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Canucks can move into playoff spot with win over lowly Avs

Bo Horvat

Vancouver Canucks center Bo Horvat celebrates after scoring his goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

AP

The Vancouver Canucks have a prime opportunity to pick up four points and head into the All-Star break in a playoff spot.

Tonight, the Canucks are in Denver to take on the NHL’s worst team. Tomorrow, they’re in Glendale to play the NHL’s second-worst team.

Talk about an easy back-to-back, right?

Not so fast.

The Avalanche and Coyotes may see a prime opportunity themselves. Vancouver has just five wins away from home this season. In fact, the Canucks’ 5-14-3 road record is the worst in the league. Only a 17-6-3 mark at Rogers Arena has kept them in the race.

The last time the Canucks won a road game was Dec. 31 in Edmonton. Sunday in Chicago, they had a chance to at least get to overtime, but after battling back from a 2-0 deficit, a late letdown cost them and they fell, 4-2, in regulation.

“It’s really a kick in the teeth to come all the way back and lose on a fairly fluky kind of play,” goalie Ryan Miller told reporters. “We got ourselves back in the game in the second and I think we carried it into the third. Just really disappointed to not get a point at least out of here, especially with that effort.”

With a win tonight, the Canucks would leapfrog idle Los Angeles and Calgary into the second wild-card spot. All three teams play road games tomorrow before the break. The Kings are in Carolina, the Flames are in Ottawa, and, as mentioned, the Canucks are in Arizona.

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