Canucks’ Slow Start Reaches Rare Territory After Rangers Loss
A difficult start continues
Friday’s 5-1 defeat against the Rangers left Vancouver with seven points. The result deepened a start that has become unusually poor this early in the season. The Canucks have played two more games than Chicago, yet sit four points behind the Blackhawks. The comparison underscores the gap between Vancouver and even a team with fewer games played.
A rare mark after 21 games
Vancouver has three wins or fewer through its first 21 games. Hockey-Reference’s StatHead database lists the Canucks as the 39th team in league history to reach that point.
The historical figure offers little reason for optimism about a playoff run. Only two of the previous teams in that group qualified for the postseason in the same season.
Playoff hopes remain unlikely
The season’s early results have raised questions about how much the Canucks can recover. The record through 21 games places them among a small group of teams with similarly limited success.
The article’s assessment is that a playoff appearance should not be expected. Vancouver’s seven points and the recent loss to New York frame the scale of the challenge.
Key points
- Vancouver lost 5-1 to the New York Rangers on Friday.
- The Canucks have seven points, four fewer than Chicago despite playing two more games.
- Only 39 teams in league history had three or fewer wins through 21 games.
- Just two teams in that historical group made the playoffs that season.