Canucks: 3 takeaways from 6-5 overtime win vs. Sabres

It was an 80’s themed afternoon battle for the Vancouver Canucks who wore the beloved skate jersey for the second time this season. Here’s what we learned.

There is something special about the Vancouver Canucks’ slick-looking black skate jerseys. Due to popular demand, the Canucks added an additional skate jersey matinee matchup that was slated for the date of Dec. 7.

Quinn Hughes going head-to-head versus Rasmus Dahlin was sure to have fans sitting on the edge of their seats. The Canucks and the Sabres are both in the midst of their 50th seasons in the NHL, and both are still searching for their first Stanley Cup. With each team shaping a young and talented roster to make a playoff push, it was bound to be a fast and hard battle. Let’s dive into three takeaways from the contest.

1. Micheal Ferland & Jay Beagle return

It was a sight for sore eyes when the team posted their lineup on Twitter. Seeing the return of not one, but two Canucks players should help Vancouver during their five-game homestand. Micheal Ferland and Jay Beagle injected the lineup with some bottom-six depth as they slotted in together on the fourth line. The usual spot at center for Beagle and a nice and easy approach in the return for Ferland.

Micheal Ferland missed 17 games with another concussion and he was quoted by Sportsnet saying, “Got to be smarter.” That’s definitely true for the 27-year-old scrapper who has suffered from previous concussions. The Canucks locked him in for four seasons as protection for Elias Pettersson and he won’t be able to do that if he is watching from the press box.

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Ferland played a total of 8:50 in his return. He was a minus-two in that short span of ice time, but the guy that is known for his physical game sure brought it with six hits.

Yes, six big hits in over eight minutes of ice time. That’s a hit every minute and a half. It’s a style of hockey that has been missed in recent weeks, and it helped ware down the opposition.

Beagle, on the other hand, played 14:06, a lot of that time on the penalty kill, which went 3-for-4. The former Stanley Cup champion wasn’t his usual self when he finished the contest with a minus-three rating and two penalty minutes.

Consider the first game back just a matter of Ferland and Beagle shaking off some rust. They weren’t perfect, but in a short time, they’ll be back at the top of their game. It was great to see them back on the ice earning a win.

2. The mustache stays forever

Antoine Roussel made his anticipated debut versus the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. He vowed that if he were to score on Burrows Night, his mustache would stay for the remainder of the season. So what does he do? Roussel scores on his first shift off a backhand pass across the slot from Adam Gaudette, igniting the crowd in the process.

We all know hockey players can be quite superstitious; the freshly-groomed mustache might now be considered a token of good luck for Roussel as he scored his second goal in as many games, proving he is a valuable asset to this team’s depth. In the final frame, he scored another terrific goal off the rush to add some cushion to their lead.

Many fans, myself included, expected Roussel to be a nice compliment on the second line with Bo Horvat, as he has struggled to find consistency on his wings. No. 26 found instant chemistry on the third line with Gaudette and Jake Virtanen, so why shake up a good thing? It worked for a second straight game, and his work ethic is front and center for Virtanen and Gaudette to learn from.

Not to mention, Josh Leivo has slowly been turning things up in the goal-scoring department. He had Canucks fans up in celebration twice using his accurate shot both times. Maybe the success of Roussel has Leivo on the top of his game, as he tries to keep his spot inside the top-six forward group.

The Rooster, as they call him, is here to stay — and so is his glorious mustache. He brings some friendly competition to the middle-six and it’s only going to make the players around him fight harder for roster spots. It’s a win-win situation. He is proving his four-year term might not be such a bad thing, all while playing a similar style to the recently honoured Alex Burrows.

3. Power play gets it done

Once again, the Canucks collapsed in the third period, blowing a two-goal lead with less than eight minutes to play. Tired and trapped in their own end, the Sabres pulled the goalie with over two minutes left and were able to tie the game and force overtime. Thankfully, the Canucks were given another power play opportunity. That’s not something you want to give Vancouver in the extra frame.

Horvat was out on concussion protocol so Green deployed J.T. Miller to take his place during the man advantage. Even though Leivo had two goals in the game — and the same could be said about Roussel — you knew Miller was the go-to-guy. Miller won the game with a sudden death wrist shot from the right circle. In the process, he extended his point streak to eight games

The sky is the limit for the Canucks when they are on the power play. Miller has been the missing ingredient at forward and his consistency all season has proved to be vital in the Canucks success. No doubt, the trade was worth the return.

Final thoughts

The Canucks can score goals, but they need to learn how to close out games and defend leads. There is work to be done, but they finished the job and looked good doing it on the skate jersey bonus night. The next game is against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena.