Canucks Daily: Pecking Order, Revenge, St. Louis Slips

The Vancouver Canucks skate at 10 am Wednesday in preparation for the evening match against the St. Louis Blues. They’ll want to exact revenge for the 4-1 loss two nights ago, but more importantly the Canucks will want and need the two points.

In fact, they’ll really need them as the NHL scoreboard once again didn’t go their way on Tuesday night.

The Dallas Stars utilized one of their games in hand and came from behind in the 3rd period to beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-to-2 while the Nashville Predators took care of business 4-1 against the Ottawa Senators. The Predators are now in third place in the Central Division with 82 points.

And lookie there who’s slipped down to the 1st wild card spot …

Let’s Skate! …

The Race

Here’s your morning glance:

3rd Place – Pacific Division – Edmonton Oilers – 67 games played, 79 points

1st Wild Card – St. Louis Blues – 65 games played, 81 points

2nd Wild Card – Dallas Stars – 65 games played, 77 points

Vegas Golden Knights – 68 games played, 76 points

Winnipeg Jets – 67 games played, 74 points

Vancouver Canucks – 68 games played, 73 points

A Respite

The Vancouver Canucks should be able to ‘leave it all out there’ on Wednesday night, even if they’re still a bit fatigued from the just concluded four-game road trip. The club enjoys a three day break prior to their next home game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday afternoon.

Then a quirk. Of their next five games starting Sunday, the Canucks play those Golden Knights three times over a ten day period. They also visit the Arizona Coyotes and host the San Jose Sharks. Realistically, Vancouver will need to win all five of them to have a crack at the playoffs.

First, they’ll have to take care of the heavy Blues, a team that’s beaten them twice.

Melnyk Memories

At the NHL GM meetings in Florida on Tuesday, Ottawa Senators General Manager Pierre Dorian remembered team owner Eugene Melnyk, who passed away on Monday at the age of 62.

“He’ll be missed dearly,” Dorion said. “We started something together, and we’re going to finish it, and he’ll be so proud of us, and he’ll be looking down on us. I think the one good thing today is that I think he’s beside Bryan Murray, and they’re analyzing every trade and transaction and signing and draft that we’ve probably made in the last five years.”

The Senators are in rebuild mode and out of the playoffs with the fourth fewest points in the league.

Murray, the previous Senators GM, died of cancer in 2017.