Avalanche eye top seed with struggling Canucks visiting
While the Colorado Avalanche close in on the top overall seed for the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Vancouver Canucks have all but clinched the NHL's basement.
Vancouver (21-44-8, 50 points) has been eliminated from the playoffs and, with nine games remaining, sit 17 points behind the next-worst team in the league entering Tuesday's play. The Canucks have lost six in a row, a streak they will try to end when they visit Colorado on Wednesday night.
The Avalanche (49-14-10, 108 points) ended a four-game home losing streak with a 9-2 win over Calgary on Monday night, but it came at a cost. Star defenseman Cale Makar suffered an upper-body injury late in the second period and didn't play in the third.
According to ESPN on Tuesday, Makar's injury does not appear to be serious but there has been no timeline announced for his return. With Colorado needing no more than nine points in its final nine games to win the President's Trophy, it will likely be cautious with Makar.
Securing that top overall seed would allow the Avalanche to rest players down the stretch.
"We have some games we need to win to secure first (place), and we don't want to leave it to the bitter end," said Colorado head coach Jared Bednar. "So let's make the most of these next couple home games and put ourselves in a good spot before we get out on the road."
The Avalanche's road/home schedule is split evenly after Wednesday night and a few wins will take the drama out of the final games, other than players improving their stats. Nathan MacKinnon, who reached 120 points for the second time in three years, leads the NHL in goals with 49 and is on the brink of his second 50-goal season.
Martin Necas already established career highs in goals (35), assists (57) and points (92). Fourth-line forward Parker Kelly, with 18 goals, has more than doubled his previous career high. Colorado has five players with 20 or more goals heading into the game against the Canucks.
Vancouver, which sits 3-11-2 since the Olympic break, has been shut out twice while scoring just 11 goals during the current six-game losing streak.
The Canucks have plenty of veterans on the roster, including leading scorers Elias Pettersson (46 points), Filip Hronek (42 points) and Brock Boeser (39 points). However, since trading Quinn Hughes to Minnesota in December, Vancouver has been focused on the future and getting young players experience. Despite the tough season, the youth has been refreshing for some of the veterans.
"It's fun to be around them. You can tell they're getting more used to the NHL and the lifestyle, and feeling more comfortable in this locker room," goaltender Kevin Lankinen said. "As an older guy, that's what I want to create -- a culture where they can be themselves and feel good about who they are and not have to worry about anything else other than playing hockey, because that's when we get the best results from them as well."