The Matchup: Vancouver vs. the playoffs

The Questions: Who will Vancouver go with in goal? Can the Canucks compensate for the loss of Markus Naslund?

Dan Cloutier

Bob Essensa

Overcoming the loss of Naslund is key
The Vancouver Canucks have been soldiering on lately without Markus Naslund, but the playoffs will be tough for them because he's their most skilled player. He's had a tremendous year and is a great leader on that team.

Where they get the offensive production to pick up that slack remains to be seen. It's a question the Canucks have to answer if they plan to advance past the first round. They'll obviously have to spread the work around. One or two players are not going to be able to account for the points Naslund would have if he was in the lineup. The remaining Canucks are simply going to have to come out shooting. Whether it's Todd Bertuzzi, Trent Klatt, Andrew Cassels or Ed Jovanovski, they have to get more shots, score more points and come out with an aggressive offensive attitude.

The good ...
They have been holding their own since Naslund has been out. But the last few games of the season will be critical for the Canucks to establish an offensive identity without him. That process is ongoing and will take them right up until the playoffs. The little good news they can take from this is they have some time to get used to playing without him. Players will also use this as an opportunity to show what they can do. Some will get minutes they wouldn't have ordinarily and have the chance to shine.

The Canucks are still very much in the hunt. They just finished a very tough stretch on the road, and their record over the last 8-10 games is not that great. But they have taken the attitude that they are better than most people think they are, and they've gone out every night to prove it. They don't get the attention that the top four teams in the West do. But sitting there at No. 5 with little expected from you is not a bad place to be.

When you look at the recent history of this Vancouver team, they've corrected what used to be an inability to win at home. The road is a difficult place to win, so winning your games at home is vital. They got themselves into trouble in the past by not doing as well as they should have in their own building. This season, they're tough in Vancouver and playing about .500 hockey on the road, like many other playoff teams. If your going to have a realistic chance to win a playoff series you have to be tough to beat at home.

The bad ...
A negative for Vancouver heading into the playoffs, also like a lot of other teams, is their goaltending. They'll be feeling it out until the very end of the season. Dan Cloutier has played a lot recently. He and Bob Essensa both have adequate records, but neither have an outstanding save percentage. So, Vancouver will be playing a pick 'em come playoff time. Whoever is hot or healthy will be between the pipes when the playoffs start. Coach Marc Crawford has no clear choice, and he'll essentially be playing hunches when choosing his goaltender.

Demolition men?
Aside from a somewhat shaky goaltending situation, this is a team that can do a bit of damage. If someone can step forward early in their first round series, the Canucks can get some confidence and could be a dangerous team. If that doesn't happen, and the players are all hanging on, waiting for someone to take charge, then you can lump them in with a lot of teams that won't have much of a chance of advancing past the first round.

Confidence separates teams that have comparable talent.

Vancouver is not ready to win the Stanley Cup. They're continuing to build and have improved quite a bit in the last 18 months. They're still learning about themselves and are pointing toward a Cup run in the next two or three years. This year, especially without Naslund, is about gaining experience and learning what it takes in the postseason.

Brian Engblom is a hockey analyst for ESPN. He played 11 seasons in the NHL as a defenseman, including six with the Montreal Canadiens.