Vancouver Canucks are revived

In what was looking like a dismal season in Vancouver, the Canucks appeared to have found a second wind this season after the firings of head coach Travis Green and general manager Jim Benning in early December.

The Canucks were sitting dead last in the eight-team Pacific Division at 9-15-2  as of Dec. 5, the day of the firings, and it feels as though this team was destined to hit a dead end for good this season.

Immediatly after canning Green and Benning the Canucks hired a familiar NHL coach in Bruce Boudreau in hopes of turning their fortunes around.

Boudreau, during the first few days of pressers, was joking and having a laugh with the local media.

That small bit of smiling and joking is just what the doctor ordered for this struggling franchise.

It was on Dec. 6 against the LA Kings the ‘Bruce, there it is’ chants began echoing around the Rogers Arena and the vibe felt arguably like a playoff game — which might be a big win in the teams books by seasons end.

Lo and behold, the Bruce Boudreau effect has pay dividends for the whole team as they’re red hot with a 7-0-1 record with their recent loss coming in a shootout defeat at the hands of the LA Kings on Dec. 30.

Being a lifelong Canucks fan, this last month has been uplifting to see this change work so far.

I will caution though there will be bumps in the road, but I think Bruce will soften those challenges a bit as time goes on with his approach to the game because at some point during his start to his tenure in Vancouver, he has taught the whole roster to love the game again and have the drive to succeed.

Normally, I would only think a coaching and management change would have a small impact, but Bruce has had a massive impact and it will only get better if the players keep buying in and bring some excitement back to the west coast.

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