Canucks: 3 takeaways from 4-3 Game 5 win over Blues
The Vancouver Canucks were down 3-1 but came back to win 4-3 over the St. Louis Blues in Game 5. Here are 3 takeaways from the back and forth battle.
What a game! For the first time since 2011, the Vancouver Canucks are one victory away from winning an official playoff series. After a disappointing performance in Game 4, the Canucks were poised for a better effort.
They started off well. They were winning the races as well as the battles, flying with speed into the offensive zone and getting quality chances all over the ice. In the second the Blues turned up the intensity but in the third, they battled with the Blues well and managed to hang on for the win. The energy and effort were there tonight after being absent in Game 4.
Adam Gaudette was back in the lineup replacing Zack MacEwen.
The Canucks also lost Alex Edler in the second when he was cut by Jordan Kyrou’s skate in the face close to the ear. At the time of this writing, there has been no word of the injury. This is another blow to the Canucks defense having already lost Tyler Myers. Let’s hope he is OK because that was a scary injury.
Here are three takeaways from tonight’s Game 5 triumph over the defending champs.
1. Tyler Motte gets on the score sheet, twice!
In the playoffs, the unlikeliest of players can score big goals. Tyler Motte scored two goals tonight including this beauty of a shorthanded opportunity thanks to Alex Pietrangelo breaking his stick.
He also scored the game-winning goal off the rush beating Jake Allen cleanly.
He used his speed and energy to score goals and create scoring chances for the Canucks. He also was good defensively as he helped the Canucks win battles and force turnovers. Motte sent Twitter into a frenzy as people were praising him for his efforts.
My last article was about Motte and how he was an underrated part of this Canucks team (like Ant-Man is to The Avengers and The Globalist is to Muse’s Drones). The Athletic’s Wyatt Arndt gave me a shout out for the article on Twitter. That was pretty cool even though I wasn’t the one who made the original comparison.
Motte might not be the biggest name on the Canucks but tonight he made a big impact.
2. Jake Virtanen has finally woken up
Fans and pundits have been criticizing Jake Virtanen for not being effective in the postseason so far. Many were wondering when he was going to start scoring or make some sort of impact. They got their answer last night with a great performance from the New Westminster native.
Virtanen got his first playoff point on an assist from JT Miller’s goal that made it 3-2. He helped Miller win the puck battle behind the net. Good body positioning, throwing his weight around to stay involved and make a big-time play to get the Canucks back in the game.
Later in the period, he tied the game at three apiece with his first playoff goal when he sniped one past Allen. With great footwork and elusiveness from Elias Pettersson, He was able to create time and space, work the puck around to the tape of Virtanen’s stick, who then (from down low) buried one short side.
Shotgun Jake’s goal broke Twitter as the beers were flowing and people were happy and relieved that Virtanen has finally stepped up. It was about time. A great individual effort from the 24-year-old.
3. Jacob Markstrom makes the big saves
It has been one of the stories of the Canucks’ season and it continued tonight. Jacob Markstrom made big saves to keep Vancouver in the game and lift them to victory. This game could have been a blowout if not for Markstrom’s heroics. Just like he has been all season. He was calm, cool, and poised in net making some ridiculous stops.
That includes this diving blocker save on Jacob de la Rose after the puck went off the linesman.
There were many more and all were huge especially in the third period because the Blues were poised to tie it up but Markstrom was dialed in. There is a reason why fans voted him team MVP. 36 saves on a night where he was absolutely peppered with shots. It really seems like the more shots he faces the better he plays.
Conclusion
The Blues showed their aggressive forecheck once again but the Canucks battled hard and countered it with goals, desperation, and energy. From the start, they looked hungry for victory and they got a huge one when it mattered most.
The Canucks have a chance to dethrone the Stanley Cup champions on Friday. Puck drop time is still undecided. Stay safe and celebrate responsibly. Avoid large gatherings, maintain social distancing, and wear a mask if you do go out to places where distancing is hard to follow.