It has been 25 years since an NHL club from Canada hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup, but 2019 could finally be the year that the curse is put to rest.
The Montreal Canadians claimed the coveted trophy in 1993, led by Patrick Roy, but the NHL cities north of the US border haven’t had much luck. In 2004 the Calgary Flames were robbed in overtime of Game 6 at home and eventually lost to Tampa in Game 7 (Read here on how they lost). In 2011 the Vancouver Canucks lost in Game 7 on home ice and the city literally burned down, while a Canadian team has not been in the Cup finals since. But 2018-19 could finally be the year the nation breaks through.
Canadians make up just under 50 percent of the total NHL players in the league today, far more than any other nation in the world, and even though no franchise from Canada has won in two-and-a-half decades, citizens from up north have been integral components to every single Cup champion since the NHL formed in the 1800’s. However, it still eats away at every Canadian fan and organization when another year passes without a championship banner returning home.
Now, you might be wondering…why the hell is this guy bringing this up in December? Well…after watching the Toronto Maple Leafs dominate the Carolina Hurricanes last night in every zone of the rink for 60 minutes…I felt that I needed to.
Toronto has been Cup hungry for decades upon decades, and they finally went ALL IN this offseason. They signed hometown boy John Tavares to a long-term deal and have assembled a championship caliber roster. Last night I was able to witness the full Leafs roster with every key player in the lineup and I am sold on this ‘Buds roster. William Nylander has finally signed and added some unbelievable depth to the third line, contributing 2 assists in last nights win while finally getting accustomed to NHL speed. Auston Matthews has been back for a couple weeks now, but it feels like he never left (possible Hart candidate), and Morgan Rielly has finally been playing up to his potential on both ends of the ice, while leading the league in points (33) among all NHL d-men.
Frederik Andersen has been stellar in between the pipes, which has added a much needed element to Toronto. He currently leads the NHL in Wins (17), is 3rd in save percentage (9.28), and ranks 10th in GAA (2.44). **Stats based on goalies with a minimum of 10 starts**
Mike Babcock has turned this franchise around since taking over the helm two seasons ago and there has been a massive culture shift in the process. Offensively, Toronto ranks 3rd in the league in goals per game (3.5) and sit in 2nd place in the Atlantic Division. With the mad advantage the Leafs rank 7th with a 25.9 PP percentage and rank 14th in PK with a 80 percent kill rating (good, not great).
All in all…I’m sold on this Leafs roster and if they can stay healthy (Hugeee IF) they will be right in the thick of things come May.
Aside from the Leafs attempting to reverse the trend, let’s not be blinded by what Central and Western Canada is doing. Calgary currently sits atop of the Pacific Division, while the Winnipeg Jets are sitting in 2nd place in the Central, 1 point shy of Nashville for the division lead.
Remember when the Penguins visited the Saddledome back in October? The 9-1 good old fashioned s**t kicking? Yeah…talk about a wake up call. Since then the Flames are 14-5-2 and have the best record in the league in that span.
The offseason addition of Elias Lindholm was a major upgrade offensively and he has been so efficient since being being paired with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. The top line has combined for 108 points in just 31 games, and have been one of the most exciting lines in all of hockey. Mike Giordano continues to be one of the top offensive-defenseman in the league (5th, 29 points), while the other Hurricane addition of Noah Hanifin has panned out as well. Goaltender Mike Smith has gotten into a rhythm after early season struggles and he has been Calgary’s best player over the past 3 weeks. In his last 6 starts he is 6-0 with a .941 SV%, 1.50 GAA and 1 shutout.
Like Toronto, the Flames are a dark horse to contend for the Cup next spring.
The Winnipeg Jets were a popular preseason selection to win the Cup, but got off to a slow start. Since, they have turned things around and are on pace to return to the Western Finals again in 2019.
Connor Hellebyuck was my Vezina Trophy pick in September, but his numbers don’t necessarily scream All-Star thus far. Although the Jets are in a great spot heading into the Christmas break, their franchise goaltender must step up his game in the latter portion of the year if they are going to bring Winnipeg its first ever Cup.
Like the trend with Calgary and Toronto…offense is not the issue in Manitoba. Patrik Laine is T-2nd in the NHL in goals and leads the league in PP goals (10). Blake Wheeler sits atop of the Jets roster in total points (38) and is 3rd in assists in the entire NHL. Mark Scheifele (37 points), in my opinion, is easily Winnipeg’s most valuable asset. His coming out party came in the 2018 playoffs, but he has taken his game to the next level this year. He is so good with the puck and without it, but his play-making ability sets him apart from other skilled forwards. He is easily one of my favorite players to watch on any given night and is one of the most intelligent players in the game today.
On the back end, Dustin Byfuglien leads the Jets in scoring with 21 points, but Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey have been pivotal pieces to this city’s success over the past year and a half. Signing Trouba in arbitration this past summer stung a bit, but failing to re-sign the USNTDP alum would have been detrimental to their d-core.
Special teams has been the ultimate driver for the Jets, and taking a penalty against them has been a costly mistake. Winnipeg ranks 1st on the PP (30.3%), and 9th on the PK (82.6%). Playoffs come down to both of these categories along with stellar goaltending. Winnipeg has all the ingredients to bring Canada back its first Cup in 25 years.
The season is still very young but the pieces seem to be aligning for Canada in 2019. Tampa Bay and Washington pose serious threats to keeping the trophy in the US, but do not be surprised if Canada’s most highly touted accolade returns to its home at the conclusion of this season.