Canucks Schedule: From frying pan into fire in January jolt of roster reality

That “meaningful games in March” mantra has become a sorry franchise staple.

For too many NHL seasons, it’s been the crutch to prop up a crippling campaign. It offered faint hope of staying in the playoff race until mathematically eliminated. It was also audition season for recalled players to get a leg up on making the roster the following fall.

So, what do we call this latest Vancouver Canucks mess?

Being stuck in the muck of a six-game losing streak, and just one win in the last nine, has made this slog the “January jolt” of reality. It goes well beyond a double-digit deficit to close an 11-point gap just to pull into a tie for the final wild-card postseason position.

It’s the sobering reality of being at the rebuild road, not the retool, or hybrid experiment path. The Canucks don’t need a few players to become competitive on a consistent basis, they need an overhaul.

The worst feeling is being good enough to compete, but not good enough to win consistently. And this six-game road trip is proof that the encouraging development of a young defensive core is trumped by a roster that’s simply not good enough.

An embarrassing 5-0 blanking in Toronto on Saturday was the latest example of mistakes piling up, goal droughts extending, and a perplexing power play going 0-for-7. Elias Pettersson struggled to win offensive-zone draws to maintain puck control and all this weighs on the mind, whether a rookie or veteran.

“We’ve let it bother us when we should have had a lead quite a few times,” admitted Canucks head coach Adam Foote. “And we got caught a couple of times after the (Christmas) break where we let it affect us mentally. We kind of got off what we do in playing fast and tried too hard to do something at the wrong time.

“We’ve got to get that out of our game and keep working, and it could take all 60 minutes to get one (win).”

If that’s not bad enough, starting goaltender Thatcher Demko suffered a lower-body injury in the first period against the Maple Leafs. He has been placed on injury reserve retroactive to Jan. 10.

Backup stopper Kevin Lankinen mopped up Saturday and Nikita Tolopilo has been recalled from the AHL affiliate in Abbotsford along with defenceman Victor Mancini. Blue-liner Elias Pettersson has been sent down for more seasoning.

Here’s what awaits this week: I was 2-1-0 with predictions last week:

Canucks at Canadiens

When and where: Monday, 4:30 p.m., Bell Centre
TV: Amazon Prime. Radio: Sportsnet Pacific

What to watch: Want to see how commitment to a rebuild plays out? Check out the Habs. Patience pays off. They’re two points shy of the Atlantic Division lead, sport a roster of young and skilled talent with six players in double-digit goals, and rank in the top 10 for goals and the power play. Head coach Martin St. Louis has ensured a rich franchise culture remains in place.

Who to watch: Winger Cole Caufield

This is what happens when you see the future and where the game is headed. The small, speedy, sharpshooter was a wise first-round pick in 2019. Caufield has 21 goals, including five game winners, and is on pace to surpass the 30-goal plateau for the third straight season.

Canucks at Senators

When and where: Tuesday, 4 p.m., Canadian Tire Centre
TV: Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet Pacific

What to watch: The Senators are vulnerable. With former Canucks bench boss Travis Green at the helm, a rollercoaster season has dipped into a four-game losing streak, just three wins in the last 10 (3-6-1), and they’re barely above .500 at home (10-9-3). A 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday was tough. “We lacked a little bit of desperation,” said Green. Sens must play at a .600 clip to make the playoffs.

Who to watch: Centre Tim Stutzle

When he plays the middle with intimidating Brady Tkachuk on his wing, there’s usually ample time and space. Stutzle had a 13-game point streak stopped Jan. 5 in which he put up 21 points (8-13). Leads the Sens with 45 points (19-26) in 44 games, including six PP goals.

Canucks at Blue Jackets

When and where: Thursday, 4 p.m., Nationwide Arena
TV: Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet Pacific

What to watch: Which team will show up? The one that ended the Buffalo Sabres’ 10-game winning streak with an impressive 5-1 victory on home ice on Jan. 3? Or the one that built a 4-1 lead on the Pittsburgh Penguins the next day and surrendered four straight goals in a 5-4 overtime loss? Blowing multiple-goal leads in multiple games is one reason why CBJ will miss the playoffs.

Who to watch: Defenceman Zach Werenski

He placed second in Norris Trophy voting to Cale Makar last season after putting up 82 points (23-59). Werenski trails Makar by five points this campaign with 46 points (16-30) and is on pace for a career-high 94. Great vision, great shot, a bonafide elite defender.

Canucks vs. Oilers

When and where: Saturday, 7 p.m., Rogers Arena
TV: HNIC, Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet Pacific

What to watch: The high-octane Oilers have not won three straight games this season. Despite the league’s top-ranked PP at 33.9 per cent efficiency, Edmonton has failed on eight attempts to string together that modest win streak. The Oilers dropped a 4-3 shootout to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and the next attempt at the win trifecta could come next Saturday in Van.

Who to watch: Centre Connor McDavid

McDavid is riding an NHL career-high 18-game point streak — 42 points (19-23) including a hat trick and five-assist night — and is tied with Nathan MacKinnon for the scoring lead with 78 points (30-48), including nine PP goals. However, the priority for the superstar, who turns 29 on Tuesday, is finally capturing an elusive Stanley Cup.

bkuzma@postmedia.com