The Vancouver Canucks are still in an intense battle for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, but the gap has gotten wider between them and the St. Louis Blues with their recent two-game losing streak and less-than-ideal start to the road trip. They are in New Jersey tonight and will hopefully be able to right the ship a bit and get back within striking distance of the playoffs. Having said that, there have been a lot of positive trends player-wise in the last couple of weeks, so let’s take a look at the Canucks Stock Market as we enter the final week of March.
Up – Quinn Hughes Hits 400 Points
Fittingly, during that performance,
Hughes notched the 400th point of his career in only his 421st game, becoming the seventh-fastest blueliner to do it in NHL history. According to NHL EDGE, he also recorded the
highest skating speed in the league this season at 24.56 mph, eclipsing Martin Necas’ mark of 24.49. Overall, he was a workhorse and did everything he could to will the Canucks to victory, logging 28:25 of ice time, and launching a game-high nine shots at Igor Shesterkin. Basically, he was a beast, and kept his name in the running for the Norris Trophy, even though he hasn’t played as much as Cale Makar and Zach Werenski this season.
Up – Brock Boeser Stays Hot With 5th Goal in 3 Games
Speaking of beasts,
Brock Boeser also kept that status alive, scoring his fifth goal in his last three games on Saturday. He now has 23 goals and could conceivably hit 30 again if he continues at this pace. He needs seven in the Canucks’ final 12 games, which could be seen as a tall order, but we all know what confidence and a hot stick can accomplish. There is still uncertainty about whether he will re-sign in the offseason, so hopefully, this stretch where he’s stepped up in a crucial time makes general manager Patrik Allvin think twice about letting him walk to free agency.
Up – Kiefer Sherwood Breaks NHL Record for Hits in a Season
Kiefer Sherwood has arguably been the Canucks’ top free agent signing this season. While Jake DeBrusk could fall into that category too, he has been a streaky scorer and sometimes disappears during games. That hasn’t been the case with Sherwood, as even if he’s not scoring, he’s making an impact with his physicality. Evidenced by his
now-single-season record 395 hits , players always have to have their heads on swivel every time No. 44 is on the ice. He has also added a lot of unexpected offence to the team with a career-high 15 goals and 29 points and is tied with Conor Garland for the lead in game-winning goals with four. All in all, he has been more than a revelation for the Canucks this season. Hopefully, he will be able to showcase that in the playoffs because his style is perfect for that time of year.
Down – Path to the Playoffs Gets Rockier With Injuries to Pettersson & Hoglander
Things have not gone according to plan for the Canucks on their current six-game road trip. They are 0-1-1 so far and have fallen five points behind the Blues for the final wild card spot. What’s worse, they could be without Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander against the Devils, further decimating their forward (and more importantly centre) depth that is already missing Filip Chytil. Both players missed the third period of their 5-3 loss to the Rangers, and the extent of their injuries is currently unknown.
They missed practice on Sunday (March 23) , which is not a good sign that they will be available for the game tonight. The Canucks were already facing long odds of making the playoffs before these injuries. While they are still firmly in the race, it’s gotten much tougher to stay afloat, especially if Pius Suter and Teddy Blueger are their top two centres for more than just a game or two. Aatu Raty was recalled from Abbotsford on Sunday, so now the depth chart looks like this: Suter, Blueger, Raty, and Nils Aman. Not exactly the lineup of a playoff team. Drew O’Connor, who has played down the middle with the Pittsburgh Penguins, could step in, but that only slightly makes the picture look better. The teams around the Canucks are also winning consistently as the Blues, Calgary Flames and Utah Hockey Club are on multi-game winning streaks with the Blues leading the way with a run that has reached six games now. If they don’t start getting some wins under their belt, the Blues will start running away with the spot – and they don’t exactly have a difficult schedule down the stretch, sitting 14th in the
strength of schedule (SOS) rankings , set to face only three opponents that are considered “tough” by Tankathon. The Canucks, meanwhile, are ninth and will face five, including twice against the Pacific Division leaders, Vegas Golden Knights. They better hope that the Nashville Predators, who the Blues play twice down the stretch, can shock them as they did the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday when they blitzed them 5-2. It should be an interesting next couple of weeks for the Canucks as they head down the stretch. Will they overcome their latest bout of adversity and squeak their way in, or will fans have to endure yet another year without their beloved team in the playoffs? Stay tuned.
