Hughes shut down, DeBrusk, Boeser struggle, and more: 3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks were shut out 5-0 by Seattle Kraken

The Vancouver Canucks’ playoff hopes suffered a massive blow after getting shut out 5-0 on Wednesday night by the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Arena. The Canucks have now lost three straight and have fallen eight points behind the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Michael Eyssimont, Chandler Stephenson, Shane Wright, Andre Burakovsky, and Adam Larsson (EN) scored for the Kraken. Thatcher Demko made 14 saves for the Canucks.

So, let’s take a look at the three key reasons why the Canucks were shut out by the Kraken on Wednesday night.

3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks were shut out by Seattle Kraken

#3 Poor defense

The Vancouver Canucks had a poor defensive game on Wednesday night. They surrendered five goals on 19 shots, including an empty-netter by Adam Larsson at the end of the game. The poor defensive effort was underscored by Filip Hronek’s minus-4 rating on the night.

Virtually every forward ended the night with a minus rating for the Canucks, with top-line players like Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk ending the night with minus-2 ratings as well.

The overall defensive effort was punctuated by Thatcher Demko’s four goals allowed, though it’s worth pointing out that Demko can’t shoulder the blame, as the team in front of him wasn’t effective.

#2 Boeser, DeBrusk struggle

The loss of Elias Pettersson to injury has left a gaping hole in the Vancouver Canucks’ top six. That situation has led to key players like Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk struggling to produce offensively.

While Boeser and DeBrusk had four and three shots on goal, respectively, they lacked the sort of playmaking abilities that come from an elite-level center like Pettersson. Of course, Pius Suter has done a fantastic job of filling in for Pettersson.

However, DeBrusk and Boeser themselves have missed Pettersson, leading to their recent scoring droughts.

#1 Hughes shut down

In Pettersson’s absence, Norris-caliber defenseman Quinn Hughes has been tasked with leading the offense from the blue line. While Hughes has done a tremendous job of leading offensively and playing solid defense, he was unable to get much going against the Kraken on Wednesday night.

It’s worth pointing out that the Canucks did little damage on the power play. They couldn’t take advantage of Hughes’ drive with the man advantage, where Hughes does the most damage offensively.

The Canucks will be back on the ice on Saturday night against the Anaheim Ducks, hoping to kickstart their offense as the season winds down and build momentum heading into next year.