Canucks ship Vanek, Holm, but no picks in return

DENVER It wasn’t going to be easy to find their way. The moral compass was missing.

There was no Thomas Vanek to set the right mood in the room, set up shop in the slot, set screens, deflect pucks and unleash that heavy half-slapper Monday against the Colorado Avalanche.

The hired gun, who proved to be so much more for the Vancouver Canucks — mentor, leader and teacher — was moved as expected Monday and his absence was noticeable.

His former teammates talked with anticipation of the possibility of the winger returning in free agency because of what they learned. Even in a rebuild, you need calm. You need stability.

“It would be great,” Bo Horvat said. “As a young guy, he was always giving tips and pointers on how to protect the puck and what can make you better. It was fun to pick his brain.”

Here’s what the Canucks learned in a 3-1 loss to the Avalanche at the Pepsi Center:

STAY ON MacKINNON

Nathan MacKinnon has an explosive stride and trying to corral the Avalanche captain and hulking linemates Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen gets the Canucks in trouble.

On Monday, MacKinnon had 14 shot attempts through two periods and finished with 20. His signature dagger move came by wheeling around Troy Stecher in the third and scoring for a twogoal cushion. The Canucks had no answer for his sheer speed.

The Canucks did do an admirable job on the penalty kill, nullifying four of five attempts.

Brandon Sutter and Darren Archibald have formed a formidable pairing. Nic Dowd and Horvat were the other duo.

Rantanen did score a firstperiod power-play goal, but it came off a loose puck scramble and quick cross-ice feed and not off blown coverage.

GOOD AND BAD JAKE

Jake Virtanen can fly. With the Canucks on the second half of back-to-back games, Virtanen led all Canucks forwards in first-period ice time with 6:04. He also took an offensive-zone hooking penalty. Virtanen then exited the penalty box and made a strong move to the net from the right side.

Yet in the second period, he took another offensive-zone hooking minor. Coach Travis Green was not amused. He made it a hat trick with a slashing minor with the Canucks trailing 2-0 in the third period.

That’s the thing with Virtanen. You love the speed. You love the fact he rang a wrister off the post in the third period Monday to nearly make it 1-1. You’d just love a few more smarts.

GOALIE INTERFERENCE

Goalie interference is a hotly contested topic.

They got it right Monday. The Avs appeared to take a 2-0 lead midway through the second when MacKinnon wheeled around the net and put a puck into the slot. Rantanen roofed the shot. However, Landeskog got his stick into the pads of Jacob Markstrom while he attempted to move from post to post and Green challenged the play. He was right.

SEDIN SCORES

Brock Boeser hasn’t scored in six games. Vanek is gone. Sven Baertschi was quiet. Horvat’s backhand-to-forehand move on the power play in the third was one of the best chances.

Then Daniel Sedin got his 19th goal, from his knees, before the Avs got an empty-netter.