CALGARI – The way the Vancouver Canucks started the National Hockey League season, it looked like they would be out of the playoffs by Christmas.
Instead, they survived until the last week of the regular season. Almost in theory, but they succeeded.
Exhausted by a relentless four-month sprint to catch up in the Western Conference standings, Canucks lost his third straight game 6-3 to Calgary Flames on Saturday. The result, combined with the Dallas Stars’ reverse 3-2 home win against the Seattle Kraken, left Canucks six points out of last place in the wildcard playoffs with three upcoming games.
Dallas is the only team in the race with fewer wins in the rules than Vancouver, so if the Stars lose their last three games and the Canucks fight the Kraken, Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver can still enter.
But Canucks must also overtake the Vegas Golden Knights, who are two points ahead of the San Jose Sharks on Sunday. If the Knights win, the Canucks will be mathematically eliminated on Tuesday when Vegas visits Dallas because someone has to win that game.
Canucks will miss the Stanley Cup for the sixth time in seven years.
“It was a lot of pressure and we didn’t get where we wanted to go,” coach Bruce Boudreau, whose hiring in December marked a dramatic turning point in the Canucks season, told reporters after the game. “I am just disappointed. We have been insisting since December 5 until now and I expect to continue insisting again in the next three games. But I want to say that our ultimate goal will probably not be achieved.
“I’m not excusing myself, but it’s hard to stand up emotionally for every game. This makes the playoffs special because you can do it in short periods of time. We had to do it in every game (since December 5) and sometimes it works and sometimes you get inconsistencies. But it will certainly make them better for next year. They will know the sequence they need to have from Day 1 to Day 82. ”
Canucks started the season 6-14-2 and have been 32-16-9 ever since.
They finally ran out of energy and time. They failed to create any pressure on Saturday until they were 2-0 behind the Flames.
“It would be nice to have a better start to the season and not be in that position,” said Canucks defender Oliver Ekman-Larson. “But we fought so hard to get back to this place and we will not give up now. We will play for these last three games and we will play from the heart.
“I prefer to be in Calgary’s position; this is not a lie. But I’m so proud of this band we have there. We never give up, we never give up in any game or point of the season, even when we are far behind in the beginning. And I don’t see us doing that in the last few games here. “
Twenty-one points ahead of Canucks, the Flames toned their muscles in the playoffs, being secure at the top of the Pacific Division.
They are 9-1-1 in their last 11 games and seem to have shown their will when needed on Saturday.
After Canux’s record-breaking defender Quinn Hughes scored at 18:46 in the second period, Connor Garland hit Tyler Myers’ air pass to make it 2-2 at 5:36 in the third. But just 14 seconds later, former Kanak’s point kick Chris Tanev sounded off the skates of Flames teammate Brett Ritchie.
Dylan Dubois then scored a two-on-one goal at 1:33 p.m. And Flams defender Nikita Zadorov was credited with a goal 12 seconds later when Myers tried to play a goalkeeper at the top of the line, but eventually scored the puck behind his own goalkeeper.
Demko conceded five goals in 31 shots, the third in a row in which Kanux’s MVP did not look like himself. It was also his 64th game of the season – 29 more than his “career high” last season.
“He can be tiring,” Boudreau said. “But, I mean, he was so good to us. And when you’re desperate, you have to bet. When betting, you have to play your best at all times. I felt comfortable every time we put him on the net. He is a great goalkeeper who will only get better. “
By the time Elias Peterson scored for Canucks 2:25, remaining on the lever next to Flames goalkeeper Dan Vladar, this was largely irrelevant. But Hughes’ goal assist meant something.
It was the 22-year-old’s 56th assist of the season, breaking Dennis Kearns’ 45-year record as an assistant to a Canucks defender and also allowing Hughes to equal Doug Leedster’s all-time 63-point record set in 1987. d.
“It’s just amazing what he’s doing on the ice,” Ekman-Larson said. “This is the man you want in the back to build your team, so we have that locked up. And many other parts as well.
“He’s a special player,” Boudreau agreed. “But he will break that record. . . five different times. He will get better every year and will continue to break it. That’s something he’s going to say, “Okay, that’s cool.” But he knows he will do much better in the future. “
For another summer, Canucks will be hoping for the same.
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