Canucks are Mired in a Bad Four-Game Skid

Before the season, Canadian sportsbooks predicted a bad season for the Canucks, giving them the worst odds to win the Stanley Cup. That wasn't surprising, since they had the fewest points in the NHL last season by a wide margin. Now the Canucks are mired in a bad four-game skid and starting to live up to the oddsmakers' predictions.

The Good and Then the Bad 

Things did not start bad for the Canucks this season, as they won two of their first three games, including a 6-5 OT road win over the Edmonton Oilers in their season debut. However, the wheels have fallen off since, with the club losing four in a row and being outscored 20-7.

The Skid 

The four-game losing streak began with a hard-fought 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Then, in the next three games, they lost badly, being outscored by three goals each time. To end the skid, they will have to do so in the Big Apple, where they face the New York Islanders (2-3-0) in their next game.

Defensive Woes 

The main issue for the Canucks so far this season has been on the defensive end of the ice. They rank second-to-last in goals against per game, giving up an average of five. They gave up six goals in their last game, a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers, and in their seven games, they have given up at least five goals in four of them. In Vancouver’s second game of the season, they blew up for seven goals but allowed nine in a wild 9-7 loss to the Oilers.

Lankinen’s Days May Be Numbered 

Kevin Lankinen entered the season as the Canucks’ top netminder, but with his play, the days of him being the #1 G may be numbered. He is 1-5-0 with a horrid GAA of 6.89 and a paltry save percentage of .786.

Vancouver has been bleeding goals, mostly with Lankinen between the pipes. Backup Leevi Merilainen actually has a solid GAA of 2.18. In his lone start, he gave up only one goal in a win, and in three other appearances when Lankinen was yanked, he gave up five goals in over an hour and a half of ice time.