Vancouver Canucks Defeat NY Islanders: 5 Thoughts

1. The Eastern Conference hates Vancouver

At the top of the list, you will recall the borderline hit on Henrik Sedin by Mikhail Grabovski and the Brooklyn boys going after Jared McCann. It’s not the first time the Canucks had tempers flaring against some Eastern Conference foes that they meet twice a year. Remember the Florida Panthers? Remember the Boston Bruins? Remember the Tampa Bay Lightnings?

The East sure likes to play rough-and-tumble with the Nucks. Did the Islanders think that Brandon Prust and Derek Dorsett were going to play undisciplined to put the Canucks on the penalty kill? I don’t blame the Isles, then. Dorsett is the NHL-leader in the penalty department, after all.

But don’t trust my words, trust the stats guys.

The Canucks have played 24 games against Eastern Conference foes, the most out of all Western Conference teams. They also lead the Western Conference in penalty minutes when playing against the East. The Canucks took 257 minutes’ worth of penalties in 24 matches, which rounds off to about 10.7 penalty minutes a game. Vancouver also leads in the most penalties against from playing the Eastern Conference, with 256 penalty minutes against.

But the minutes themselves are not the real issue at stake here.

Next: 2. Sedins get No Respect

2. The Sedins get no respect

Well, in case you were living under a rock and didn’t catch the hit on Captain Sedin, here it is. Number 84 for the Islanders was given a major penalty and a game misconduct. Again, after what transpired between the Panthers and the Sedins last week, this is just another example of how the Sedins are mistreated by the teams of the NHL.

Put Jaromir Jagr there, put Pavel Datsyuk there, put Shane Doan there, and you have a different play altogether.

At least the refs called the penalty. We should thank the NHL for that, right? Right?

Related: Canucklehead Lament: The NHL should Thank the Vancouver Canucks

The league needs to make sure that the stars of the game are protected. I am not calling for a big suspension or a fine on this play, perhaps a one-game suspension. But the reality is that the Sedins are being neglected by the league because there are always guys who seem to be covering for them on the toughness department.

But all things aside, Henrik is expected to miss at least a few games with what seems to be a shoulder injury. This brings us back into the discussion, who should play centre for Daniel and Jannik Hansen? McCann looked solid and had good chemistry with Dank, finishing the game tied for the team lead in shots with four (tied with Daniel). Unless Brandon Sutter draws in, expect McCann at 1C, Bo Horvat at 2C, Linden Vey at 3C, and Adam Cracknell at 4C.

Funny how the old Alain Vigneault idiom — to keep as many centres as you can on your roster — is serving the Canucks well. Of course, coach AV is next up on the Canucks’ agenda.

Next: Ryan Miller not going quietly

3. Ryan Miller is not going quietly

Folks, hush the goalie controversy. Ryan Miller is listening in on you.

50 saves on 48 shots and three shootout opportunities against. This game was Miller’s game of the season to date, perhaps one of the best starts he has ever manufactured for Vancouver in his two seasons here. I think we can say Miller knows when he is ready to play.

He let nothing through for 51 minutes and 10 seconds of hockey. Oh, mind you, the defence helped. Hello there, Mr. Luca Sbisa, we missed you.

And of course, the king of the shootouts our Mr. Miller is. Going three-for-three to save Kyle Okposo and John Tavares is just another day between the posts, right?

On that note, guys. I think we can start the goalie controversy chant again. Just to make Miller play better. He is a professional and he is a competitor. Boy, can he step up to face pressure. Miller now is up to a .913 save percentage. The poor guy is still a 11-12-6 on the year, believe it or not.

Fun fact: Miller ranks third in adjusted save percentage when in a close game, among netminders who have played at least ten games’ worth of close hockey games (600 minutes). Only Braden Holtby and Petr Mrazek surpass Miller in that category.

Next: 4. Kids settling in nicely

4. Kids settling in nicely

Horvat had his streak snapped at six games. He still looked dangerous, though, and had two hits. McCann stepped in admirably into the Captain’s slot and looked dangerous, too, and recorded one assist. McCann’s performance should be especially noted after Tavares went after him, and not Alex Biega, who had originally hit Tavares hard. Anyhow, we saw McCann’s edge flare once again, like in the Anaheim Ducks game a few weeks ago.

Emerson Etem, I thought, was showing promise of being our go-to third line checking winger. He can keep pucks pinned in the offensive zone, and looked very good alongside Alex Burrows. Etem also recorded two hits. Funny how he had 14+ minutes while Dorsett and Prust had just nine minutes of ice time each. Better than Jake Virtanen I guess, who was scratched.

Related: (Video) Reaction as Ben Hutton scores First Career NHL Goal

But the man of the match goes to none other than Mr. Ben Hutton who recorded his first ever NHL goal, his 11th point on the season. At least the NHL recognized him for it. Wonder if the Sedins will ever get a milestone goal tweeted out by the NHL. We shall see. Hutton is currently 5th in NHL rookie scoring by a defenceman with 1 goal and 10 assists in 39 games. He was credited with two takeaways on the game.

Don’t stop smilin’ Ben. You will need it next year, when the whole of Vancouver starts frowning at you for messing up a break-out pass. Cherish the rookie season.

Next: 5. Vrbata still going strong

5. Vrbata still going strong

The Radim Vrbata train is still going. Say what you want about wanting to ship him out, but he is such a valuable player even at his age.

The box score for Vrbata tells me that he had three takeaways, the most on the team. I thought he had a great possession game. After all, every time I dig up the advanced stats, Vrbata is at the top with the Sedins. Of course, don’t forget his 21 points in 43 games.

Related: Top Five Suitors for Radim Vrbata

He was out there to start the OT period with Horvat and, more importantly, he netted the game winner in the shootout. When’s the last time you saw a move that slick from a Canuck not named Vrbata?

Other notes

• Sbisa returned to action and had a team-leading five hits on the game. Sbisa might hurt your possession at times, but he sure is a lot more durable than Yannick Weber is. Sbisa also has more goals than Weber and is two years younger. Long story short, who wants to trade for Weber?
• What is the verdict on Vey? I thought that Henrik’s injury was going to be Vey’s NHL lifeline but also realized that he just bumped Cracknell down on the depth chart? Woah. I think I should stop judging Vey from his play last year.
• As noted, Dorsett and Prust were limited to less than 10 minutes. But looking at the defensive minutes, you realize how the Canucks are starting to look better with Sbisa back. Alex Edler played 25:32 and Chris Tanev played 22:52. Then you see Hutton playing No. 3 with 21:37. Sbisa followed with 19:33, and Matt Bartkowski had 17:45. Alex Biega had the lowest ice time with just 16:04. Note that the last two took a penalty each.

Next: Analyzing the schedule: Canucks Playoff Bound?

Next up? AV and the New York Rangers. Hopefully Henrik is back quick, because I think I like my prediction for a Canucks’ loss in Madison Square Garden. That was my five thoughts and a bit following the win over the NY Islanders.

Feel free to tweet us your thoughts @FSTheCanuckWay or to me @dave_nuckyj. Comment your takeaways below, too!

*Statistics courtesy of NHL.com and ESPN.com