NHL analyst brushes off Vancouver Canucks' chances of making Stanley Cup playoffs after drama-filled regular season

NHL analyst Martin Biron has brushed off the Vancouver Canucks chances of making the playoffs this season. Biron believes the team is "toast" after a disappointing season, which included J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson drama and a loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday. He attributed their struggles to the absence of star goalie Thatcher Demko who has been sidelined with an injury.

Biron also expressed concerns about the Canucks' defense, particularly without a fully healthy Quinn Hughes.

"I don't think they get in, right? And look, I may even say they’re toast right now. And they had a chance to get a three-game winning streak, and they let that slip against a really good team, the Dallas Stars. But I look at the way that Canucks are playing. Number one, if Thatcher Demko was there, maybe I change my story. And Kevin Lankinen's been really good," Biron said during a segment on TSN's That's Hockey on Monday.

"But when you put a name like Demko against the top goalies, right, in the Western Conference, the ones that he's competing with, he's not there. That makes a difference. Defensively, you know, Quinn Hughes has been there, but he's missed a few games. And if you don't have a fully healthy Quinn Hughes, well, I think it puts the Canucks in a tough spot."

The analyst added that he feels more confident in the playoff chances of other Western Conference teams like the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, and Utah Hockey Club. Despite the Canucks' recent struggles, Biron acknowledged that if they somehow make the playoffs, they are unlikely to make a deep run.

---

Vancouver Canucks faced crushing defeat to Dallas Stars

On Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks suffered a crushing 4-1 defeat to the Dallas Stars at home in Rogers Arena. The loss brought an end to the Canucks' two-game winning streak.

Thomas Harley opened the scoring for the visitors, giving them a 1-0 lead at 5:17 into the second period. At 11:35, Derek Forbort tied it 1-1 for the Canucks before Mikael Granlund restored the Stars lead to 2-1 before heading into the final period.

Goals from Jason Robertson and newly acquired Mikko Rantanen in the final period helped the Stars edge past the Vancouver Canucks with a dominant win. The Canucks find themselves one point off a wild-card spot in the West and will be up against the Montreal Canadiens next on Tuesday.