NEW YORK — This is just seven games for the Vancouver Canucks.

The Anaheim Ducks’ rebuild took seven years.

Everyone knew it could look like this. But all the theoretical understanding about rebuilds, all those breezy, painless summer projections about how difficult the season might be, do not prepare professional athletes to lose like the Canucks are losing.

Three games into a daunting six-game road trip, the Canucks have been outscored 17-5 and looked massively overmatched.

The 7-2 loss Tuesday against the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes just seemed cruel. The Canucks’ pitiful penalty killing in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils was unsurvivable. But on Sunday, after playing about as well as they could for much of the first 40 minutes, the Canucks were simply outworked, outskated and outscored in the third period in a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers.

The Rangers, starting third-string goalie Dylan Garand of Victoria and expected by no one to challenge for anything this season, scored three third-period goals during a 15-minute span when the Canucks managed only two shots — both from distance.

“It's hard, obviously,” veteran winger Jake DeBrusk said. “You know, we have a lot of pride and we do care, and it feels like a slap in the face every game on this road trip so far. So it's hard to be (positive). But you have to pick your spots, especially with the young guys, letting them know about the good things they did. There's still positives in every game. But you know, we're a results-oriented business. We need to get in the winning column here.”

After surprising the Edmonton Oilers in their season-opener, the Canucks have lost five of their last six games, including four straight. Almost nothing is going right. Goalie Kevin Lankinen, given another chance to be an NHL starter with Thatcher Demko’s........

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