Canucks: 2 takeaways from Vancouver’s 4-0 loss to Boston

The disorderly power play

What was once a top-five power play for the majority of the season, is now in serious danger of falling outside the league’s top-10. That’s right, the Canucks are struggling mightily when trying to convert up a man on the power play. Things have been bad lately and it didn’t get much better in Boston on Tuesday night.

Vancouver went 0/3 on the man-advantage and only registered a single shot that Tuuka Rask was forced to turn away. That output of shots on the net will never cut it in professional hockey, especially in the NHL, but Vancouver came out firing on all cylinders — they just couldn’t hit the target.

The effort was noticeable compared to games prior, but you’ll never win the hockey game if you can’t hit the net or beat the goalie. The Canucks failed to do both. Rask is without a doubt an elite calibre backstopper, and 24 shots through 60 minutes aren’t going to be enough to get the job done.

Final thoughts…

The Canucks may have won 14 of their last 19 games and be sitting on top of the Pacific Division, but the 4-0 loss to the Bruins puts things into perspective a bit for Vancouver. There is clearly still work to be done. 28 games are still to be played in the regular season for Van-City and every one of them counts as much as the last. The Bruins return to Vancouver on February 22nd and the Canucks will be hungry and ready for the test.

Maybe a 4-0 beatdown by the Canucks’ most hated rivals is exactly what Vancouver needs to stay sharp and keep the war going. The battle continues in Minnesota on Thursday. Puck drops at 5 PM.