Canucks pass huge test on Saturday night

In a battle against the top seed in the Western Conference on Saturday night, at home on Hockey Night in Canada, the Vancouver Canucks delivered an all around impressive performance. The San Jose Sharks did not know what hit them, as Vancouver jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and did not look back.

It was a pretty big test, and the Canucks wanted to see how they measured up against the elite of the West. Granted it was only one game, and the Sharks have been struggling as of late, but that does not take anything away from the Canucks' performance.

The Canucks entered the game on a hot streak, having won 3 straight games.  The Sharks, on the other hand, had lost their last 3 outings.  The 3-1 Canuck victory on Saturday extended both streaks to 4 games. 

While it’s a little surprising to see the Sharks struggle a bit after being so dominant for most of the season, it may be a little hard right now for them and other top teams to stay motivated down the stretch, knowing that a spot in the playoffs is already inevitable. The Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins have also recently shown some signs of struggle, although with the President’s trophy still up for grabs there should still be some motivation to try and win that for home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. 

Regardless, the Canucks will take the much deserved victory and leave suddenly snowy Vancouver to try and win their 5th straight tonight in sunny California, as they visit the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings are currently 5 points out of a playoff spot doing their best to keep their bleak playoff hopes alive.