Vancouver Canucks Lose 2 Star Forwards, Playoff Dreams Hang by a Thread
Saturday was a disastrous day for the Vancouver Canucks, dealing a significant blow to their already fading playoff hopes. Entering the weekend just one point behind the St. Louis Blues, the Canucks now find themselves clinging to survival after a series of unfavorable outcomes and unfortunate injury setbacks.
The Canucks arrived in New York City for their Saturday afternoon matchup against the Rangers with growing confidence in their offensive capabilities, despite a tough overtime loss to the Blues on Thursday.
On paper, the Canucks should have had no trouble defeating the Rangers, and early signs suggested they would. For what seemed like the first time all season, Vancouver dominated possession and outshot the Rangers 39-12, including a commanding 23-6 advantage after two periods.
However, in classic Canucks fashion, five of New York’s 12 shots found the back of the net, with three goals coming against Kevin Lankinen in the third period alone. The result was a shocking 5-3 loss at Madison Square Garden, leaving Vancouver empty-handed in the playoff race.
But the most damaging blows of the day came off the ice. The Canucks suffered a major setback when Elias Pettersson, who had recently shown signs of rediscovering his scoring touch after a sluggish season, left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury.
His linemate, Nils Höglander, also failed to finish the game. Head coach Rick Tocchet indicated that Pettersson’s injury could sideline him for Monday’s game and beyond, further complicating Vancouver’s playoff push.
Rick Tocchet, speaking to reporters after the game in New York, said he wasn't sure on the status of hurt forwards Elias Pettersson and Nils Höglander ahead of Monday's game in New Jersey, but he did speculate that the #Canucks may have to recall a centre. @Sportsnet650
— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) March 22, 2025
The out-of-town results were equally grim for the Canucks. While Vancouver was struggling in New York, the Blues faced the struggling Chicago Blackhawks and cruised to a crucial 4-1 victory. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames, trailing the New York Islanders 3-2 with just three minutes left, managed to tie the game thanks to Jonathan Huberdeau.
In overtime, Nazem Kadri scored the winner, pushing the Flames ahead of the Canucks in the standings.
To make matters worse, the Utah Hockey Club defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4 later in the day, moving them within one point of the Canucks with 22 games remaining for both teams.
Here are the updated Western Conference Wild Card standings after Saturday’s action:
- Minnesota Wild: 85 points
- St. Louis Blues: 79 points
- Calgary Flames: 77 points
- Vancouver Canucks: 76 points
- Utah Hockey Club: 75 points
