Canucks: 3 takeaways from 3-0 shutout win over Blackhawks
An epic rivalry rekindled on a legendary night that saw the Vancouver Canucks honor the Sedin twins by retiring their numbers and raising them to the rafters.
There was a once in a lifetime kind of feeling in the air on Wednesday night in Vancouver. An epic tale of twin brothers, Daniel and Henrik Sedin came to a beautiful close at Rogers Arena when they witnessed the numbers 22 and 33 become officially retired and raised to the rafters forever. Talk about the perfect storybook ending, well deserved for the two best Canucks of all time.
The amount of appreciation and paid respects from former teammates and fans alike was overwhelmingly tremendous, but truly just a fraction of what the Sedin’s did for the City of Vancouver. They poured their hearts and souls into this city and hockey club both on and off the ice. They were truly the two most iconic top-class NHL’ers to sport the blue and green. Both equally respected by many, and it showed.
A must-see, the Canucks’ legends, and former teammates were in attendance to celebrate the successful careers of their idolized and accomplished leaders. Nobody was going to miss this one, even Ryan Kesler braved the storm and was warmly welcomed back, possibly getting the loudest cheers — a smile from ear to ear. Heartfelt speeches and great memories were shared, and it all ended with the twins getting the ultimate honor, immortality in Vancouver, a place for their name to live on forever.
The only way to polish it all off would be a victory against the twins’ arch-nemesis, the Chicago Blackhawks. They were bound to come out strong, but could the Canucks fend off the hungry hawks and give Sedin Night the perfect cherry on top? Let’s take a look at Wednesday night’s results.
The captain takes the torch
It was the final test, the final piece of evidence that Bo Horvat was ready to take this team from Henrik and Daniel. On a night that was oh so important to the legacy of the Canucks, Vancouver came out flat and struggled to get a shot on net in the first period. They were sloppy and were being heavily outplayed by the Blackhawks.
No shots on the opposition through over ten minutes of the game, but the answer came from none other than the newest Canucks’ captain. An absolute snipe of a goal right in tight on the powerplay, a tic-tac-toe beauty that got the ball rolling in Vancouver. Horvat wasn’t going to settle for a mediocre performance from his club, not tonight.
The twins can sleep soundly tonight not only knowing their epic careers are complete but also being ensured that the Canucks franchise is in good hands with Horvat at the helm of it all. His work ethic is strong and pure, he never quits, always giving 100 percent. It’s something he learned from none other than the twins themselves.
Markstrom’s 49 save shutout
How fitting it is that on such a special night for his fellow countrymen, Jacob Markstrom puts up an incredible blockbuster performance. His incredible play had him stopping all 49 shots he faced in elite fashion while capturing a Canucks record for most saves in a shutout. The Swedish goalie is on fire, and he wasn’t going to let this night end in a loss.
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The Canucks really didn’t deserve to win this hockey game. The team was outplayed, outshot and pinned deep in their own end for the majority of the game. The first period was atrocious trying to get the possession in the offensive zone, maybe a slight side effect of the extended ceremony. Regardless, Markstrom was sharp when his teammates were not, and his terrific game might just be his best of the season.
Without a doubt, Markstrom is building his value towards the end of his expiring contract. He’s the MVP of this team and if the Canucks remain on top of the Pacific, it wouldn’t be crazy to consider him for the Hart Trophy. Yes, you heard that correctly. This game and many others like it have proved his worth to the club.
Sutter has a great two-way game
It’s not that often that Brandon Sutter has an offensive explosion. Wednesday night, Sutter did full well on not only playing a great defensive game, but also clicking offensively and putting up a three-point night on the scoresheet. He’ll take what he can get, especially for the twins.
With injuries in the top-six, Sutter got the nod from Travis Green to get some power play time. It paid off as Sutter was awarded the primary assist to Horvat’s much-needed game-opening goal. A beautiful bang-bang play handcrafted right out of your average power play playbook.
He added a secondary assist on the shutdown third line before closing out the game defensively in the final minutes and adding an empty-net goal for insurance. A great feeling of relief as his puck hit the netting. Daniel and Henrik get their ultimate tribute night, and the Canucks continued to find ways to win.
Next. Canucks: Our favourite moments for the Sedin twins. dark
Final thoughts
The Canucks found a way to get the job done. They dug deep in the defensive end and Markstrom was nothing short of spectacular. They honored the twins in the perfect way with a win over the rivaled Hawks. A few days of needed rest before the Canucks battle the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. Puck drops at Rogers arena at 2 PM.