With tonight's loss, Vancouver is now 14 points up on Winnipeg, which last night won 6-1 against New Jersey, in the last playoff spot. It's a head start that can't be caught up.
"We have felt for a while that it has been quite unrealistic to reach the playoffs. But we will finish the season with pride and start building for next season. So the matches that remain are important. We have five games left," said Vancouver's star Swede Elias Pettersson, who could now be considered for this spring's World Cup, according to the Canadian Press.
Scoreless Pettersson
In addition to the missed playoff spot, Pettersson can mourn the end of his 14-game point streak. In the previous 14 games, Pettersson had recorded eight goals and twelve assists, but tonight he was scoreless.
This is the third consecutive season, and seventh time in eight years, that Vancouver has missed the playoffs.
"A fantastic achievement"
For Los Angeles, where Swedish defenseman Alexander Edler left the game with an upper-body injury in the first period, it will now be the playoffs for the second year in a row. The victory of the night secured advancement.
"A fantastic achievement by the group," coach Todd McLellan said.