With the Canucks recent success since the end of January, going 16-3-1 in there last 20 games, there has been one aspect of the team that they need to improve on, otherwise it may come back to hurt them down the road. And that aspect is empty net goals at the end of games when the opposition is pushing for a tie and has pulled their goalie.

Although overall this season as a team the Canucks are around the average if not in the upper third of the leauge in empty net goal with 7, but are still a few away from the leauge leaders such as the Bruins and Capitols who have 12 each, nor are they as bad as the Avalanche who have none this season. But the problem is not the number of goals this team is scoring into empty nets, rather the fashion in which this team is missing empty nets, and their inability to put a team away late into a game.

With the trade deadline less than a month away for the NHL, many teams in the upcoming week need to decide if they are in playoff contention or if its time to unload some unrestricted free agents and get some youth and draft picks in return. And Canucks are no different. After coming over a long losing streak which saw them have a horrible month of January, the Canucks now have shown some life with a 3 game win streak and have jumped back into the playoff picture.

Even though at the end of tonight the Canucks would sneak into the playoffs at the 8th spot in the West, this team is another losing streak away from being far far away from the playoffs.