The Vancouver Canucks made up plenty of ground with a 6-1-1 stretch of play prior to the 4 Nations Face-off break but have lost some momentum with regulation losses in their first two games after the lay-off. They are heavy underdogs Wednesday evening as they take on a well-rounded Los Angeles Kings side, which holds a record of 19-3-2 on home ice this season.

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

The Canucks’ playoff hopes took a big hit over the weekend, as they failed to record a point in a pair of tough road matchups versus the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Hockey Club. Vancouver played to an expected goal share of just 37.86% across the two matchups and were outplayed heavily by what is now a fully healthy Utah side on Sunday evening.

To put a positive spin on it, on a per-game basis the two outings are not as entirely awful as it seems. Vegas is a true cup contender this season, and the Canucks easily could have earned a point. Utah, finally playing at full health, is arguably the most underrated team in the league right now, which is why losing in regulation to arguably the best team in the West playoff race hurts so greatly.

Still, it’s quite clear that the Canucks need a boost right now, and hopefully, that will come in the form of Captain Quinn Hughes, who is expected to return to the lineup in tonight’s matchup. In the minutes in which Hughes is on the ice, the Canucks are performing at the level of a Presidents Trophy winner, while the rest of the time, they are a below-average side.

Head coach Rick Tocchet has altered his lines ahead of this matchup as he looks to spark his offence. He has separated Filip Chytil from Brock Boeser, offering a new-look second unit comprised of Chytil, Dakota Joshua and Connor Garland. The Canucks new-look second trio sounds pretty intriguing on paper and should be a unit to watch in this matchup.

Chytil has been Vancouver’s best forward since his arrival, and was clearly carrying the second line to strong play. Garland has been one of the few Canucks to overachieve expectations this season and should help Chytil get some extra touches in the offensive zone. At his best, Joshua could be an excellent compliment to the other two, and this gives him a good opportunity to find his game offensively.

As Hughes, Marcus Pettersson and Filip Hronek will all likely be in the lineup at the same time, the defensive core looks far better than it has throughout most of this season.

The Canucks practiced with a top power play unit compiled of Hughes, Chytil, Boeser, Garland, and Jake DeBrusk. It seems entirely fair to keep Elias Pettersson off of the top unit right now, and hopefully, with Hughes back in the mix, the power play can provide an edge in this matchup.

Kevin Lankinen is expected to get the start in goal for the Canucks. He holds a +3.5 GSAx rating and a .907 save percentage in 35 appearances this season.

As key forwards such as Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield have started to offer more dynamic play, the Kings look to be a well-oiled machine which could finally make some noise this postseason. Currently, they will still have to get through the cup favourite (per consensus odds) Edmonton Oilers, but there are arguments which suggest this Kings team is better than the ones which have bowed out versus the Oilers in years past.

It was clear listening to the exit interviews at the end of last season that numerous key skaters were overplaying the 1-3-1 and wanted to attempt to play a more aggressive style this season. While the Kings do look to have become a more dangerous side offensively as a result, their 2.73 xGA/60 rating is still the best mark in the NHL this season.

The Kings hold a +20 goal differential through 55 games, which is actually better than the Oilers on a per-game basis.

The Kings have always provided their goaltenders with tremendous defensive play over the last several seasons but have been marred by never truly having a high-quality starter. Darcy Kuemper has thrived playing behind an elite defensive side this season, with a .917 save percentage and +11.1 GSAx rating.

Over the last 15 games, Fiala and Byfield have combined for 29 points, pairing up with Alex Laferriere on a dominant third line, which has been excellent at both ends of the ice. They have outscored opponents 8-2 and provided some significant offensive further down the lineup card.

The Kings greatest weakness still looks to be their power play, which has been a key reason for their loss to the Oilers in recent postseasons. Over the last 10 games, they have succeeded on just 11.8% of opportunities and rank 29th in success rate over the entirety of the season.

Los Angeles has zero skaters on the injury report entering this matchup.

There are just enough arguments working in favour of the Canucks for me to believe -175 is not a good price to back the Kings winning in this spot. The Canucks will have a rest advantage in this matchup and could potentially have a goaltending edge if the Kings do decide to start David Rittich, who has not played since February 8th.

The Canucks are a completely different team with Hughes in the lineup and were trending in the right direction prior to this weekend’s losses versus two quality opponents. We should see a desperate performance from the Canucks in this matchup, and it wouldn’t shock me if they can hang around and keep it competitive.

While the Canucks might have a slightly better chance of winning than oddsmakers seem to think, it does seem as though Byfield’s chances of remaining productive are being underrated. The former second-overall pick has been on fire with 12 points in his last 10 games and is playing alongside one of the league’s most dynamic skaters in Fiala. At -110, I believe we are getting a good number to back Byfield recording a point.

My favourite bet involving the Canucks involves going back to Chytil to record a point at -105 after he let us down on Sunday evening. He has consistently looked to be the most dangerous forward since his arrival, and the new-look second line could prove to be an effective unit.