Here comes Daniel Sedin, Henrik racing to join him, off the bench is Burrows, Daniel to Henrik, scores! The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team of the National Hockey League. The Canucks joined the NHL in 1970 and are currently in the Northwest Division of the Western conference. (In this essay, I am going to prove that) The Canucks are the best team in the entire NHL this season. This team has individual players whose performances dominate the stats aspect of the sport, it also has great depth, but most of all, it is a great hockey club to both its fans and players.
Even though hockey is a team sport, solo accomplishments can also largely influence the team's success. Some extraordinary players of the Vancouver Canucks are forwards Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, and Ryan Kesler, and goaltender Roberto Luongo. The Sedin twins are absolutely incredible; Daniel is tied for first in points while Henrik is fourth. These two brothers work together so perfectly that they are also first and third in the number of assists for this hockey season. One can arguably say that no other pairings in the NHL can seriously contest the twins' chemistry. The other notable forward of this hockey organization is Ryan Kesler, who centres the second line of the Canucks. Ryan Kesler has been secretly rising to the top of the league with his outstanding season. He is currently third in goals and is one of the best when it comes to faceoffs. When hockey is mentioned, one cannot forget the goaltender. Fortunately for Vancouver, this team has Roberto Luongo, who recently won gold in Men's Ice Hockey in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Roberto Luongo is known for his slow starts which generally end around November. This season, he has been unquestionably superb. This goalie has been undefeated since December 5 of 2010; the Canucks have not lost in regulation time since then with Roberto in net. He makes saves at key moments in the game, which helps the team gain momentum. Without these individual contributions, it is hard to claim a sports team as number one, but what happens if one of these players suffers an injury?
The American Hockey League affiliation of the Canucks is the Manitoba Moose. The Moose can also be referred to as the Canucks' "farm team." Many Canuck prospects are called up to play in the NHL if injuries occur. The depth that the Canucks have is astonishing; there are numerous skilled players on the Moose. With recent injuries to Canuck defensemen, Lee Sweatt and Chris Tanev of the Manitoba Moose were called up to fill the positions. These two rookies have impressed many fans, as well as the coaching staff. Sweatt scored his first NHL goal in his NHL debut, and Tanev has not been a defensive liability, unlike what many expected. These two players contributed while key defensemen were injured. One name that most Canuck fans recognize is Cody Hodgson. He has demonstrated why many view him as the top prospect of the Canucks. He has shown his skills and his smarts when it comes to the sport he loves. In just three games, he collected two points, scoring his first NHL goal in his second game. With all of the hitting and blocking of pucks, injuries are unavoidable; the depth this team has is certainly beneficial. The coaching staff is giving a handful of prospects time in the NHL. When one of the regular Canucks gets hurt, it will not be a complication to find someone to fill the spot. This is how real depth gets built up, something the team lacked in the last few years during the playoffs. This team has everything, as well as an abundance of fans all over the globe.
There are many people out there who are passionate fans of the Vancouver Canucks. In appreciation of the fans' affection, this hockey club has done a number of things. These include "Behind the Lens" photos which are regularly posted on Canucks.com. These photos are behind the scene photos of the players on road trips. The Canucks organization also post videos of the players celebrating in the locker room after a win, and interviews that are not necessarily related to hockey. Fans are invited to meet players and attend practices. These little things make being a Canucks supporter better than best. It allows the fans to see the players' personalities, to see what they have behind those helmets and skates. The organization has also hired a sleep pattern specialist to enable the players to have as normal as a sleeping schedule with the endless travelling. The club also holds family road trips for these professional athletes. Not long ago, the players just had a short road trip with their siblings. This organization makes sure the players enjoy playing for Vancouver.
Many may think the Vancouver Canucks are overrated because of the lack of notable success. It is no doubt that the Canucks have not achieved the greatest accomplishment in the NHL, the Stanley Cup, in their 40 years as a team. What team is overrated when the rest of the teams of the league are below them in the standings in almost every aspect? What team is overrated when it has players who are right at the top with big-name players, such as Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin? Dominance means more media coverage; however, more media coverage does not mean overrating. One can argue that the Canucks have not done well in the playoffs in recent years, but what makes this year different is the improvement of the players' skills and chemistry. This hockey group's depth will prove all of the doubters wrong, and make all of the fans proud.
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