VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks know they have little room for error these days.
And errors proved costly Wednesday night as the Canucks dropped a 4-3 decision to the St. Louis Blues, a result that further dimmed the team's faint playoff hopes.
“Where we’re at, if we’re not at our best, we’re not winning games," said defenceman Luke Schenn. "We need to play a full 60 minutes."
With the loss, Vancouver fell five points behind the Vegas Golden Knights, who hold the second wild card berth in the Western Conference — and who the Canucks will face in their next two games.
“It looks like a lot and a big task when you look at the big picture. But you focus on the next game. Vegas is obviously a team that’s right ahead of us and that’s a huge game, obviously, coming on Sunday," Schenn said. "Really all you can do is take it one at a time."
Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly led his team with a goal and an assist Wednesday.
Nick Leddy, Robert Thomas and Nathan Walker also scored for St. Louis (37-20-9). David Perron added two assists.
“It was a good game all around," Perron said. "I don't know how they feel over there but they took it to us pretty good.
"I also thought that we played more our game, the way we want to play to be successful and it felt at times it was four lines just going one after another, doing it right, and it was awesome.”
Elias Pettersson scored twice for the Canucks (32-28-9), who were playing their fifth game in eight nights. Alex Chiasson also had a goal for the home side.
A 22-save performance earned St. Louis goalie Ville Husso his 18th win of the season. Thatcher Demko stopped 20-of-24 shots for Vancouver.
Pettersson got the Canucks back within to a goal with less than five minutes on the game clock, snapping a shot past Husso from in tight for his second of the night.
Vancouver pressed for the equalizer, but couldn't get a shot past Husso.
The goalie made one of his biggest stops of the night with 70 seconds remaining, robbing Tanner Pearson with a glove save.
“We know how important every game is now and we’re not going down without a battle," Pettersson said of his team's late offensive burst.
A blocked shot turned into a goal for the Blues midway through the third.
Canucks defenceman Travis Dermott went down to stop a shot from Mackenzie MacEachern but the puck bounced off him to Walker, who sent it soaring into the Vancouver net to make it 4-2.
St. Louis took a lead into the final frame thanks to O'Reilly's power-play goal.
Vancouver rookie Vasily Podkolzin was called for holding after he hauled down Brandon Saad on the rush and the Blues made the Canucks pay.
Perron sent the puck to Brayden Schenn below the goal line and Schenn instantly dished it to O'Reilly at the hash marks. O'Reilly one-timed a shot past Demko for his 15th goal of the campaign 17:16 into the second.
It was his first goal against the Canucks in 40 games.
The Blues' short-handed goal tied it 2-2 earlier in the period.
"You’re anticipating, thinking ‘If we can get one here, go up 3-1, good things are going to happen,'" said Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau. "And then they come back and tie it up, it sort of was a deflating goal.”
Pettersson coughed up the puck in his own zone and Thomas streaked down the ice. He beat Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes for a breakaway, then put a shot past Demko glove side.
Thomas said he's always enjoyed killing penalties.
"It's the most challenging time on the ice," he said. "You're down a man and you got to be desperate and that was a it was a big goal. Special teams played a huge part in the game today and got some momentum for the team."
The Blues went 1-for-1 on the power play and the Canucks were scoreless on their lone man advantage.
Pettersson gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead midway through the second with a beautiful goal from the top of the slot. The Swedish centre intercepted a pass near the blue line, took a couple of strides, then released a rocket for his 21st of the season.
Nic Petan registered an assist on the play, notching his first point for the Canucks.
The Blues got on the board 7:26 into the second when Leddy sent a long bomb under Demko's glove for his second of the season, tying the game at 1-1.
Vancouver took the lead just 31 seconds into the middle frame. Brad Richardson sent Chiasson a blind backhanded pass and the winger swiped in a shot from the top of the crease for his seventh goal of the season.
Richardson notched an assist on the play, marking his first point since being claimed off waivers from the Calgary Flames on March 21.
Some stellar saves by Demko kept the game scoreless through the first.
His best of the period came at the 10:20 mark when the all-star goalie made a diving glove save to deny Vladimir Tarasenko from the side of the net.
St. Louis also beat Vancouver on Monday, and swept the three-game season series.
The Blues continue their Canadian swing Friday when they take on the Oilers in Edmonton. The Canucks will host the Golden Knights on Sunday.
NOTES: Canucks captain Bo Horvat left the game after the first period and did not return. The team later said his absence was due to a non-COVID-related illness. … St. Louis was without leading scorer Jordan Kyrou, who was a late scratch due to an unspecified illness. … The Canucks marked their fourth annual First Nations night with special warm-up jerseys designed by Musqueam artist Chase Gray and a ceremonial puck drop.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2022.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
