While our other teams basked in a brilliant weekend, the Canucks reminded us how far away they are from being a real contender
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The weekend provided a stark reminder of the NHL purgatory the Canucks are stuck in.
On Friday, a sold-out crowd at the Pacific Coliseum were wowed by Vancouver’s newest sporting entity as the PWHL Vancouver Goldeneyes took a thrilling 4-3 overtime win in front of a wild crowd.
On Saturday, the Whitecaps took a sold-out B.C. Place through a ride wilder than the PNE roller-coaster, giving up an injury time goal and finishing extra time with just nine players, seeing the ball breach their box but hit the post three times and the crossbar once before sending LAFC home for the off-season in a penalty shootout. The Caps now move on to the Western Conference Finals.
The Canucks? Well they hosted the 31st-placed Flames and offered up a Sunday night effort that had all the pop and fizz of a glass of ginger ale that has been left in a glass for a week. Yikes, were they listless.
With the Vancouver Goldeneyes winning their inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League game Friday before a packed Pacific Coliseum, and the Vancouver Whitecaps following Saturday with a dramatic penalty kicks triumph at sold-out B.C. Place to advance to the Major League Soccer conference final, the Canucks had to keep pace.
The NHL club needed to remind everyone, and maybe themselves, of their place atop the popularity podium that’s also being challenged by the B.C. Lions, who nearly advanced to the Grey Cup. Lots of options to spend the sporting dollar.
Nothing sells better than winning and a 5-2 loss against a club playing back-to-backs, and showing more push and resolve, isn’t going to move the fan meter. Either is a horrible 3-7-1 record at home and 9-12-2 mark overall. Is it the mental hurdle of putting on a show or something more significant?
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“I don’t think it’s anything, honestly,” Canucks head coach Adam Foote told Postmedia before puck drop. “We go back and dissect it, who was in net, who was hurt, or what injury happened. We can do all that, but to me, it’s a waste of time.
“I’m not being disrespectful of anyone, and if I think it’s a problem, I’ll tell you. Sometimes, teams I’ve been on get too cute at home and try the extra move and get jammed up early. Maybe, you’re on to something. Maybe dig deeper. It’s too early in the year, and with the injuries, we’ll keep eye on it for sure.”
We start the day with a bit of a morning zinger.
The Canucks have recalled goaltender Nikita Tolopilo from their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that G Jiri Patera has been assigned to Abbotsford (AHL) and G Nikita Tolopilo has been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL) under emergency conditions.
Iain MacIntyre has detailed the peril the Canucks find themselves in while they’re in this latest skid.
The race the Canucks are falling into is for last place in the NHL and the best lottery odds in the Gavin McKenna draft sweepstakes.
There are, of course, 59 games to go, so the Canucks have plenty of time to rescue themselves. Or they could get worse.
The Flames, whose three-game winning streak mirrors the Canucks’ three-game dive, are now only one point behind Vancouver and passed the Nashville Predators on winning percentage on Sunday. The Tennesseans are last in the NHL with 16 points, four behind the Canucks with two games in-hand.
So, yes, the Canucks are closer to last place overall than the final playoff spot.
The Athletic have looked at the plight of all the Canadian teams and the reality of what the Canucks are is really hitting home.
Vancouver Canucks: They’re just not very good. Worse, they’re in danger of falling out of the playoff race completely. And if Vancouver fans think they’re sick of the Quinn Hughes discourse now, wait until this team is 10 points out at the holiday break and facing a second half of treading water at best.
And it doesn’t get much easier. The Canucks now embark on a four-game road trip, the three California teams and Colorado. That’s four teams in the top 10 with the Avs having the best record and the surprising Ducks being fourth in the league. Yikes.
It’s as crippling as the league’s worst penalty kill, giving up the second most goals per game, and most in the third period with games often on the line.
With the playoff bar set at 96 points, the Canucks need to leapfrog six teams and go on an incredible 36-19-5 run just to squeeze into the post-season, which is more ludicrous than likely.
There’s just too many problems, and too much noise around the future of Quinn Hughes, what the clubs needs and what the plan really is — re-tool or admitting to a rebuild without saying it?
After all, teams in a playoff position on Nov. 27 have a historic 77 per cent chance of advancing to the playoffs, but it’s not an exact science.
Yes the crazy talk will only get louder if the Canucks keep losing. And already there are rumblings like this one from the Hockey Writers. It doesn’t add anything new but it’s a reminder and maybe more.
Talk of Quinn Hughes leaving Vancouver isn’t new, but it feels louder now. The big question is whether he’ll sign his extension come July 1. This season has been a test not just for the Canucks, but for Hughes himself. He seems to have made it clear: the team’s performance this season will heavily influence any decision on his future.
If that’s the case, things aren’t looking great for keeping him in Vancouver right now. Hughes has made no secret of his disappointment with last season, and this season hasn’t changed much. On top of that, Thatcher Demko’s injury history adds another layer of uncertainty in the net. If the Canucks are going to trade Hughes, it will have to be a blockbuster—someone of his talent doesn’t move cheaply.
For fans, it’s hard not to feel a bit of déjà vu. Nothing’s official yet, but the combination of contract talks, roster struggles, and the need to plan for the future makes a trade feel increasingly likely. Where Hughes lands will say a lot about the direction of this team in the years ahead.
Check back for more Canucks news throughout the day …
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