The Canucks run of games against California teams came to an end tonight, finishing it off with a 3-2 win over the visiting Los Angeles Kings. The Canucks finally conquered their dream of a three-game winning streak, the first of the season.  For most fans, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Their run of wins against their California foes has already distanced themselves from the floor, and any wins from here on out are just hurting their chances. Let’s dive into it.

The Canucks started off slow, the Kings had them on their toes and they notched an early one to hold the lead for the majority of the 1st, until the final minute when a shot bounced off Emerson Etem and into the net. The Canucks have remarkably held their own against the California squads the past three games, however, they all have already clinched playoff spots, so their urgency might not be at the highest of levels.

The 2nd period continued that trend. The Kings scored early yet again off the stick of Clifford, but Hansen and McCann put the Canucks on top 3-2 to end the 2nd period. McCann’s goal could be considered a goal of the year candidate for the Canucks as he undressed the Kings and sniped it past a sprawling Jonathan Quick. 

The Canucks sat on their lead, no matter how much the Kings tried to push them off of it. The Canucks somehow managed to take all 6 points away from their Californian opponents over the past 3 games, and as I said earlier, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. 

In the 2nd intermission, the topic of Canucks standout prospect Brock Boeser came up, and John Shannon dropped an interesting tidbit. It’s long been assumed that he would spend the entirety of next season at the University of North Dakota, and then move on to the Canucks beyond that, but according to Shannon, the Canucks may have had a change of heart. Apparently, they are prepared to talk it over with Boeser and let him make the decision of whether he wants to attempt to make the Canucks next season, or go back to college. It’s an interesting development, and it will be curious to see where this goes after the incredible season he has been putting together.

As far as the game goes. we learned that the Canucks found their streak late in the year when it didn’t matter anymore. The young guns played well tonight, so did the veterans. It was one of the few team efforts we have seen out of this squad all season. It’s nice seeing the young guys perform well, but you just can’t help but think about the impact these unnecessary points will have on their chances in the draft lottery.