Canucks Sink Playoff Chances After Poor Road Trip

The Vancouver Canucks embarked on a six-game road trip within striking distance of a Western Conference playoff spot. With every game becoming a must-win situation for the Canucks, they struggled to make any movement in the playoff race.

Returning to Vancouver with eight games remaining in the season, the Canucks went 2-2-2 on the road trip. Sitting with a 34-27-13 record, the Canucks may have sunk their playoff chances by collecting just six out of a possible 12 points on the road.

The Canucks didn’t pull away from the Calgary Flames who are one point behind with two games in hand, and it doesn’t seem like anyone is catching the St. Louis Blues. Despite having a game in hand on the Blues, the Canucks are six points back of St. Louis who have won nine straight.

According to moneypuck.com, the Canucks enter a new week with a 9.7% chance of making the playoffs. About a week before the trade deadline, things looked much different in Vancouver as they held 59.8% odds of making the playoffs.

Of the Canucks eight games remaining, five are against teams who are currently sitting in a playoff spot. If they want any chance to compete for the Stanley Cup, they’ll need to have a near-perfect finish to the season, but also hope other teams stumble.

The Blues may never lose again as they ride their nine-game winning streak into some of the best playoff odds they’ve had all year. With seven games left, the Blues have a whopping 88.4% chance of making the playoffs.

At the same time the Canucks had a 59.8% chance of the playoffs, the Blues had just a 7.5% chance.

If not the Blues, maybe the Minnesota Wild will struggle enough to fall out of contention. The Wild have gone 8-9-1 since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off and are losing steam within the playoff race.

The Wild are tied with the Blues holding both wild card spots in the West, but there may be enough distance between them and the Canucks to keep Vancouver on the outside looking in.

The Canucks needed a successful road trip to keep their playoff hopes alive, but things aren’t looking good as the final few weeks of the season arrives.