The Vancouver Canucks visit the Calgary Flames on Saturday night, in what is anticipated to be a tough game. Both teams are near the bottom of the Pacific Division, but the vibe around them couldn’t be more different. Calgary still plays with some purpose, even if their playoff chances are slim. Vancouver looks like a club simply trying to survive the final weeks of what has been one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

The Canucks come in on a four-game losing streak and have won only six of their last 36 games. That’s not just a slump — that’s a collapse that stretches back to before Christmas. Thursday’s 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings was another reminder that this team has struggled in virtually every area of the game. At this point, standings matter less than pride, structure, and maybe a glimpse of what can still be salvaged.

One of the most troubling parts of this season has been the lack of offense. Vancouver has scored the fewest goals in the NHL, and Thursday’s shutout loss was yet another night where the attack looked stuck in the mud. Brock Boeser’s postgame comments said it best: the team is passing up shots, trying for the extra cute play instead of just putting pucks on net.

When players stop trusting their instincts, they overthink. Instead of shooting, they look for the perfect pass. Instead of driving the crease, they hang back on the perimeter. Right now, Vancouver looks like a group playing not to make mistakes rather than to create offence. Against Calgary, the Canucks need a much simpler game: more pucks to the net, more bodies in front, fewer pretty plays that aren’t there.

If the offence is frustrating, the defence is equally concerning. Vancouver owns the league’s worst defensive record, and that’s not just one player’s problem — it’s team-wide. Lost battles down low, missed coverage in the slot, blown assignments off the rush — it’s all been part of the story.

Filip Hronek’s postgame comments after the Kings’ loss were refreshingly blunt. He didn’t blame anyone; he simply said everything needs to improve, from faceoffs to defensive-zone battles to basic execution. He’s right. There’s no magic fix, but games like this still matter. They reveal which players are willing to compete when there’s nothing left in the standings to play for. Those are the ones management notices.

If there’s a bright spot for Vancouver this season, it’s prospect Braeden Cootes. On Friday night, he opened the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs in style, scoring two goals and adding an assist in the Prince Albert Raiders’ 4-1 win over the Red Deer Rebels. That’s exactly the kind of start you want from a young player expected to lead offensively.

This isn’t a one-off. Last season, Cootes put up eight points in six playoff games with the Seattle Thunderbirds. This season, he finished with 63 points in 45 games, including 40 points in 28 contests after his trade to Prince Albert. For the Canucks, this is the kind of development story worth watching. Prince Albert looks poised for a deep run, meaning Cootes should see plenty of high-pressure playoff action — invaluable for a young player’s growth. If he continues to lead offensively, Vancouver may have at least one reason for optimism.

This road trip might not mean much in the standings, but it still matters. The final weeks are about evaluation: who keeps competing, who checks out, and who might be part of the solution next season. Games like this are less about points and more about effort, pride, and glimpses of potential.

For the Canucks, showing fight in Calgary won’t erase this season’s disappointment. But it might at least prove that the team hasn’t completely lost its way. Right now, even that would be something.