ANAHEIM, Calif. — When hockey teams have struggled as much as the Vancouver Canucks have, you can be so desperate for good signs that there are more false positives than the early rapid-tests for COVID.

The Canucks, themselves, will either prove or disprove that they are starting their way back from the bottom of the National Hockey League standings. It’s only a day-and-a-half until they visit the San Jose Sharks for a Friday matinee, so the suspense won’t last long.

But there were a lot of encouraging aspects to Wednesday’s wildly-entertaining 5-4 win against the fast and trending Anaheim Ducks, who led the Pacific Division and were nine points ahead of the reeling Canucks.

There were still the defensive gaps the Canucks have been struggling mightily to close, a collection of awful Van

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