from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,

We’re late to this — which is the story of our career — but mid-January is generally the time when grades and awards are passed out for the first half of the NHL season. With that in mind, let’s start with the Canucks.

The locals find themselves in 11th place in the West but two points out of the second wild-card spot. For most teams that would be considered a disappointment. For the Canucks it qualifies as a crowning achievement.

Elias Pettersson, of course, is the main reason for that, but there have been encouraging signs elsewhere in the lineup, starting with the goaltending.

Jacob Markstrom isn’t exactly front-and-centre in the Vezina conversation, but he’s more than held up his end of the bargain. Markstrom is down the list in save percentage and goals-against average, but his 17 wins were as many as Carey Price and Pekka Rinne before Monday night and puts him in the league’s top 10.

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