Canucks can be first NHL team to clinch playoff spot tonight
The Vancouver Canucks could become the first NHL team to clinch a playoff spot tonight. It’s a statement that seemed inconceivable just a year ago.
The Western Conference leaders will claim their spot in the postseason as long as they collect more points than the St. Louis Blues tonight. The Canucks play the Los Angeles Kings after the Blues take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
This means the Canucks will clinch with a regulation win if the Blues lose their game in any fashion. The Canucks will also clinch with an overtime loss if the Blues lose in regulation.
It’s been a remarkable turnaround for the team that finished 22nd in the league last season. There have been a lot of factors that have led to this improvement, including savvy trades by management, a revamped coaching staff, and better play from the team’s stars.
Perhaps no one deserves more credit than head coach Rick Tocchet. He has a 0.664% points percentage since joining the team midway through last season and is a leading candidate to win the Jack Adams Award.
No matter if they clinch a playoff spot tonight or sometime soon, the Canucks are destined for the postseason. It will be the first time since 2015 that a playoff game will be played in front of fans at Rogers Arena.
As it stands right now, the Canucks would be facing off against the Golden Knights in the first round. Playing the defending Stanley Cup champions in the first round would be a rematch of the 2020 series that saw the Canucks be eliminated from the COVID-altered playoffs.
Tonight’s Canucks game against the Kings starts a bit earlier than usual, as puck drop is at 6 pm PT. The two teams have split their two previous games this season.
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