"Vancouver has had an incredible year. I've got to take my hat off to (coach) Rick Tocchet and the job he's done there. He's really centered and focused that team. They do have a lot of talent, but you know, focusing that talent is not always easy." Messier said.
He went on to add, "So Vancouver has set themselves up. One of the things I like about the Canucks is they have a really big, strong defense. In playoff hockey, playing for two months, your defense is going to be tested – ground and pound – and they've got to be able to absorb that.
Other than some inexperience in Vancouver, which is probably the thing that they're lacking the most right now, you've got to look at their team as being really positioned well to play well in the playoffs."