The Vancouver Canucks season nears the end, not with a bang but a “Huh. Well, that wasn’t too bad. Considering everything.” Not the most inspiring words, perhaps, but they fit the 2024-25 season. Even the faint hope that still exists is appropriately cruel for a cruel year.
How the Canucks Season Will End, Maybe
The road trip itself is a handy little microcosm of the team’s season. Missing the opportunity at the start, tripping over their own feet, then almost getting it together enough to salvage the trip. And being just too exhausted to win at the end.
Going 2-2-2 on a six-game road trip isn’t miserable, even if it means only two wins. Giving one extra point to St. Louis was bad, but hardly fatal. Putting a stop to their ludicrous nine-game win streak when it was at two games, it would have meant more than one point.
But they didn’t, and the Blues are on a happy little rampage chasing after Minnesota. They’re even hunting down Edmonton and Los Angeles, because, heck, now isn’t the time to limit yourself! And while they aren’t coming back from being the worst team in the league, it’s not like they haven’t done this before.
The Canucks needed at least three wins on their road trip and got two. And two halves, if you go by point count, but the percentages drop even with the loser points. Time matters as much as totals do, and Vancouver is down to eight games left to make up six points.
It’s not technically impossible, of course, see that Blues link above if you need proof. But there’s a reason why they’re the exception and not the rule. On the other hand, for the eternal Canucks optimists out there, don’t laugh, they exist, there are targets.
St. Louis is six points up on Vancouver, but the Canucks do have a game in hand. It’s not much, but should they win that game, and someday the Blues lose again, they’ll be just four points back. They’ll be the same distance back from Minnesota, and two targets are better than one.
Doom and Gloom-ish
Don’t get us wrong here. The Canucks season is almost certainly going to end when the regular season does. The Calgary Flames may overtake them between now and April 17th, and their game against the Kings could be for a playoff spot. Heck, most fans are hoping the Rangers win a few more games than Columbus and Utah right now.
This is a season jam-packed with caveats. You’re free to call them excuses, of course. But most teams don’t feel the need to trade their top-line centre because they think it would improve their playoff chances. Even taking long-term injuries into account, this season has been a hard one.
The last few games of this road trip are a great lesson in slotting players into the appropriate positions. Pius Suter suddenly pulling 20-minute nights as the team’s top centre has been a revelation. His two goals and eight points in the last four games is astounding production from him.
Aatu Räty‘s AHL faceoff dominance continued into his latest stint with the big club. And he’s picked up three goals on the trip. As a side note, that the Abbotsford Canucks are continuing their own nine-game win streak is fantastic. Especially given five of their top scorers and a top defenceman have all been called up to the big club.
Unfortunately, that means all those AHL players are actually on the big club. Great for them and their paycheques, but pretty hard on the team. The entire fourth line is made up of AHL players. Your top three centres shouldn’t be Suter, Räty, and Teddy Blueger if you want to make the playoffs.
Back to Work
The team returns to Vancouver having learned how to score – 21 goals in six games is pretty decent for this lot – but without the wins. Their special teams have been excellent on the penalty kill and not good enough on the power play. Exactly what you’d expect given the missing talent.
There is some hope that both Elias Pettersson and Nils Höglander will return for Wednesday’s game. Then again, the team hasn’t given a timeline for either them or Filip Chytil, and at least we know what Chytil’s injury is.
Should all three of those players return, then Vancouver will have more talent at the top. As good as the young additions have been, having two or even just one playing at a time is a better sign for their playoff push.
The longest win streak the Canucks have this season is just four games. They’ll need to beat that mark if they want to play any more than the eight games remaining in the regular season.
Main Photo Credit: Danny Wild – Imagn Images
The post That’s (Almost) A Wrap on the Vancouver Canucks Season appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.