Talk about whiplash.
The Vancouver Canucks had an incredible and emotional finish to their last game on Tuesday, as they stunned the Dallas Stars with a record-setting comeback in the final minute.
On Wednesday, they were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now, on Thursday, the season continues, despite being over. The Canucks still have to play out their final four games, starting with Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche.
It's likely to be the final four games for Brock Boeser, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He told Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre that he's not expecting to re-sign with the Canucks.
“Honestly, it's unlikely at this point,” said Boeser. “It sucks, it's unfortunate. I'm just trying to play good hockey, and then I'll worry about everything after that. We all know it's been a roller coaster of a year. There's been a lot of different things.”
If the Canucks don't re-sign Boeser, it's a sad end for the team's last link to the Sedin era. Boeser's rookie season overlapped with the Sedins' final season and it felt like a passing of the torch. Boeser led the Canucks in goals and points that season despite being limited to 62 games but a brutal back injury.
Boeser embodies so many of the Sedins' traits. He has never been the fastest player on the ice, but he's smart and knows how to put the puck in the back of the net. Off the ice, Boeser connects with the community in many of the same ways the Sedins did and he's always been one of the kindest and most humble players in the Canucks' room.
While Boeser wasn't able to repeat his 40-goal season from last year, he still has a share of the team lead in goals, tied with Jake DeBrusk for 25. A lot went wrong for Boeser this season, much of it out of his control, such as the concussion he suffered early in the season from a dirty hit.
It doesn't seem right for Boeser's time in Vancouver to end this way. He was supposed to be part of the young group that turned things around for the Canucks with Bo Horvat, Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko, and Quinn Hughes. Instead, he's unceremoniously being pushed out the door by the current management group and in such a way that the Canucks are likely to lose him for nothing in return, as they chose to keep him at the trade deadline for a futile playoff push.
The Canucks will be a less likeable team without Brock Boeser.
Vancouver Canucks projected lines
These lines are very tentative, as there's no word yet on the team's starting goaltender or if they plan on shuffling up any of their forward lines or pairings.
With that in mind, here are the Canucks' projected lines, subject to change:
The Canucks' starting goaltender will be Kevin Lankinen, as confirmed by head coach Rick Tocchet.
Colorado Avalanche projected lines
It's hard to know what to make of the Avalanche. They're getting another Hart-caliber season from Nathan MacKinnon, who has 32 goals and 116 points in 79 games. Cale Makar has 30 goals, the first 30-goal season of his career and the first by a defenceman since Mike Green in 2008-09.
They have a strong supporting cast, solid goaltending, and respectable special teams. By all rights, they should be a Stanley Cup contender.
But there's something about them that seems fragile. Maybe I'm wrong, but it just seems like the wheels could fall off at any moment. Maybe it's just residual anxiety from them trading Mikko Rantanen back in January, I don't know.
Here are the Avalanche's projected lines:
Joel Kiviranta - Martin Necas - Valeri Nichushkin
Artturi Lehkonen - Brock Nelson - Logan O'Connor
Miles Wood - Charlie Coyle - Jimmy Vesey
Parker Kelly - Jack Drury - Chris Wagner
Devon Toews - Cale Makar
Samuel Girard - Sam Malinski
Keaton Middleton - Erik Johnson
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
It's possible that the Avalanche will start resting players down the stretch as the team approaches the playoffs. Their spot in the standings is set at third in the Central Division, as they are extremely unlikely to catch the Dallas Stars ahead of them and can't be caught by the Minnesota Wild or St. Louis Blues behind them. We'll see if they choose to scratch any of their regulars against the Canucks.
UPDATE: Sure enough, the Avalanche are resting Nathan MacKinnon in this game. He reportedly has a minor injury, but you have to wonder if he would be in the lineup if this game actually had any consequences in the standings.
The Avalanche's starting goaltender is expected to be Mackenzie Blackwood, who has a .914 save percentage this season. He's lost all three of his starts against the Canucks this season, though one of those starts came when he was with the San Jose Sharks.
