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Canucks have been taught a lesson, and now they have to learn from it

By Alex Hoegler

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - AUGUST 17: Vancouver Canucks assistant coach Newell Brown handles the bench during the game against the St. Louis Blues in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 17, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Blues defeated the Canucks 3-1. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
EDMONTON, ALBERTA - AUGUST 17: Vancouver Canucks assistant coach Newell Brown handles the bench during the game against the St. Louis Blues in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 17, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Blues defeated the Canucks 3-1. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images) /
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The St. Louis Blues have taught the Vancouver Canucks a valuable lesson. Head coach Travis Green and company must learn from it.

The Vancouver Canucks were one goal away from taking a commanding 3-0 series lead against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.

Fast forward one day later, and the series is even at two games apiece. The Blues suddenly look like the team that won the 2019 Stanley Cup. On the flip side, the Canucks look like a nervous and inexperienced team.

This wasn’t the case when Vancouver got past the Minnesota Wild in the qualifying round. There were zero signs of nerves and postseason inexperience in that series, and it was actually the Blues who looked completely unprepared and caught off guard by the postseason intensity during the first two games.

But there was no panic in the Blues after they went down 2-0. Head coach Craig Berube made the gutsy decision to start Jake Allen in favour of Jordan Binnington. The former has repaid his team by stopping 61 of 64 shots — including a handful of glorious scoring opportunities in overtime of Game 3 — to get the Blues back in business.

Simply put, Vancouver has been taught a meaningful lesson. And now they have to learn from it.

The Blues have been more determined, resilient, organized and structured since going down 2-0. Ryan O’Reilly is completely shutting down the Elias Pettersson line, and the Blues’ physicality and toughness is clearly starting to overwhelm the Canucks — who are dearly missing Tyler Myers right now.

The Canucks have been making some very panicky plays over these last two games, but the more experienced Blues have displayed no fear whatsoever. And they’re the heavy favorites over a Vancouver team that shouldn’t be feeling the immense pressure, given the somewhat low expectations heading into the playoffs.

Vancouver won two games in a row. St. Louis has won two games in a row. It’s now a best-of-three, and logic would say the Blues have the advantage since they’re more battle-tested and better built for these big moments.

Next. Canucks: 3 takeaways from Game 4 loss to St. Louis. dark

This series is far from over, and it’s anybody’s to win. But if the Canucks don’t learn from the valuable lesson that the Blues taught on Sunday and Monday, this series will go to the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

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