For the 2024-25 Vancouver Canucks, the end has been long, drawn out, and painful. Their death has been as prolonged as Paul Reubens’ in the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

One of the worst parts of a season like this one is the prolonged death rattle. When a team is in the basement of the NHL, the death of their season is quick and relatively painless. When a team is on ...