Canucks, Ducks Game Day: Will Quinn Hughes shrug off the pain to play?

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Vancouver Canucks vs. Anaheim Ducks

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When/where: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Rogers Arena

TV: Sportsnet Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650

The buzz: Will he or won’t he?

The answer is no. As in not tonight, maybe not Friday, and who knows about Sunday?

It has become a repeated game-day refrain for Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. In dealing with his latest setback — a  lower-body “tweak” suffered Saturday in Seattle — the reigning Norris Trophy winner practised for 15 minutes Tuesday before leaving the ice.

He didn’t take the optional game-day skate Wednesday. Head coach Rick Tocchet put the rehab process in perspective.

“He’s going to get a bunch of treatment today and we’ll go from there,” he said. “I don’t know how many days, but we’re going to shut him down tonight and we’ll see how he is tomorrow. That’s really what the injury is now. Every day it kind of changes. He feels better then it’s can he get through a practice?

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“He didn’t hurt anything (Tuesday) but it was smart for him to get off the ice. A long-term injury could really affect him, and at this point of the season, a lot of people play hurt. He’s a gamer, but sometimes you’ve got to make decisions for Quinn.”

Tocchet did say if there’s a window to rest Hughes for seven days to ensure he’s totally healthy for the final stretch-drive games, it would be a prudent plan. The Canucks aren’t making the playoffs without their best player.

“We don’t ever want to jeopardize this guy’s career and it’s something you’ve got to keep an eye on,” stressed Tocchet.

Of course, the timing of all isn’t good.

The Calgary Flames have remained in the Western Conference wild-card positioning race, and now the St. Louis Blues, Utah Hockey Club, and even the surging Ducks have closed to within striking range for that final spot with a 7-3-1 run.

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On Tuesday, the Flames hammered the Flyers 6-3 in Philadelphia to move two points up on the Canucks with 67, but have played one more game. And the upstart Ducks stunned the Oilers 6-2 in Edmonton and are now four points back of the Canucks with the same amount of games played.

What the Canucks really need is a long look in the competitive mirror following an alarming 1-4-0 road trip to prepare for a defining four-game homestand. Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser didn’t score on that journey and Pettersson didn’t register a shot in the finale, a brutal 6-3 loss in Seattle on Saturday.

Pettersson stayed out for a long post-practice skills session Sunday and had a pre-practice instruction Tuesday. That kind of willingness to improve on his season gone sideways with just 11 goals should have started long ago. He has sunk to a career low with no goals in 14 games and just 18 shots in that span.

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The Canucks were also outscored 18-10 in those five road outcomes. And being ranked 31st in shots per game (25.4) and 26th offensively (3.05 goals per outing) is going a long way to coming up way short of expectations.

The playoff bar was set at 96 points at the outset of this season. The Canucks have 65 and need 31 in their remaining 22 games. Are they that far removed from a pair of big victories at Rogers Arena in blanking the Colorado Avalanche 3-0 and topping the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 before the 4-Nations Face-Off break?

Aside from a penalty kill that is on an amazing 25-for-27 run the last 11 games to vault into sixth place with 82 per cent efficiency, it’s the lack of pace and push and offence and confidence. That needed middle drive and playing inside happens occasionally, but not nearly enough.

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The deflating 5-2 loss in Anaheim on Thursday looked all too familiar. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first period, the Canucks crumbled in the second by allowing two rush goals in four minutes.

The history: The only history that matters is what the Canucks script from here. Last season, they were 12-7-3 in the final 22 games to hit 50 wins and 109 division-clinching points. Now, they need to go 13-4-5 just to get to the playoffs.

The hope: Boeser puts aside the business side as an unrestricted free agent on an expiring contract. He still doesn’t have an extension in advance of the trade deadline Friday. He hasn’t scored in five games and has two goals in the last 13 games.

The fear: Good start, bad finish. It’s too familiar and is destroying the season. High-risk plays often lead to turnovers and odd-man rushes. Instead of pushing for the next goal when leading, the Canucks retreat and get on their heels.

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The top guns: Jake DeBrusk has a team-leading 21 goals and is on pace for a career-high 28. He had 27 on two occasions with the Boston Bruins. His 15 road goals this season rank ninth.

The wounded: Canucks: Quinn Hughes (lower body, day-to-day), Thatcher Demko (undisclosed, week-to-week, IR), Noah Juulsen (hernia surgery, IR). Ducks: Brock McGinn (lower body, IR), Robby Fabbri (upper body, IR).

The quote: “We’ve got to get some confidence from certain guys. You can get it back with a good practice or game. You can’t think long term.” — Rick Tocchet.