VANCOUVER, B.C. — This was almost certainly the final nail in the coffin.
The Vancouver Canucks’ chances of making the playoffs were already a massive long shot before facing the Seattle Kraken. They would have needed to rattle off at least seven wins in their final eight games plus count on out-of-town scoreboard help to punch their ticket into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Most fans accepted it was over, but a small minority was still clinging to the last sliver of hope.
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Vancouver’s uninspiring performance Wednesday night against Seattle should shatter any hopes of a miracle. It’s not just that they lost in regulation; the lethargic, 5-0 way it happened all but confirms it’s over. Plenty of players still have stakes to play for, but the final seven games are relatively meaningless for the team as a whole.
Here are three takeaways from another dismal Canucks loss on home ice:
A sleepy start and DeBrusk’s costly giveaway
You wouldn’t know this was a must-win game for the Canucks based on the way they started it. The first period was sleepy and uneventful. There wasn’t a lot of energy or physical edge on either side. There wasn’t much offensive creativity. Both teams failed to register a single high-danger chance at five-on-five through the opening 20 minutes.
Natural Stat Trick’s heat map of shots after the first period was one of the saddest I’ve seen through six seasons of covering the Canucks — neither team got close to generating quality looks from the inside in the first period.
(Natural Stat Trick)
The Canucks were mostly lifeless and ineffective with the early two power-play opportunities they were handed. On the first one, they won the draw and got set up right away but lacked a decisive shot-first mentality. There was way too much perimeter passing. Quinn Hughes turned the puck over at one point, and Seattle was off to the races on a two-on-one counterattack. The Kraken would have taken an early 1-0 lead had Matty Beniers not whiffed on the shot that was preceded by a dangerous east-west pass.
Vancouver’s second power-play opportunity wasn’t much better. Hughes found Jake DeBrusk in the slot for a redirect chance that Joey Daccord denied, but other than that, they didn’t manufacture much. Jonathan Lekkerimäki had a tough sequence where he lost puck possession below the goal line, with the Canucks losing the ensuing battle and gifting the Kraken a clear.
Things went from bad to worse at the end of the opening frame. DeBrusk was carrying the puck through the neutral zone and carelessly turned it over to Michael Eyssimont. Eyssimont turned on the jets and rifled the puck five-hole on Thatcher Demko on his partial breakaway.
Michael Eyssimont picks off a Jake DeBrusk pass. He takes it into the Canucks zone and rips a shot past Thatcher Demko.
1-0 Seattle.
🎥: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/PwndrX3GaW
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 3, 2025
An off night for Demko
Demko is one of the veterans who actually has something to play for through the remainder of the season.
The talented but oft-injured stopper has missed most of the season with multiple injuries. His performance was understandably rusty when he first returned, but he has rounded into encouraging form over his last several starts.
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It’d be meaningful for Demko to finish the season healthy and end the campaign on a potential heater. The Canucks will have a tough decision to make on Demko’s future this summer. The 29-year-old has only one year left at a $5 million cap hit, and Vancouver already has Kevin Lankinen locked up on a long-term contract extension. Would management feel comfortable having $9.5 million committed to two goaltenders next season? Is Demko too unreliable with his health that his cap hit would be better spent upgrading the forward group?
Demko has mostly played well since returning from his most recent injury, but he had an off night against the Kraken. He went down into reverse VH too soon to seal the short-side post on a Chandler Stephenson rush. Stephenson, from a bad angle, picked the far side top corner.
2-0 Seattle.
🎥: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/tQG6j8zesG
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 3, 2025
Demko would probably want Shane Wright’s rush goal back as well.
3-0 Seattle.
🎥: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/a6I6r86reF
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) April 3, 2025
This loss was far from Demko’s fault because the Canucks didn’t generate nearly enough looks offensively, but his outing was subpar nonetheless.
It’s time to manage Hughes’ workload
With the Canucks’ playoff hopes dying, it’s probably time for the coaching staff to scale back Hughes’ minutes.
He has almost certainly been playing banged up and has handled a monstrous workload of minutes over the past few weeks. And it has taken a toll on his performance, as Hughes hasn’t been single-handedly taking over games like he was earlier in the season.
Hughes logged 19:57 through the first two periods, nearly on pace for another 30-minute outing. He finished the night at 27:45. Vancouver’s captain has played at least 26 minutes in six of his last seven games. The Canucks should shave a few of those minutes off Hughes through the remaining games to avoid the risk of running him into the ground.
(Photo of Michael Eyssimont scoring against Thatcher Demko: Simon Fearn / Imagn Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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