Canucks ready for stretch run Vancouver returns from lengthy break tonight, faces Colorado on road
VANCOUVER — Heading into the back half of the hockey season, the Vancouver Canucks know each game will carry a little extra weight.
Vancouver (23-22-6) sat just outside of a Western Conference wild-card spot heading into Friday’s games, tied with the Colorado Avalanche in points but having played one more game.
The standings are “definitely motivating” as the Canucks return from the All-Star break and bye week, head coach Travis Green said after practice Thursday.
“At the beginning of the year, we said we wanted to play meaningful games down the stretch and that’s what we’re in the middle of right now,” he said.
The tie between the Avs and Canucks will be broken tonight when the teams meet in Denver, kicking off a four-game road swing for Vancouver.
It’s a trip that centre Bo Horvat said will be huge for the group.
“We can either climb the ladder or go the opposite way. And we want to keep climbing, get points and stay in the playoff race,” he said. “These are meaningful games and if we want to make the playoffs, we’ve got to go on a bit of a run here.”
Vancouver’s lone representative at the All-Star weekend agreed.
“It’s really important to get a good start after this break,” said Elias Pettersson, the team’s star rookie. “We know we’re in a great spot to push for a playoff spot and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The 20-year-old leads the Canucks in scoring with 23 goals and 22 assists over his first 40 NHL games.
Five of those points came from the last battle between Colorado and Vancouver, an eye-popping 7-6 overtime win for the Canucks.
Pettersson called the contest “one of the funnest games” he’s played in this season and said he’d like to see a repeat performance tonight.
But the Canucks know they can play cleaner, tighter hockey, said veteran defenceman Alex Edler.
“We’ve just got to get back to what we did when we were successful,” he said.
With the NHL trade deadline just over three weeks away, rumours have swirled about Edler’s future.
A free agent come July, the 32-yearold Swede has said he wants to stay with Vancouver.
“I’ve been here when we’ve been really good and when we’re not so good. It’s no secret that I like it here.”
For now, Edler’s just focusing on tonight’s game in Colorado.
The contest will be the first of many to have a post-season feel, he said.
“Every game now, it’s going to be playoff kind of hockey from here on in,” he said. “So we’ve got to be prepared for that.”