The Vancouver Canucks will be playing simply for pride when they take on the high-powered Colorado Avalanche Thursday evening, as they were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday evening.

The final four games will provide an opportunity for Vancouver’s young skaters to continue gaining valuable NHL experience and help prove they are worthy of full-time roles next season.

The Avalanche, meanwhile, will be looking to fine-tune their game ahead of what could be a lengthy postseason run and have been in strong form with a record of 7-2-1 in their last 10 matchups. They will be without reigning Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon, who has been announced as out.

I’ll detail the relevant game notes, as well as outline my favourite betting angle below.

If nothing else, the Canucks can say they fought until the very end after authoring a historic comeback in Dallas on Tuesday. They became the first team ever to score three goals in the final minute to come back and win a game in NHL history, a record that, in all likelihood, will stand for a very long time.

With a record of 4-4-2 across their last ten games, the Canucks were ultimately unable to go on the kind of run that was needed to catch the red-hot St. Louis Blues or Minnesota Wild. They have controlled play at a respectable rate in that span with a 50.25% expected goal share in that span and have generated 3.50 goals per game despite playing without several key pieces.

It’s possible we see some air come out of the team now that they are officially eliminated, as despite the modest results, it was fairly easy to see the high level of desperation offered from head coach Rick Tocchet’s side recently. However, there are several skaters who should remain motivated by a desire to earn full-time NHL roles, and players such as Brock Boeser are looking to add to their case for larger contracts this summer.

Elias Pettersson’s play down the stretch has been one positive story for the Canucks in a lost season, as the 21-year-old has played well in a heightened role on the top unit recently. The Canucks top two defence pairings look quite solid currently, while the third pairing of Derek Forbort and Victor Mancini has been heavily outplayed.

Thatcher Demko is expected to get the start in goal. He holds a .889 save percentage and 2.90 GAA in 23 games played this season.

Avalanche GM Joe Sakic has greatly bolstered his team’s depth through various trades this season, and tonight’s matchup will give the team a chance to prove they are still capable of playing at a high level without MacKinnon in the lineup. Thanks to the additions of Charlie Coyle and Brock Nelson at the trade deadline, Colorado’s lineup still looks quite formidable despite the loss of their top centre in MacKinnon.

While MacKinnon will ultimately be a surprise absence from the lineup in this matchup, the team did get good news as Martin Necas will return after missing the last two games. Necas has had a fantastic campaign with 81 points in 76 games played and proved during his time with the Carolina Hurricanes this season that he is more than capable of carrying his own line, which is not something we know for certain about former Avs star Mikko Rantanen.

Colorado is 11-3-2 since the trade deadline and has scored 3.50 goals per game in that span while allowing only 2.19 goals against. MacKinnon leaves a massive hole on the top line, but with Artturi Lehkonen and Val Nichushkin healthy, as well as the team’s various newcomers, they still look to be a very formidable side without their best player.

Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to start in goal. He holds a .914 save percentage and 2.49 GAA in 54 games played this season.

Even with MacKinnon sidelined, the Canucks look quite overmatched in this game and may have a hard time hanging in.

The Avalanche have been arguably the league’s most dominant team since the trade deadline and has a number of players in the lineup capable of stepping up to help cover MacKinnon’s absence. Blackwood has been one of the best starters in the league this season and provides an edge over Demko in goals, though he may not be asked of much.

While it’s not necessarily an angle to bank on, it is possible the Canucks fall flat after being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs Wednesday evening.

There looks to be value backing the Avs to cover the puck-line at +125, as the market seems to have adjusted more than enough for MacKinnon’s loss.