Three Reasons Why the Canucks Will Win the Stanley Cup

1. No One Believes in Them

Vancouver won 50 games and got a top seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And yet, many picked Nashville to upset them. The Canucks took them out in six games, winning all three road games in the process. Now, Vancouver is the +220 underdog in a series against Edmonton. Never mind that Vancouver swept Edmonton 4-0 and outscored it 21-7 in the regular season.

Even better, the Stanley Cup odds show Vancouver as the third-least likely team to win it all at 16/1. The only teams with longer odds could be eliminated by the time you read this article.

• Boston Bruins +1400
• Vancouver Canucks +1600
• Vegas Golden Knights +2000
• Toronto Maple Leafs +2200

Still, this takes a lot of pressure out from Vancouver. This team has performed much better against expectations. The Canucks had a regular-season point projection of 90.5 points. They totaled 109 points. And in 2020, Vancouver went on a deep playoff run despite having +150 odds to make the playoffs.

Now, no one believes in Vancouver. It would already be a shock if it beats Edmonton, which has been on fire since their first three meetings with Vancouver. The Canucks do not have a Connor “McJesus” nor have they even won a Stanley Cup in their 54-year existence.

This is a “poverty franchise”. And even if Vancouver upsets Edmonton, it will have to contend with Colorado or Dallas/Vegas. All three will be favored in their series. Vancouver has no shot *winks*.

2. They Have a Goaltender No One’s Heard Of

Who is Arturs Silovs and how can a third-string goaltender lead a team to the Promised Land? Just ask Adin Hill from Vegas. Hill was not a third-stringer and was an afterthought for most of his career. But he’s got more Stanley Cup rings than Carey Price or Henrik Lundqvist.

Having an unknown goaltender will be an advantage for Vancouver. There is not a lot of tape on Silovs compared to someone like Thatcher Demok. Most opponents have not faced Silovs and he could be the next “unknown” to lead his team to a title run joining rookies like Jordan Binnington and Cam Ward neither of whom are superstars.

Silovs filled in admirably for Casey DeSmith, who was injured against Nashville. He’s stopped 75 of the 80 shots he’s faced and has 2.6 goals saved above average. More notably, he shut out Nashville in the series-clinching game. He might just be the one.

Take a bow, Arturs Silovs! 🙇‍♂️ #StanleyCup

Silovs stopped every shot sent his way to pick up the shutout in the series-clinching game! pic.twitter.com/moAjkZLYTu

— NHL (@NHL) May 4, 2024

3. They Own 5-on-5 Play

We don’t know if you’ve looked at the NHL stats this season. But Vancouver is one of the few teams to rank in the top 10 in goals scored and goals against. And it did that by having one of the lowest shots on goal average (26th overall) and just slightly above average special teams (13th on the power play and penalty kill). Translation: Vancouver owns it on 5-on-5.

The Canucks led the regular season in 5-on-5 shooting percentage at 10.6%. And it gave up the third-fewest scoring chances per 60 minutes (24.1). Only Carolina and Florida gave up fewer and they have the shortest Stanley Cup odds from the Eastern Conference.

Vancouver is also one of the deepest teams with Elias Lindholm, an NHL All-Star, helming the third line. The fourth line is led by Teddy Blueger, one of the heroes of the series against Nashville. Together with the second pairing of Carson Soucy and Tyler Myers on defense, the Canucks can depend on ‘D’ if their offense dries up.

All in all, this team has the makings of a Stanley Cup contender. We’d gladly take the 16/1 NHL odds offered by the book. It’s not the worst bet, especially since it will shorten considerably if Vancouver ousts Edmonton up next.

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