Not only did the Canucks lose to the Kraken, but they also lost captain Quinn Hughes for the second half of the third period.

Chris Kreider (upper body) could miss his fourth straight game against the Nashville Predators at Madison Square Garden on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, MSG2, SNP, SNO, SNE, TVAS). The forward participated in the morning skate but remainder on the ice afterwards. He placed on injured reserve Saturday but can be activated at any time.

While it’s not confirmed exactly when he reinjured himself, Hughes did have an awkward fall after one of the Kraken goals in the second period, which could be the culprit. He went down the tunnel to the dressing room shortly after but returned to the bench just a few moments later.

The Canucks built themselves a bit of a cushion in the standings before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. But a disastrous 1-4-0 post-break road trip has left their playoff spot vulnerable.

After leaving mid-way through the third period in Vancouver's 6-3 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, Hughes was absent at team practice the next day.

Hughes leads the Canucks in scoring with 60 points, and his 46 assists are the most among NHL defensemen. His return comes as the Canucks are fighting for a playoff spot. Wednesday night's win put them one point ahead of Calgary for the second wild card in the Western Conference.

Drew Doughty is day to day because of a lower-body injury that kept the defenseman out of the Kings' game against the Canucks, who welcomed back Quinn Hughes.