Canucks: Inconsistent play won’t get them to the playoffs

The Vancouver Canucks haven’t been able to find any consistency since October, and if this doesn’t change, they’ll miss the playoffs once again.

There are countless ways you could summarize the Vancouver Canucks this season, but “inconsistent” seems more appropriate than any other word in the dictionary.

Just look at the team’s performance up to this point: The club went 8-3-1 in the month of October, but they proceeded to lose all but five games in November. Following a three-game losing streak from Dec. 14 to 17, the Canucks proceeded to win seven games in a row.

Then the whole “inconsistent” thing showed up again.

Vancouver was embarrassed 9-2 by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, and they followed it up with another lackluster performance on Thursday night — a 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers. Again, that’s a three-game losing skid followed by a seven-game winning streak that preceded consecutive blowout losses.

The Canucks enter the weekend with a 23-17-4 record, two points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. However, Vancouver is only four points behind the Arizona Coyotes and the Vegas Golden Knights for tops in the Pacific Division.

But the continuing pattern of alternating ugly losing skids and red-hot winning streaks won’t be enough going forward. As you can see, the inconsistent play through 44 games has them outside of the playoff picture right now.

The true playoff teams always turn it on down the stretch, and they’ll look to add reinforcements at the trade deadline. The Canucks aren’t in a position to make any major upgrades, however. They’ll have to win with the group they have.

And though this team possesses a tremendous amount of depth — both at forward and on the blue line — it hasn’t been enough to help the Canucks form any stability. That has to change if Elias Pettersson and company want the chance to shine in the postseason.