Canucks’ COVID-19 outbreak hits home for Canadian teams
The Vancouver Canucks’ season being brought to a standstill by the COVID-19 pandemic makes players and coaches elsewhere in the all-Canadian North Division uneasy for that team and their own.
Sixteen of the 22 players on the Canucks’ active roster were on the NHL’s protocol list with Sunday’s addition of forward Marc Michaelis and defenseman Jalen Chatfield. A member of the coaching staff had also been affected.
The Canucks are off the ice at least until Tuesday and have had four games postponed because of the virus.
“It’s something that we’ve talked about all season long, is keeping it (COVID) out,” Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid said Sunday. “It’s a huge part of the season, unfortunately.
“What’s happening in Vancouver is a lot more than hockey. We’re obviously hoping everyone is doing all right and families and everyone are OK, and they get healthy as quickly as possible.”
A player on the COVID-19 protocol list has not necessarily tested positive. The league requires individuals with positive tests to selfisolate for 10 days, and for close contacts to self-isolate for two weeks.
Vancouver’s situation brings home for the rest of Canada’s NHL clubs the pitfalls of operating in a pandemic.
“It just reinforces you’ve got to do things right,” Oilers coach Dave Tippett said. “Try to give yourself the best chance to keep it out as you can. I think all the players are trying to do a good job, but sometimes that virus, it finds its way.
“You feel for those guys out there. Hopefully they can get through it, but it’s certainly concerning.”
Sunday’s games
CAPITALS 5, DEVILS 4 » Alex Ovechkin moved into a second-place tie on the all-time list for NHL power-play goals as Washington, completed a sweep of their eightgame series.
Ovechkin’s second-period goal was his 265th with the extra man, tying him with Brett Hull for second place and leaving him nine behind all-time league leader Dave Andreychuk (274).
PANTHERS 3, BLUE JACKETS 0 » Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist, Chris Driedger posted his third career shutout for surging Florida.
Frank Vatrano and Gustav Forsling also scored, and MacKenzie Weegar had two assists as the Panthers won their sixth straight and moved into sole possession of first place in the Central.
Driedger, who has earned wins in four of his last five appearances, stopped all 32 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.
RED WINGS 5, LIGHTNING 1 » Thomas Greiss made 27 stops to lead Detroit to its first road win against the Lightning in the regular season in more than 10 years.
Marc Staal, Valtteri Filppula, Michael Rasmussen, Darren Helm and Dylan Larkin all scored for the Red Wings, who snapped a threegame winless streak. Luke Glendening and Anthony Mantha each finished with two assists for Detroit, which had lost 17 regular-season consecutive games in Tampa.
Victor Hedman scored his seventh goal for the Lightning. Christopher Gibson stopped 13 shots in the loss.