Canucks: 3 takeaways from the 6-5 shootout win against the Canadiens
It wasn’t the prettiest effort, but the Vancouver Canucks were able to snap their three-game losing streak with a 6-5 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Canucks, who were coming off disappointing back-to-back performances against the Calgary Flames, were desperate for a win. They entered this game sitting last in their division, and had not been able to produce much offensively.
Fortunately, they put all of these negatives behind them and were able to get the job done in the end. Here are three takeaways from Wednesday night’s home-opener:
What powerplay problems?
Canucks’ fans can take their fingers off of the powerplay panic button (for now).
After going scoreless on the man advantage during the first four games of the season, the Canucks were able to bounce back in a big way.
They capitalized on Montreal’s plethora of undisciplined and sloppy penalties, notching three goals on six chances.
Their first unit controlled much of the play, spending upwards of 90 seconds on the ice before making way for the second unit. They showed glimpses of last year’s talented form, with captain Bo Horvat leading the way on the scoresheet with two goals and an assist.
#Canucks are 10-0-0 all-time when Bo Horvat scores 2+ goals.
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) January 21, 2021
In general, they were able to enter the offensive zone quickly and consistently, maintaining good pressure and establishing quick passing plays throughout their attack. They were also able to deploy the one-timer from the bumper position to perfection.
If the Canucks want to compete in the highly-talented all-Canadian division, they will need to continue to score goals and create high-danger chances, much like they did last night.
The powerplay will be a crucial first step in that process.
The Lotto Line will be alright
Similar to the struggling powerplay, fans were ready to turn their back on the Lotto line.
No need to go down that road anymore.
The combination of Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson looked much better on the ice compared to their previous game in Calgary. They finished the night with eight shots on net and created numerous dangerous chances throughout the game.
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They cycled the puck around well in the offensive zone and seemed to have shaken off the rust from their first outing together on Monday. They were even able to draw a penalty after tiring out their opponents, which eventually led to the first powerplay marker of the night.
More importantly, they came up clutch when the team needed them most.
Down by one in the final minutes of the 3rd period, Miller was able to find Boeser in the slot, and he made no mistake wiring a one-timer behind Carey Price. Boeser finished the evening with two goals and an assist, while Miller recorded three helpers.
Even though Pettersson didn’t register a point, he looked much more confident with the puck, and his net-front presence was instrumental in the game-tying goal. It’s only a matter of time before no. 40 finds his way back onto the scoresheet, and tonight was a much-needed step towards that.
In the meantime, you can enjoy slick between-the-legs deke attempts like this:
Fingers crossed that the Lotto Line can keep this up for the remainder of the season.
Dude, where’s the defence?
This might feel like deja vu for many, but the Canucks have problems on the blueline.
Entering this shortened season, there were many question marks surrounding the top six defensive core; in particular, how they would perform without the likes of Chris Tanev and Troy Stecher.
To put it bluntly, it hasn’t been going well so far.
The Canucks blew four separate one-goal leads throughout 60 minutes of play, and each Montreal tally was connected to a breakdown in the defensive end. Fortunately, there was no shortage of goals from Vancouver, which helped mask some of the blueline miscues.
Of course, this offensive firepower isn’t sustainable over time, and the Canucks will need to figure out how to fix the blueline before it comes back to badly bite them.
All 3 #Canucks goals against caused by d-men woefully out of position.
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) January 21, 2021
1st goal: Hamonic inexplicably chases a hit at centre ice when he should have been last man back
2nd: Hamonic chases the point while on the PK.
3rd: Hughes not aware of Gallagher, who beats him to the net
To make matters worse, both Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic suffered injuries. Hamonic was able to remain in the game, but the same could not be said for Edler. He only played 6:58 before heading to the dressing room around the seven-minute mark of the second period.
Coach Travis Green did not provide any updates on his veteran blueliners during the post-game press conference, but we’ll all be keeping a close watch to see how this situation will unfold. Losing both players would be a massive blow to the already weakened backend, particularly on the penalty kill.
Not all is bad, though.
Quinn Hughes continued his impressive sophomore campaign, notching two more assists on 27:30 of ice time. This was second to Nate Schmidt, who logged just under 28 minutes. Both players looked shaky and out of position at times, but don’t expect that to carry over into the next game.
It’s also worth mentioning the solid NHL debut from Jalen Chatfield. The 23-year-old Michigan native, who has spent the past three seasons in Utica, didn’t look out of place on the backend. He played just over 15 minutes total, comfortably embracing different pairings, new responsibilities and additional ice-time in the third period after Edler was ruled out.
Don’t be surprised if management rewards Chatfield with a few more NHL games down the road, especially if the all-too-familiar injury bug makes its way back into the Canuck locker room.
Other notes:
- Horvat scored the shootout winner against Price in the fourth round, capping off his fantastic outing. He has notched four career shootout goals, all of which have been game-winners.
- The Canucks were much more disciplined during last night’s game, only making one trip to the penalty box. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to hold off Montreal’s red-hot power play and surrendered their eighth goal of the season while down a man. Their penalty kill continues to be one of the worst in the league, and they will need to make major improvements soon.
- Tyler Toffoli scored three goals in his return to Vancouver. Toffoli, who inked a four-year deal with Montreal during the offseason, has always had scoring success in Rogers Arena, notching 22 points in 21 games leading up to Wednesday night’s tilt. Toffoli’s strong performance set Canuck Twitter on fire, with many fans reigniting their negative feelings towards Jim Benning and co., and questioning how management couldn’t come up with a deal to keep the right-winger in town.
- Tyler Motte finished the game with one goal, three SOG and nine hits after 16:16 of ice time. The 25-year-old was having a tough time staying out of the penalty box at the start of the season but seems to have found his groove. Look for him to continually build upon his aggressive shutdown style of play that made him so fun to play against in the bubble.
Final thoughts:
Although there are still quite a few wrinkles that need to be ironed out, fans should’ve been able to wake up (somewhat) happy after yesterday’s performance. The team was able to bump their slump and secured an important two points in the all-Canadian division.
It was quite the rollercoaster ride from start to finish on Wednesday night, and even though it was entertaining to watch, the Canucks will need to quickly make some improvements if they want to win the second half of their back-to-back.
Next. Canucks Rewind: Henrik's 1000th point. dark
The Canucks will face the Canadiens again on Thursday at 6:00 PM PST.