Vancouver Canucks is mainly in the Must-Win territory when preparing to host the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.
With its playoffs that flicker, Canucks (34-27-13, 81 points) return home outside a playoffs and need arches a couple of teams to move on to the Stanley Cup hunt. They entered Tuesday six points behind St. Louis Blues for the last wild card site in the Western conference.
“We cannot be discouraged or become negative,” said Canuck’s defender Tyler Myers. “We’re home to get some momentum in our own building and we just have to keep printing. You never know what can happen.”
Canucks is back on the West Coast after a 2-2 road trip which ended with a 3-1 loss to Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. Vancouver plays six out of eight matches at home to close the regular season.
A collision with the Kraken, who has officially been eliminated from the playoffs, is a can-not-Lose-business-but canucks do its best so as not to let the situation suffocate their senses.
“You obviously feel the big picture,” said Pius Suter. “But you can only focus on one at a time and just fight hard and make sure the next game we get two points out there. And then go from there. You can’t think too much at this time on all other teams. You just have to win.”
They will once again be without a trio of injured – and important – forward in Elias Pettersson, Filip Chytil and Nils Hoglander. A saving grace has been Suter’s game. Suter, who scored Vancouver’s lone goals in Winnipeg, has collected two goals and six assists in the four matches since entering Pettersson’s top line center role.
The Kraken (31-38-6, 68 points) kicks off a five-game. Seattle, who has only succeeded in a victory in six excursions (1-4-1), ended a four-game home tooth with a 3-1 loss to Dallas Stars on Monday.
The Kraken fell in both halves of a two-game stars in Seattle and released the first collision 5-1 on Saturday.
“The script in this game, minus power play and penalty murder, resembled the last game against Dallas,” said the Kraken coach Dan Bylsma. “Each (team) took some swings. They had some chances, we had some chances in the offensive zone. … it was a hard -fought game.”
In a microcosm from its season, the Kraken started strong – and took a lead on Kaapo Kakko’s goal 62 seconds in the clash – but handed over a few goals 45 seconds apart with the 3:19 mark and never regained the upper hand.
“I think we had enough chances to win that game, but just couldn’t put it in,” Kakko said.
It’s a little positive, but Kakko’s goal gives him a career pile of 41 points in the season (14 goals, 27 assists). The second overall election in the NHL draft 2019 has netted 10 goals and 27 points in 42 games since he was acquired through trading from the New York Rangers in mid-December.
After struggling under the expectations of being a high draft Rangers, Kakko’s progress is good for Kraken’s future.
“I think I just play my game more,” Kakko said. “I feel my game is in the O-zone … I can score goals and maybe find someone else for a good chance.”
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