Canucks end disappointing road trip still searching for more from top players
The Canucks ended a disappointing road trip still clinging to a playoff spot. But that won’t matter come April unless they can quickly recapture their defensively-sound, reliable form and get something other than zeroes from their top players.
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SEATTLE – It was a road trip so poor and disappointing that it should have taken the Vancouver Canucks out of a playoff spot. But with 21 games to go, they can still be the fastest turtle.
The Canucks’ 6-3 loss Saturday night to the Seattle Kraken ended their most disappointing tour of the National Hockey League season at 1-4. Three of the losses came against teams below them in the standings, and the entire trip was a surprising retreat from the form that had them soar into February’s schedule break on a 6-1-1 roll.
The Calgary Flames and Utah Hockey Club, chasing Vancouver for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, both also lost on Saturday, so the Canucks flew home still clinging to a playoff position.
But that won’t matter come April unless the Canucks quickly recapture their defensively-sound, reliable form and get something other than zeroes from their top players.
Neither Elias Pettersson nor Brock Boeser registered a shot on goal in Seattle, and they combined for just two assists during the five road games in the west.
Potentially even worse, defenceman Quinn Hughes was unable to play the final nine minutes on Saturday, just three games into his return from a month-long injury believed to be an oblique muscle tear.
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“He tweaked something, so we’ll look at it tomorrow,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “I’m not sure right now what’s going on.”
Hughes was slow to get up after falling awkwardly to ice at 4:11 of the second period while trying to keep Andre Burakovsky from getting to the front of the net. But the Canucks’ captain, after a brief visit to the medical room, was able to finish the period and play the first half of the third.
For the second straight game, the Norris Trophy-winning defenceman was minus-three. His blue line partner, Filip Hronek was minus-four and made a weak play trying to defend a two-on-one break that allowed Burakovsky to open scoring 5:47 into the first period while the Canucks were dominating.
Vancouver badly outplayed Seattle through the first half of the game, but led only 3-2 due to a shorthanded goal by Dakota Joshua, on a pass from Drew O’Connor, at 8:05 of the middle period.
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The Canucks had by then hit three posts: Two by Jake DeBrusk and another by Joshua.
But the Kraken took over the game in the second half. They scored three times on deflections, and Brandon Montour’s blast past goalie Kevin Lankinen put Seattle up 5-3 at 4:11 of the third period – three seconds after Pettersson’s tripping penalty ended – before Eeli Tolvanen’s empty-netter sealed the win.
Tolvanen’s deflection at 13:08, after Hughes broke his stick as he gave away the puck behind the Vancouver net, broke a 3-3 tie at 13:08 of the middle period. That game-winning goal came just a minute after Matty Beniers won an offensive-zone faceoff from Pettersson, then beat the enigmatic Canuck to the slot to deflect Vince Dunn’s point shot.
“Those guys have got to get some shots on net,” Tocchet said of his top forwards. “You’ve got to get pucks to the net in this game; sometimes you’ve just got to get a greasy goal. Whatever it takes.
“Tight games… late in the game, and the other team’s coming up with moments and we’re not. That’s really what it comes down to. You’re looking for scoring on a breakaway or scoring on two-on-one to go up two goals. You know, we’re looking for that. Or a blocked shot or something — winning three or four draws in a row. When you’re in tight games, that’s when you have to have that mentality.
“I think there’s certain guys that are playing well; we’ve got to be careful how we analyze certain things. You’re in tight games and you’re looking to play under pressure. And right now, like I said, the other team’s coming up with moments and we’re not.”
Pettersson had just three shots on net during the road trip. Boeser had five.
“I haven’t had many chances lately,” Boeser said. “I feel like I’m working hard out there (but) sometimes I just feel like I’m skating around… and not getting much out of it. I’m very aware of that. I’m thinking about trying to get to the net more, trying to get some more pucks off the cycle today to get the puck on my stick and create some plays that way. I just haven’t gotten looks, and I’ve got to find ways to get some looks and some shots.”
DeBrusk scored the Canucks’ only goals in the first two games of the trip, losses in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, but was pointless in the last three despite five shots on net and two posts against the Kraken.
“We need to lead,” DeBrusk said bluntly. “Every single good team, the top players are playing like it. I take responsibility, too; I need to be better. Anytime there’s one-goal games (that we lose), I take it personally. Scoring goals isn’t everything, but win your matchups. At the end of the day, that’s what we’ve got to get to do. Beat your matchup; that’s where we’ve got to start.”
The Canucks open a four-game homestand Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks, and are unlikely to still be in a playoff spot by the time they play again.
Their challenge before then is to generate some positivity despite a trip that was close to a disaster.
“I think that’s the challenge every day as a professional athlete: make sure you’re in the right mindset to perform at the top level,” Lankinen said. “It’s every individual’s responsibility. But as a team, too, we’ve got 20-plus games left and we’ve got to leave it all out there.”
