team has shown well whenever they’ve spread the talent out, but the team’s top guys made up the top six in last night’s game, and it was those six players (plus Quinn Hughes) that won them the game. It leaves me with more questions about how they should go about deploying the roster on April 20, but only time will tell.

What I’ve been spinnin’ – April 7, 2024

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2024 needs to relax.

In times of unrest, we tend to get a lot of great music, don’t we? I don’t need to explain why that is; all you need to know is that, yes, 2024 is off to a roaring start for good music. I’ve found so much value in a lot of what’s been released this year and that’s why this installment of What I’ve been spinnin’ will solely focus on songs released in 2024.

I don’t want to waste any time. Let’s get into it.

Caesar on a TV Screen – The Last Dinner Party

The Last Dinner Party are so, incredibly fun. The baroque-indie-rock fusion quintet are caught the eye of many with their full length debut –‘Prelude to Ecstacy – and for good reason.

Caesar on a TV Screen was the fifth and final single for the album, and it might be the best of the bunch. The band’s theatrical approach to rock shines bright on this one, and lead singer Abigail Morris’s performance builds on said theatrics, creating one of my favourite vocal performances of the year thus far. Her consistently passionate delivery steals the show, which is saying something because of just how good the band sounds.

The instrumental layering and production is so flawless that it’s honestly stunning that this is a part of a band’s debut album; it sounds like they’ve been doing this for years.

I would keep my eyes and ears peeled for The Last Dinner Party, if I were you. I think they have a chance to be something real special in rather short order.

Oh, and their music videos are really, REALLY cool, too.

Don’t Reach For Me + Blinding Faith – Knocked Loose

The current best band in metal continues to make some of the most relentless and brutal music in the genre.

The Kentucky based hardcore/metal act ‘Knocked Loose’ are among favourite band and their 2021 EP ‘A Tear in the Fabric of Life’ remains as my favourite EP of all time. I was wondering if this would be the year we’d get a new full length release from the band, as it’s been nearly five years since their last LP – ‘A Different Shade of Blue’ – was released.

With the announcement of their forthcoming record – ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’ – the band released ‘Blinding Faith’, a song which focuses on lead vocalist Bryan Garris’s struggles with religion.

“I’ve seen a lot of comments surprised and confused by the lyrical content in this song. The idea of being confused by religion or questioning a higher power is something I’ve struggled with and written about since the first song we ever released for Pop Culture. I hope you enjoy, and if you struggle with the same questions I hope you feel comfort in not being alone.” – Bryan Garris (via Instagram)

It’s just more visceral, loud, and brutally heavy metal that Knocked Loose has mastered, but with more maxed out production and distorted ambience, which I think is a welcome change. This song shows the band going back to their hardcore roots as the pacing is continuously quick and intense, but the sounds and instrumentals pull from influences of death metal and metalcore.

Then there’s ‘Don’t Reach For Me’, another song which focuses on Bryan’s qualms with Christianity and religion. It’s not as fast-paced as Blinding Faith, but it doesn’t need to be; the sheer brutality and pissed-off feel of the track is palpable and makes this one arguably more memorable than the previous. The band’s performances are always what makes these songs as good as they are, but the production choices on both tracks are so stellar and I think they especially sign on Don’t Reach For Me. I would also like to note that this song’s chorus is a bit more in the A Different Shade of Blue mold, but it’s sinister feel and emotional intensity are fantastic.

These guys will not stop putting out quality, they simply refuse to.

RAPID FIRE TIME!

A LA CARTE – Quadeca, Brakence

This song is going to live in my head forever.

Like That – Future, Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar

This song bangs but, like, Kendrick’s verse on this thing is ruthless. It’s one of his best features ever and he kind of carries a lot of the weight on this one.

That was as rapid fire as rapid fire can get, but it’s because there’s a song that I’m honestly dying to talk about.

symptom of life – WILLOW

I am absolutely floored.

WILLOW is an artist that I have never typically enjoyed, in all honesty. Her pop-punk material of the last few years never really spoke to me; I’m not sure if that sound really fits for her vocal capabilities, especially for a song like ‘t r a n s p e r a n t s o u l’ where her sustained high notes were a little rough: But again, I think it’s more of a ‘fit’ issue than a talent issue.

She proved me right with symptom of life. 

I listened to this track yesterday for the very first time and I can say this with absolute certainty: This, so far, is the biggest stunner of the year for me, even more so than Quadeca’s ‘SCRAPYARD’ mixtape, which absolutely blew me away and will stay in my rotation for a while now. WILLOW’s ‘symptom of life’ is now an early ‘song of the year’ candidate and an incredibly blissful tune.

Ditching the pop-punk, Willow takes more inspiration from genres like jazz, funk, soul, and also adds in some soulful, yet popstar-esque vocals that are nothing short of stunning. The song structure is simple but the depth of instrumentals here is impossible to deny – I’m really struggling to properly give this song its flowers because it doesn’t need them: The song itself does all the talking.

The opening, warm piano progression that persists throughout the song is gorgeous and it bodes well with the rest of the instrumentals. The chorus on this track is wordy, groovy, and fun as hell; and the bass tone and playing in this section is to die for. And the drumming. Oh my god, the drumming. I would like to apologize to ‘PRETTY PRIVELAGE’ by Quadeca: There’s a new challenger for best drum performance of the year. If this is the song that’ll make me set up my drumkit then fair enough.

This song is also immersive, it creates its own sonic world with a consistent vibe and it’s just pure bliss; it’s perfectly timed with the arrival of Spring. I don’t know if this track could, I don’t know, cure a hangover or replace therapy; but it sure as hell invokes a lot of positive emotion out of me, and a song that can do that holds a lot of power.

WILLOW absolutely nailed it with ‘symptom of life’. I know that this’ll be a song that I keep with me once 2024 passes: It’s an incredibly introspective and immersive song with incredible performances and crystal clear production. The jazzy, soulful piano and vocals mixes lush textures with grooving drums and bass and is, simply put, a match made in heaven. An incredible track; one I am confident in saying is a 10/10.

Now that we have the Rate Your Music type paragraph out of the way, this song rules. Full stop. Just listen to it, dammit!

Team Breakdown: The Dallas Stars are terrifying

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So, the Canucks keep losing games; essentially all but handing 1st in the west to a Central Division foe that, in my opinion, is the Western Conference’s sneakiest elite team. “Sneaky” may not be the best term because, well, this team is first in the conference, but I think many tend to write them off in comparison to other contenders around the league.

The team in question is the Dallas Stars: One of the league’s most terrifying squads for a multitude of reasons. For me, the Stars are basically a perfect team: They have the forward depth that other teams probably envy, while simultaneously deploying some of the league’s top players. Oh, and they have some of the best young talent in the NHL, with more on the way.

I have a feeling this won’t be the last time the Stars have an elite team, nor do I even think this’ll be their best shot to win a cup…

Do you know how terrifying that is for the rest of the Western Conference?

Regardless, this series only covers the best teams this season, and the Stars are ranked third on my list of ‘The Top 7 Teams in the Western Conference‘. Here’s why:

Depth in spades

The Dallas Stars’ depth chart at forward is stupid. In case you weren’t aware, this is their top nine forward group:

Robertson – Hintz – Pavelski

Marchment – Duchene – Seguin

Benn – Johnston – Stankoven

Just get out of here. That isn’t fair.

You may look at this group and think that there isn’t enough star power, and to that I say: Put some respect on Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. While it hasn’t been the greatest season for both parties, this team is still first in the West with their two best forwards not producing at their typical clips. Do I really need to rehash just how scary this team is? There’s another gear that they could hit.

The veteran influence on this team is huge, with the team’s former superstars Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin still playing at a high level in their early to mid thirties. Seguin has been stapled to Matt Duchene for the majority of this season and the two of them have found great chemistry; and Duchene providing top six+ production with a $3 million cap hit is another masterclass in asset management from general manager Jim Nill.

The ageless wonder Joe Pavelski continues to play top line minutes at 39 years old, and while his underlying form has dipped considerably, he’s still a valuable asset to a team that flexes young talent up and down the roster; spearheaded by Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven.

Johnston was a prime candidate for a sophomore slump after a stellar rookie season that saw the then 19 year-old put up 24 goals and 41 points in a full 82-game campaign. Well, it’s been 77 games and there’s no sophomore slump in sight. Johnston has exploded with 30 goals and 61 points through 77 games this season; keep in mind that this guy is turning 21 in March. The Stars have yet another potential star caliber player on their hands… or two.

Logan Stankoven – the pride of Kamloops – is someone that you need to keep tabs on for the remainder of this season and next. The 21 year-old forward has already amassed 13 points in 19 games (6 Goals, 7 assists) on the Stars’ third line with Benn and Johnston and is, in my opinion, the early favourite to win next season’s Calder Trophy. He’s dominated at every single level and it shouldn’t be any different in the NHL. Dallas has a gem.

A defence filled with analytical darlings

We all know about Miro Heiskanen. The former 3rd overall pick from 2017 has continuously proven to be one of the league’s premier defenceman each year, with this season being maybe the best of his entire career, so far. With 51 points (8-43-51) in 66 games and elite defensive results, Heiskanen is always poking into the Norris Trophy conversation but probably – and unfortunately – won’t get a nod this year due to the ludicrous seasons that guys like Quinn Hughes, Evan Bouchard and Roman Josi are currently having.

Heiskanen typically plays both the left and right side of the ice, leaving Dallas with a ton of options as to who they want to put along side him. Enter: Thomas Harley. The 2019 first round draftee has taken a massive step this season; finding himself on the Stars’ top pair after a roaring first half of the season. The Harley – Heiskanen pairing ranks 2nd in xGF% (59.3%) for defence pairs that have played over 500 minutes per moneypuck.com.

This is exactly what I’m talking about: The Stars have the weaponry to continuously find another gear whenever they need it. It’s enviable.

Chris Tanev was an excellent get ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline (I wish he was a Canuck) and his play has been excellent since his arrival. Paired up with him is Esa Lindell, who has been an underatedly incredible shutdown defenceman for quite some time now  The pair’s underlying form has shown to be amongst the best in the league, rocking a 64.6 xGF% in 173 minutes played.

Dallas has a team filled with possession monsters, especially on defence, and that’s just another key factor as to why they’re such a threat.

A quick nod to Jake Oettinger

Jake Oettinger has been going through it this season. Well, he was going through it, but it doesn’t look like that’s the case anymore.

Goaltending is incredibly fickle in the NHL: One moment Filip Gustavsson is 2nd in save percentage across the entire league and in the next he’s a below .900 SV% goalie. Goalies that are consistently elite are a rarity, even the likes of Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin are having down years in comparison to their previous form.

Oettinger has had one of those seasons. He had a negative GSAx (goals saved above expected) for the majority of the season, but has culminated enough to bring it to a 0.9 GSAx at the time I’m writing this.

They just can’t have Scott Wedgewood start too many games in the playoffs. He hasn’t been at his typically solid form this season with a -9.4 GSAx and an .899% save percentage. Not horrendous by any stretch, but certainly not what you’d like to see from your backup goalie.

So, yeah, the Dallas Stars are an absolute force. They have a team filled with talent and a fair share of elite possession players. If they’re able to get elite goaltending in the playoffs, they might just do the thing they haven’t done since 1999; hopefully without another goal that simultaneously should have and shouldn’t have counted (what a horrible rule).

There is a lot that has to go right for any team to win, but the amount of young talent and potential x-factors Dallas has at their disposable is simply unfair and a testament to just how incredible their management team is. Jim Nill’s shelf life in the NHL won’t be ending any time soon if he continues to hit dingers at every draft.

They’re elite now and are on track to stay elite for a number of years; and they’re the third scariest team in the west this season. The Dallas Stars are going to be good forever and we all just have to deal with it.

Team Breakdown: While not perfect, the Canucks are a true contender

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Don’t I talk about this team enough? Jeez.

I have watched the Vancouver Canucks more than any other team in the league since, you know, I was indoctrinated into Canucks fandom at a very young age. I started watching right around this team’s glory days: The Sedins in their prime; Ryan Kesler being a two-way monster; Bobby freakin’ Lou! And, of course, the 2011 run that ended in complete ruin at the hands of Vancouverites…

But 2011 has been rehashed more than enough over the past several years: This city has been starved off a high quality Canucks team for over a decade-plus.

That’s exactly why – in my opinion – this is the single-most fun season of Canucks hockey in my lifetime. The buzz in the city is palpable and it really does feel like Vancouver is at the epicenter of the hockey world again, which is great news for Canucks fans and horrible news for the rest of the league.

If you’re a younger fan who thinks Canucks fans are the worst, you haven’t seen anything yet. Just wait a few more weeks and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

We know why this season has been such a blast: The Canucks are a Stanley Cup contender this year. Now, it is the most Canucks thing ever that the year when they finally break free is the year where there are, like, 10-12 legitimate contenders in the NHL (more than usual) but I think it’s more fun that way; the stakes are always high.

The Canucks come in at #4 in my Top 7 Western Conference Teams ranking, but the gap between 4 and 1 are smaller than 4 and 5, in my opinion: Whoever makes it out alive between the top four is practically a coin flip. So, here’s why they rank high on the list:

Reshaping the depth

Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford deserve gold plated statues if the Canucks are able to do the thing this year.

Almost every single one of their moves has turned out to be a boon. Carson Soucy’s three-year deal was a sharp bet at the time but has proven to be even better as the season’s progressed. His defensive metrics have been incredible all year and it’s no coincidence that the team’s few rough stretches line up with his injuries. Soucy was the biggest hit from free agency, but the likes of Teddy Blueger, Pius Suter and Ian Cole have all provided surplus value given their cap hits. Trading for Sam Lafferty prior to the regular season has also proven to be a solid investment: A perfect plug n’ play bottom sixer with blazing speed and defensive chops.

But it hasn’t only been guys brought in from this past offseason that have been key contributors. Dakota Joshua has blossomed into a bonified middle six forward who also provides a ton of value on the penalty kill. Oh, and he’s got that AURA, much like Nikita Zadorov, who’s pretty much come as advertised since his arrival.

Internally, Noah Juulsen and Nils Aman have been key extras when called upon. I’d actually like to see Aman get more games because of his penalty killing chops and reliable defensive play at 5v5.

The way the Canucks were able to re-shake their depth is worthy of a masterclass lesson to those wanting a career in sports management, and is maybe the biggest reason as to why the team’s performance has spiked so significantly.

The Hughes effect

Okay, I lied: Quinn Hughes becoming the best defenceman in hockey (this year) has been the biggest asset for this team.

Some are calling it a “two horse race” when talking about the battle for the Norris Trophy, but it’s not; Hughes has been the a top ten player in the world this season.

When you watch the Canucks, the guy you’re looking for is Hughes: The way he’s able to control the flow of a game is both mesmerizing and electrifying. The spin moves; the pivots; the dangles; the occasional play where decided to take a full lap around the offensive zone before wiring a top cheddar, short side snipe. It’s all there!

Before the season began, I said that I wanted to see Hughes create more chances than in years prior. Low and behold, his play-driving ability has improved drastically from years past and he’s added the defensive acumen to his game that many didn’t see him ever having.

He also puts up stupid results with everyone on the team.

I wonder who he’ll pass the cup to first?

What the numbers say

This team’s identity can be boiled down to one thing: Defence.

Unless you keep track of multiple models, this may surprise you given the offensive weaponry at the Canucks’ disposable. I hope you’re holding on to your seat, because as per JFreshHockey’s model, the Canucks only rank 20th in xGF, which basically means that they don’t tend to generate a ton of scoring chances. What’s crazy is that the team’s xGF% is ranked 6th on this model, 11th on moneypuck.com, and 7th according to Data Driven Hockey’s model.

You want to know how this is possible? The Canucks are a top five defensive team in the league – potentially even top three. They rank 6th on moneypuck.com and 3rd (!) per JFresh. You may initially attribute this to Thatcher Demko, but you’d be mistaken; the Canucks are just a juggernaut defensively. Demko’s numbers have been great this season – 2.47 GAA, .917 SV%, and an outstanding 20.4 GSAx – and it’s no secret that the team is much better with him, but the team’s defensive results have been steadily elite since ~early-mid January.

Every single model is bullish on the Canucks’ defensive chops and not so keen on loving their play-driving ability. While the likes of Hughes, Pettersson, Höglander and Garland are all great even strength players, there isn’t enough juice (offensively) at 5v5, which can be attributed to the system they play.

What head coach Rick Tocchet has done this season is nothing short of brilliant; turning one of the league’s most laughed at teams into a bonified cup contender. It’s good enough to where he basically has the Jack Adams Award on lock…

But even a  soon-to-be Jack Adams winner isn’t perfect.

The Canucks’ lack of attack off the rush could be an issue against other elite defensive teams (hence why the Kings give them so much trouble) and it’s my main concern for this team going into the playoffs. The dump and chase style works only if you actually maintain possession, which the Canucks do a fair bit, but adding that second gear of being able to attack off the rush with east-west movement would ultimately make the Canucks a complete world beater and maybe a bonified top three team league-wide.

Regardless, they’re still an elite team, which is something I didn’t think was in the cards this season. With the return of Thatcher Demko and a (hopefully) fully healthy Elias Lindholm, Vancouver could be well on track for a deep run. What they’d do on said hypothetical deep run is up to them, but I am of the belief that they have the arsenal to win it all and I don’ even think it’s their time yet.

There’s no easy out in the west this year and their run will be a gauntlet, but Vancouver continues to impress me as the season progresses and I hope they continue to do so come April.

Postgame: Do we really have to talk about this one?

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Oh brother.

The same day I release an article on why the Vegas Golden Knights confuse the hell out of me, the Vancouver Canucks get absolutely pumped by said confusing team. When I say “pumped”, I mean “PUMPED”: That game was an absolutely terrible watch and it comes at a time where I’m working on several different projects at once (hence why this is being published a little later than usual).

I think there’s a lot to get into here… we’ll see. Here’s why I don’t want to talk about last night’s game:

It’s time to make some roster adjustments

I want to get this out of the way: Arshdeep Bains can’t play in the NHL (yet). There’s no doubt in my mind that he has the potential to be an everyday NHLer at some point, but that “some point” is not today. His underlying numbers have been the worst on the Canucks since his debut and he got absolutely cratered against Vegas last night. His xGF% was at a staggering 22.87, the second lowest on the team (only ahead of Sam Lafferty) and was repeatedly turning the puck over in the defensive zone.

He wasn’t the only player that had a tough night, though.

Ian Cole has been an awesome get for Vancouver. His defensive numbers have stayed consistently great all season and his penalty killing chops are clearly there; but last night’s game – and the last string of games, in all honesty – was a tough one. His underlying numbers weren’t all that bad, but he was on the ice for every Golden Knights goal… THEY SCORED SIX GOALS!

Yes, I get it, you obviously have to have some real bad luck to be out for all six goals against. Simply put: I don’t care. That’s they type of stat that should instantly mark him out of the lineup for tonight’s game vs the Arizona Coyotes; and I’d fully expect to see Noah Juulsen slot in over Cole. I will defend Cole – as a player – ’til he’s gone; he’s seriously great for what he is, but when a player of his age has games like that, the Canucks might have to start doing a better job at managing his workload or else he’ll have more and more nights like that one.

I don’t really know who else to single out. Tyler Myers had a pretty bad game but, like, that just happens with him more than any other Canuck. Nikita Zadorov – before getting ejected – was getting turnstiled on just about every rush chance he faced (his form has been dipping as of late).

I would call out Teddy Blueger but he’s been so good all year that it just feels wrong to.

The elephant in the room… again

Okay, what was going on in the world of Canucks Twitter last night?

People were complaining about the refs; others went after those who were complaining about the refs; and then people were going after Elias Pettersson for… reasons?

Look, the Canucks were not good enough last night; especially in the special teams battle (which is becoming a serious concern). You want to know who else had a bad night? The officials. I know, it’s maybe a bit rich for some people to stomach but both things can be true at once.

At 3-1, Alex Pietrangelo figured that it was time to unleash the ultimate puke tactic of snapping your head back when the opponent’s stick is at his chest; and of course, the officials fell for it, because they always do. Noah Hanifin would score on the powerplay to take a 4-1 lead. Yes, the Canucks special teams HAVE to be better, but I can’t let this one slide; this is exactly what Rick Tocchet was talking about just a handful of weeks ago.

Then, of course, there was the whole Nikita Zadorov thing. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was worthy of a five-minute major. Then I took a second look and determined that – in fact – it did warrant a major penalty.

And that’s when I saw this tweet:

This. This is why I can’t buy in to the idea that we all need to pipe down about the NHL’s very abundant officiating problem. Much like most people in authoritative positions, NHL refs get excused and babied for being completely incompetent at the one thing they’re supposed to do. Twitter user MajorMoose_ kept it concise, but it’s simply true. There isn’t a lick of consistency in which games are called and it’s been an issue that has plagued the league forever, but has especially been under the microscope over the last ~5 years or so; and it’s not because it’s gotten worse, people are just fed up.

I’m not trying to tell you that the Canucks lost this game because of the officials: They were repeatedly exposed off the counter attack and had no answer for the Knights’ speed and size. But it’s when people (rightfully) complain about the refs and then some keyboard warrior on Twitter starts acting like a politician, shaming on the common man for pointing out very obvious mistakes made by those in higher-up roles, is where I start to get annoyed. People who flat-out blame the refs for the way a game is decided are – typically – wrong, but most people aren’t actively blaming them; they’re rightfully complaining.

This has nothing to do with the Canucks and everything to do with how this league is being run. They desperately need some new faces in charge.

Ending on a positive note

(I feel like this header reads like a The 1975 album closer).

I have attempted to look at this game with a positive twist to end off; so, let’s all celebrate the night that was, as messed up as it was.

Hughes strikes twice

Quinn Hughes continued his legend caliber season with two goals in this one. One was to bring the game within three, and the other to bring the game within two at the start of the third period; followed by a Vegas goal just 24 seconds later. Brilliant.

Regardless, Hughes just keeps on being the best player on this team by a country mile. I know there are some that will try to argue that J.T. Miller is this team’s MVP but I just don’t even give that take the light of day (full credit to Miller for an incredible season, though).

Nils Höglander is a top line forward

Any game which features a Nils Höglander goal is good for the agenda.

I don’t care about what you think, Höglander is one of this team’s six best forwards and I’m glad that he’s continuously crushing this opportunity on Pettersson’s wing.

Podkolzin showed flashes

I think there’s a chance we see Vasily Podkolzin on the Canucks’ playoff roster in just a handful of weeks. He has an advantage over a player like Bains solely because of the size and speed that he brings.

There were a few instances where Podkolzin really showed his potential, but I still need to see way more from him before I call him an NHL player.

In before Moose calls me a fake fan.

And that’s all the positives from this one!

Can we just get a good game tonight, please? I feel like we’ve been robbed of them as of late.