‘A lot of big minutes and can we dial it back? We’re in a do-or-die and there are situations where we need him out there. He’s that special of a player.’ — Rick Tocchet on Quinn Hughes.
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Quinn Hughes gets up slowly after colliding with Andre Burakovsky while attempting to stop Kraken goal March 1 in Seattle. The Canucks lost 6-3. Photo by Steph Chambers /Getty Images
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When/where: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Rogers Arena
TV: Sportsnet Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650
The buzz: And then there were two to pass.
The St. Louis Blues keep winning, the Calgary Flames won’t go away, and the Canucks are in a world of hurt.
In a wild scramble for the final Western Conference wild-card playoff position, there was good and bad scoreboard news Tuesday.
The Canucks are now eight points shy of the Blues, who scored with 29 seconds remaining in regulation, and posted a 2-1 overtime decision over the Detroit Red Wings to stretch their win streak to 10 games and improve to 89 points. The Canucks have two games in hand, but it’s moot if they don’t win those game.
The Utah Hockey Club played spoiler and did the Canucks a favour by topping the Flames 3-1 on Tuesday but they remain at 82 points, one up on the Canucks. They have both played 74 games.
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The Canucks might have a better chance of catching the slumping Minnesota Wild. They’re on a mini 1-3-1 slide and have slipped back into the final wild-card spot with 88 points. The Wild have seven games remaining and four are against non-playoff teams, including an April 12 showdown at Rogers Arena.
Scoreboard watching resumes tonight and starting strong against the Kraken is vital. The club is far removed from playoff contention but relishes playing spoiler and spanked the Edmonton Oilers 6-1 on Thursday.
“They’ve been one of the best teams offensively and statistically,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet warned Wednesday following the game-day skate. “They can score, so play without the puck is big. We’ve got to counter that and do it really well.
“Play on your toes. That’s what it really comes down to in these type of games. Anticipate. And little things like blocking shots really matter.”
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Add it all up and the Canucks’ do-or-die tension and the pain of a season gone sideways is etched on the face of Canucks captain Quinn Hughes.
He says all the right things to prop up his club, but on too many nights he also has to be fair but firm about its shortcomings.
“I expect to be at my best and help us win a game,” Hughes said following practice Tuesday of taking on the Kraken. “I feel like I’m at 100 per cent.”
That resonates with Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. He knows the captain has often played hurt and below his high standard this season, and the remainder of this tough stretch drive will be even more demanding.
“I had a good talk with him today,” said Tocchet. “He knows he has to play better, but we’ve leaned on the guy all year. A lot of big minutes, and can we dial it back? But we’re in a do-or-die, and there are situations where we need him out there. He’s that special of a player.”
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Hughes had a double-whammy in a sobering 6-3 drubbing in Seattle on March 1. He appeared to tweak a Jan. 31 oblique-muscle strain that sidelined the reigning Norris Trophy winner for six games. He got tangled up with Andre Burakovsky while trying to prevent the big winger from getting to the net on a second-period Kraken goal.
Kevin Lankinen sprawls to deny Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand on Jan.2 in Seattle. The Canucks won 4-3 in a shootout. Photo by Steph Chambers /Getty Images
Hughes got up slowly and kept playing, but was vulnerable defensively and limited offensively. He kept stretching and rotating at the bench to try and alleviate stiffness, but after a shift midway through the final period, he was parked at end of the bench.
One shot, two giveaways and a minus-3 rating were not vintage Hughes on that night in Seattle.
He would miss the next four games with a trickle-down effect of the Jan. 31 ailment and it was another stark reminder of what has occurred. This team is a far cry from a year ago when everything went right to nearly advance to the Western Conference final.
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Now, everything has gone wrong.
“It’s been my longest year and one of adversity and pretty much with everybody on the team, nobody has played a full season,” said Hughes. “We have a lot of care and will do everything we can to try to make the playoffs.”
You have to love the hope amid long odds of getting to the second season.
The history: Fourth meeting of the season. The Canucks dropped a 5-4 overtime decision on Dec. 28 at home as they coughed up three late goals in regulation. Vince Dunn put it away with his second of the night on an extra-session breakaway. Brock Boeser scored twice.
The Canucks won a 4-3 shootout showdown Jan. 2 on the road as J.T. Miller scored the only goal in the skills session. Dunn had tied it with 53 seconds remaining in regulation. The Canucks were then hammered 6-3 in Seattle on March 1. Max Sasson, Conor Garland and Tyler Myers had their goals.
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The hope: Big winger Jake DeBrusk leads the Canucks with 24 goals, but has just one in his last nine games and also had a seven-game drought in that span. He only has seven goals at home and needs to bring his scoring road show to Rogers Arena.
The fear: A third-ranked penalty kill at 82.8 per cent efficiency has to once again bail out the power play. Aside from going a rare 2-for-2 on Friday in Columbus, it has been blanked in five of the last six games. It’s ranked 14th at 22.4 per cent.
The top guns: Pius Suter continues to deliver while pressed into a first-line role. The centre has eight points (2-6) in his last four games and has hit a career-high 22 goals. Hughes continues to lead the team in scoring with 70 points (16-54) in 60 games and is third among all blueliners.
The wounded: Canucks: Filip Chytil (concussion, week-to-week), Elias Pettersson (upper body, day-to-day), Nils Hoglander, (undisclosed, day-to-day), Noah Juulsen (hernia surgery, IR), Kraken: No injuries to report.
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The latest: Hoglander, who has missed three games with an undisclosed injury suffered March 22 at Madison Square Garden, was wearing a red non-contact jersey at Tuesday practice.
The quote: “We battled hard. I’m really proud of the guys. It came down to a goal-mouth scramble.” — Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet after 3-1 loss in Winnipeg on Sunday.
The lineup:
DeBrusk-Suter-Boeser
O’Connor-Blueger-Garland
Karlsson-Aman-Lekkerimaki
Joshua-Raty-Sherwood
Hughes-Hronek
M.Pettersson-Myers
Forbort-E.Pettersson
Demko
The prediction: The Canucks avenge that beating in Seattle on March 1 by getting to their game in a hurry for vital 4-2 win.
(FAN FORUM: Do you have a specific question for a player? Pass it along to @provincesports and we’ll get it in a future edition.)
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