SEATTLE – It was a highway journey so poor and disappointing that it ought to have taken the Vancouver Canucks out of a playoff spot. However with 21 video games to go, they will nonetheless be the quickest turtle.
The Canucks’ 6-3 loss Saturday evening to the Seattle Kraken ended their most disappointing tour of the Nationwide Hockey League season at 1-4. Three of the losses got here in opposition to groups under them within the standings, and all the journey was a shocking retreat from the shape that had them soar into February’s schedule break on a 6-1-1 roll.
The Calgary Flames and Utah Hockey Membership, chasing Vancouver for the ultimate wild-card spot within the Western Convention, each additionally misplaced on Saturday, so the Canucks flew house nonetheless clinging to a playoff place.
However that received’t matter come April until the Canucks shortly recapture their defensively-sound, dependable type and get one thing apart from zeroes from their high gamers.
Neither Elias Pettersson nor Brock Boeser registered a shot on objective in Seattle, they usually mixed for simply two assists in the course of the 5 highway video games within the west.
Probably even worse, defenceman Quinn Hughes was unable to play the ultimate 9 minutes on Saturday, simply three video games into his return from a month-long damage believed to be an indirect muscle tear.
“He tweaked one thing, so we’ll have a look at it tomorrow,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet mentioned. “I am unsure proper now what is going on on.”
Hughes was sluggish to stand up after falling awkwardly to ice at 4:11 of the second interval whereas making an attempt to maintain Andre Burakovsky from attending to the entrance of the web. However the Canucks’ captain, after a short go to to the medical room, was capable of end the interval and play the primary half of the third.
For the second straight recreation, the Norris Trophy-winning defenceman was minus-three. His blue line companion, Filip Hronek was minus-four and made a weak play making an attempt to defend a two-on-one break that allowed Burakovsky to open scoring 5:47 into the primary interval whereas the Canucks have been dominating.
Vancouver badly outplayed Seattle by way of the primary half of the sport, however led solely 3-2 on account of a shorthanded objective by Dakota Joshua, on a cross from Drew O’Connor, at 8:05 of the center interval.
The Canucks had by then hit three posts: Two by Jake DeBrusk and one other by Joshua.
However the Kraken took over the sport within the second half. They scored thrice on deflections, and Brandon Montour’s blast previous goalie Kevin Lankinen put Seattle up 5-3 at 4:11 of the third interval – three seconds after Pettersson’s tripping penalty ended – earlier than 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 internet, broke a 3-3 tie at 13:08 of the center interval. That game-winning objective got here only a minute after Matty Beniers received an offensive-zone faceoff from Pettersson, then beat the enigmatic Canuck to the slot to deflect Vince Dunn’s level shot.
“These guys have gotten to get some pictures on internet,” Tocchet mentioned of his high forwards. “You have to get pucks to the web on this recreation; typically you have simply obtained to get a greasy objective. No matter it takes.
“Tight video games… late within the recreation, and the opposite workforce’s arising with moments and we’re not. That is actually what it comes all the way down to. You are in search of scoring on a breakaway or scoring on two-on-one to go up two targets. You realize, we’re in search of that. Or a blocked shot or one thing — successful three or 4 attracts in a row. If you’re in tight video games, that is when you need to have that mentality.
“I feel there’s sure guys which can be taking part in nicely; we have to watch out how we analyze sure issues. You are in tight video games and also you’re seeking to play beneath strain. And proper now, like I mentioned, the opposite workforce’s arising with moments and we’re not.”
Pettersson had simply three pictures on internet in the course of the highway journey. Boeser had 5.
“I have never had many possibilities these days,” Boeser mentioned. “I really feel like I am working laborious on the market (however) typically I simply really feel like I am skating round… and never getting a lot out of it. I am very conscious of that. I am eager about making an attempt to get to the web extra, making an attempt to get some extra pucks off the cycle right now to get the puck on my stick and create some performs that manner. I simply have not gotten appears to be like, and I’ve obtained to search out methods to get some appears to be like and a few pictures.”
DeBrusk scored the Canucks’ solely targets within the first two video games of the journey, losses in Las Vegas and Salt Lake Metropolis, however was pointless within the final three regardless of 5 pictures on internet and two posts in opposition to the Kraken.
“We have to lead,” DeBrusk mentioned bluntly. “Each single good workforce, the highest gamers are taking part in prefer it. I take duty, too; I should be higher. Anytime there’s one-goal video games (that we lose), I take it personally. Scoring targets isn’t every part, however win your matchups. On the finish of the day, that’s what we’ve obtained to get to do. Beat your matchup; that’s the place we’ve obtained to begin.”
The Canucks open a four-game homestand Wednesday in opposition to the Anaheim Geese, and are unlikely to nonetheless be in a playoff spot by the point they play once more.
Their problem earlier than then is to generate some positivity regardless of a visit that was near a catastrophe.
“I feel that’s the problem day by day as knowledgeable athlete: ensure you’re in the appropriate mindset to carry out on the high degree,” Lankinen mentioned. “It’s each particular person’s duty. However as a workforce, too, we’ve obtained 20-plus video games left and we’ve obtained to go away all of it on the market.”
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