As of Saturday, all but two Canucks players are off the NHL COVID Protocol list. The Canucks’ AHL affiliate is in Utica, New York, so unlike most of the rest of the NHL teams in Canada, they can’t recall players at will. They recalled Kole Lind on April 2, and Jack Rathbone on Friday.
The five teams that have a sum of 19 games remaining against Vancouver will in essence be picking at the carcass of a club whose players, staff members and respective families have been struck, and struck hard, by the P1 variant of the virus. Playing these games — when they start Sunday night, the Canucks will be scheduled to play 19 games in 32 days, an insane burden even if placed on the healthiest and best conditioned of teams — will add mockery to the playoff race, not justify it.
Lehner and Swayman earned shutouts Friday. Meanwhile, Colorado had three games postponed due to COVID-19 protocols, as Vancouver is poised to return. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
| GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 60 | |
| 45 | 27 | 15 | 3 | 57 | |
| 43 | 26 | 15 | 2 | 54 | |
| 42 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 47 | |
| 44 | 19 | 22 | 3 | 41 | |
| 37 | 16 | 18 | 3 | 35 | |
| 45 | 15 | 26 | 4 | 34 |
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