Morning Coffee: Canucks No Longer Control Path To The Playoffs

The Vancouver Canucks won six straight games to fight back into the Western Conference playoff race.

Just when it started to look like they would seize control of their path to the postseason, things unravelled in a hurry last night.

The Canucks looked in command, up 2-0 on the Ottawa Senators through 20 minutes. 

Then Jaroslav Halak left the game with an injury, Ottawa scored the next three goals, and the Senators went on to win the game 4-3 in a shootout.

On a night when the Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators both won, Vancouver needed to secure two points versus Ottawa.

Instead, they lost ground in the West playoff race and now sit four points out of a playoff spot with five games left and a demanding schedule to close out the season.

Here’s the TSN EDGE Morning Coffee for Wednesday, April 20th, 2022.

Canucks No Longer Control Path To The Playoffs 

The Canucks entered last night at +570 to make the playoffs at FanDuel Sportsbook.

That number represented a 14.9 per cent implied probability.

Their chances to get in will be that much longer after letting an important point slip away against the Senators.

“In the words of Yogi Berra, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”@CraigJButton reminds #Canucks fans that with five games left, their team is still in it: https://t.co/3hdknL48bE#TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/NYY3fpOPFY

Vancouver was four points back of the Kings for third in the Pacific Division, with both a game in hand and a game against Los Angeles on April 28th.

The Canucks would have been guaranteed a top-three seed in the Pacific Division if they had won out.

Instead, Ottawa rallied from down two goals and beat Vancouver as a +205 ML underdog.

Adam Gaudette stealing a standings point that the #Canucks needed is the