Toronto Maple Leafs: The Importance of Tonight's Game vs. Vancouver Canucks

Throughout the past month, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been bombarded by the media.

With the trade deadline approaching on February 27th, trade rumors have circled the Leafs' dressing room and front office. Players such as Luke Schenn and Mikhail Grabovski have been feeling the pinch.

However, the Leafs must focus on their main purpose: win hockey games and make the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Leafs have been playing sub-par hockey as of late, going 5-4-1 in their past ten games. The team is coming off an important 4-3 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers that snapped a four-game losing streak.

The Leafs will be looking to gain an important two points tonight, as they cue up their three-game Western-Canadian road trip versus the Vancouver Canucks. A win tonight will put the Leafs in a much better position in the Eastern Conference standings.

The win won't come easy for the Leafs, as the Canucks are currently chasing the first place Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference. The Canucks are also hot as of late; they are 8-0-2 in their past ten games.

To make matters even more difficult for the Leafs, the Canucks have beaten them in nine straight games, dating back to the 2003-04 season.

How important is tonight's game versus the Vancouver Canucks? Very important.

The Eastern Conference standings are tightening up and tightening up quickly.

The ninth-place Washington Capitals and the tenth-place Winnipeg Jets are both coming off wins last night. This puts the Capitals one point, and the Winnipeg Jets two points, behind the eighth-place Maple Leafs.

The Washington Capitals are also in action tonight, as they are facing off against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

If the Leafs lose in regulation against the Canucks and the Capitals win versus the Lightning, that would put the Leafs down to ninth in the Eastern Conference. The Leafs absolutely do not want to be in the position where they have to look in on the playoffs from the outside.

A win tonight will cue up their Western-Canadian road trip with a 2-1-0 record. A win tonight will help the Leafs maintain their playoff push. A win tonight is very important for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The game can be seen on CBC at 7pm ET. It should be a good one.