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Vancouver Canucks clinch Presidents’ Trophy; Should fans celebrate or cringe?

Christian Ehroff Maxim Lapierre

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Christian Ehrhoff (5) receives a high five from teammate Maxim Lapierre for his goal during second period NHL hockey action against the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, March 31, 2011. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

AP

The Vancouver Canucks continue to put together the greatest regular season in their 40-year history, as the team clinched the Presidents’ Trophy thanks to a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings and a regulation loss by the Philadelphia Flyers. (In case you’re unaware, the Presidents’ Trophy is an award handed out to the NHL team with the best record each season.)

It would be silly to fault a team for piling up win after impressive win, but the question must be asked: could earning home ice advantage throughout the NHL playoffs actually be a crippling burden?

On face value, the answer is “obviously not,” but Presidents’ Trophy winners have faced a checkered history since the award was officially introduced during the 1985-86 season. Overall, seven out of the 24 winners went on to win a Stanley Cup too.* The 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings were the most recent Presidents’ Trophy winner to claim the Cup, but the last two winners suffered premature eliminations.

Both the 2008-09 San Jose Sharks and 09-10 Washington Capitals didn’t just fail to win a Cup, they failed to win a single playoff round. In both cases, the teams ran into hot goalies, as the Sharks fell to the Jonas Hiller-fueled Anaheim Ducks while the Capitals lost to Jaroslav Halak and the Montreal Canadiens.

If the playoffs began today, the Canucks would host the Chicago Blackhawks, a team that is a noted thorn in their sides. Let’s be honest, though; if the Canucks lose, chances are it will be because of Jonathan Toews and Chicago’s other talented players rather than the imaginary albatross that is the Presidents’ Trophy. After all, Chicago is the team that ousted the Canucks from the playoffs the last two years.

Of course, it’s no guarantee that it will be Vancouver-Chicago anyway, but there’s no doubt that the Canucks will play against the eighth seed in the West. If you’ve been following that conference at all this season, you probably know that there won’t likely be an easy out in any round of the West playoffs.

Vancouver faces some troubling injuries, a few skeletons in their playoff closets and the pressure of bringing a first-ever Cup to hockey-crazed Canadian market. Maybe going in as the on-paper favorite will make things that much worse, but don’t blame the Presidents’ Trophy if the Canucks fall short.

Even if such an occurrence would add yet another chapter to “The Legend of the Presidents’ Trophy Albatross.”

* - That near 30-percent success rate is actually pretty good when you consider the fact that 16 teams make the playoffs, if you ask me.