The Vancouver Canucks were held without a shot in the first period, allowing the Coyotes to coast to an easy 3-0 victory.
Last night, the Vancouver Canucks won themselves into a playoff spot.
Less than 24 hours later, they watched that final wild card spot slip away from them. Along with it goes their hopes, their dreams, their futures…
OK, that’s a bit melodramatic. But the Canucks had already beaten the Arizona Coyotes three times this season, and a fourth win would mean they entered the all-star break in a playoff position.
Alas! it was not to be.
Final Score:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
| Coyotes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Canucks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Recap:
There was some good news for the Canucks, as Philip Larsen returned to the lineup.
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Larsen had been out with a concussion since Dec. 6, when he was hit hard by New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall. After such a scary play, it was great to see the Danish defenseman back in action.
Speaking of defensemen, this was not a great game for Alexander Edler.
The Canucks were held without a shot in the first period, but Ryan Miller kept the Coyotes off the board. But in the second, Lawson Crouse attempted a wraparound chance. Edler dove across the crease to try to prevent the shot, but in so doing his stick jammed into Miller’s pad.
That gave Crouse enough room to stuff the puck into the goal:
Edler’s night did not get any better.
With Sven Baertschi serving a double minor for high-sticking, Edler again tried to make a sliding save. The result was exactly the same as the first time:
Alexander Burmistrov cashed in on the power play, for his first goal as a Coyote.
Arizona claimed Burmistrov off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets back on Jan. 2. So far, the move is paying off. The Russian has six points in six games as a Coyote. He managed just two assists in 23 games with the Jets this season.
After a shotless first period, the Canucks managed 12 in the second and seven more in the third. Mike Smith turned them all aside for his first shutout of the season. Tobias Rieder iced the game with an empty net goal with 36 seconds remaining.
Ryan Miller, despite the loss, finished with a .933 save percentage on the evening.
Next: Skille Bright Spot Against Coyotes
Still, the Vancouver Canucks failed to hold onto their playoff spot heading into the all-star break. They fall back to 10th in the Western Conference, but remain just a single point back of a wild card spot. Vancouver resumes play Feb. 2, against the San Jose Sharks.