Canucks: How healthy Quinn Hughes will revive drive, beat playoff odds

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It was a sobering summation for a Vancouver Canucks’ season of concern.

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Head coach Rick Tocchet knows amid injures, lockerroom drama, departures and arrivals, and trade-deadline uncertainty, only one thing matters on the arduous climb to an NHL playoff berth.

“We need a healthy Quinn Hughes if we’re going to go anywhere,” he stated.

One player doesn’t make a team, but the reigning Norris Trophy winner is the catalyst to trigger the transition, generate offence and add pop to the plodding power play.

A 27th-ranked offence and 31st rating in shots could keep the Canucks from the second season. They remain in the hunt for the final wild-card spot with Calgary, St. Louis and Utah because of a collective resolve. However, moneypuck.com listed their odds Tuesday of advancing at just 36.7 per cent.

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“It’s important you don’t look at all the games left,” defenceman Tyler Myers told Postmedia. “It’s easy to look at how many points you need and how every loss feels heavier than the one before. You can’t look too far ahead.”

Looking back could actually help. The Canucks got through the muck and have lost three-consecutive games on one occasion. They avoided the big slide and here they are, still in contention, still plugging away.

“It’s big motivation,” said Myers. “I’m not going to lie. A lot has gone on this year, and to still be in a position to give ourselves a chance shows character and that we have good pieces. It’s going to be a dogfight to the end and we’ll do everything we can to get in.”

It won’t be easy.

Heading into Tuesday’s games, the Canucks were a point behind the Flames for the final wild-card spot with 63 games apiece. St. Louis was one point back with 65 games, while Utah had 67 points through 64 games.

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On Wednesday, the Canucks have nine games left against non-playoff teams while the Flames and Utah have 10. The Blues have the best set with a dozen against non-playoff clubs.

“We’re a four-line team and need production from everybody,” said Tocchet. “There’s got to be some urgency. If you’re that second guy going downhill on a rebound, those are the ones you’ve got to put in. Sometimes we’re guessing and need to stay in position.

“Play the odds and pucks will go in.”

That is why Hughes’ progress from a March 1 injury “tweak” — the trickle-down effect of a Jan. 31 oblique-muscle strain — is the first topic in daily deliberations of where the Canucks are and hope to be by mid-April.

Hughes skated in a non-contact jersey Tuesday during the game-day skate and is expected to practice next week. That’s encouraging. Despite missing 14 games with a trio of injuries, he remains third overall in blueliner scoring with 60 points (14-46).

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Myers has paired with Hughes and knows what the captain means to the club. The respect he commands is exceeded by a dizzying arsenal that includes sublime edge work, breakaway speed, precise playmaking and vastly improved shot.

“He’s a special player and it’s obviously tough having him out,” Myers stressed. “That’s where guys have to step up, and it might be as simple as doing your job more consistently and not forcing anything that’s not there.”

A silver lining is continued defensive diligence with lineup additions of veteran blueliner Marcus Pettersson and brash 21-year-old rookie Elias Pettersson. They have helped keep the Canucks in games while the offence continues to struggle for scoring solutions.

Add an impressive fifth-ranked penalty kill and the play in their own zone is not the problem.

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“I really like our team defence, and we’ll give ourselves a chance to win most nights,” added Myers. “I’ve been extremely impressed with ‘Junior’ (Pettersson). He showed a lot of maturity at camp — not only in his play, but he’s physically mature as well. He’s showing a lot of consistency and has a great future ahead of him.

“We’re not giving up a lot, but when offensive opportunities present themselves, we can show a lot more determination.”

Myers has jumped up more into the play and that causes matchup problems for defenders. He is not going to fill the net, but he does have four goals. The real onus lies with the big guns that have gone silent. Outside of Jake DeBrusk, who took a team-high 22 goals into Tuesday’s test against Montreal, the bad outweighs the good.

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Scoring by committee sounds good. The Canucks re-united Teddy Blueger between Dakota Joshua and Conor Garland on Tuesday to hopefully re-kindle chemistry the alignment had last season. But they need more than that.

Centre Elias Pettersson had one goal in his previous 17 games heading into the Canadiens clash, and just 12 in 57 games. Brock Boeser was in an eight-game goal funk and had just two goals in his last 16 games. He obviously misses the symmetry he had with the departed J.T. Miller, who drove play and created space.

“It’s definitely an adjustment,” admitted Boeser. “I’m trying to understand I have to play a little bit different with other guys. I can definitely shoot the puck more. When we get shots, we’re not getting enough traffic around the net. We need greasy goals, get our noses a little dirty.

“Playoffs are on the line each and every game right now and we’ve got to come prepared and have the right mindset.”

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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