Vancouver Canucks Fall to Philadelphia Flyers in Shootout
By Jeff Godley
Granlund scored twice, while Stecher, Sutter and Megna also had multi-point games, but the Vancouver Canucks could not score in the shootout.
The Vancouver Canucks played a wild one against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Both teams combined for five goals in the second period. Markus Granlund put the Canucks ahead 2-1, only to see the Flyers score two goals 18 seconds apart to steal the lead. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Sean Couturier struck for Philly.
Granlund scored his second just 22 seconds after Couturiers’s goal, to tie the game once more. Then Brandon Sutter gave the Canucks their third lead of the game.
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Ultimately, special teams wrote the story for the Canucks. And not in a good way.
True, Daniel Sedin did open the scoring with a power play goal (his first goal in 13 games, and first point in five). But the Flyers took six minor penalties in the first period, including two consecutive double minors for high-sticking.
The Canucks’ lone power play goal came on a 5-on-3. Overall, Vancouver managed just seven shots on eight Flyers penalties. Philadelphia’s lack of discipline gave the road team a golden opportunity to build a sizeable lead.
Instead, they showed why they are the league’s fourth-worst power play.
And things were made worse by the penalty kill, which gave up two goals on four attempts. Despite taking half as many penalties, the Canucks gave up twice as many power play goals as they scored. Travis Konecny and Brayden Schenn each tied the game with the man-advantage.
A 12.5-percent power play and a 50-percent penalty kill will not win many games.
Luckily, tonight Vancouver scored enough at even strength to overcome their poor special teams play and reach overtime. But a loser point is all they managed, as Claude Giroux scored the only goal in the shootout to send the Canucks home 0-1-2 on their three game road trip.
Final Score:
5. 68. 4. 104. Final
Canucks Player of the Game:
C. Vancouver Canucks. MARKUS GRANLUND. 60. Granlund managed four shots on goal, converting on two of them. The Finn’s scoring has been on again, off again lately. Of the last five games he has been held pointless in three. The other two have been multi-point games: two tonight, and three last week against the Flames. He doesn’t always find the scoresheet but when he does, he finds it in a big way.
(Honorable Mentions: Troy Stecher (2 A, 5 SOG), Brandon Sutter (1 G, 1 A, 3 SOG), Jayson Megna (2 A, 2 SOG).
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 13, 2017
Puck into the net, Granlund into the net. pic.twitter.com/fejceb2vXX
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 13, 2017
Vancouver falls to 5-13-3 on the road. They have been much better at home, where they boast a 15-6-2 record.
Next: Canucks Need Team Identity
Luckily, home is where they will play their next three games. The Vancouver Canucks will take a two day break, before playing the New Jersey Devils Sunday at Rogers Arena.