Frustrations continue to build for the Vancouver Canucks after another problematic loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. It was their sixth straight loss this season, making it one of the longest losing streaks of Travis Green’s tenure as head coach.
Like their previous game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the effort was there, but the results were not. The Canucks came out of the gate like a bat out of Hell, but nothing seemed to solve Jacob Markstrom. They peppered him with shots, but it was the Flames who escaped period one with a one-goal lead.
Vancouver was flying once again in the second period. Elias Pettersson sent an open Brock Boeser down the wing against Markstrom. He got a good shot off, Markstrom lost sight of the puck, and Boeser was able to drive it home by jamming it short side past the goal line. Tie game.
That's 🔟 goals on the season for Brock Boeser (@BBoeser16)! pic.twitter.com/oNbgu3wJYF
— NHL (@NHL) February 12, 2021
The momentum continued to rise for Vancouver, but just like that, the Flames got a lucky bounce and regained the lead. It was a shot by Andrew Mangiapane that was heading nearly four feet wide. It rang off the foot of Nate Schmidt and deflected into a wide-open goal, a perfect example of the Canucks luck right now. The Flames added another goal in the third and Vancouver never recovered.
The Canucks couldn’t play a full 60 minutes
Just like their most recent meeting with the Maple Leafs, the Canucks dominated possession for the first 40 minutes of this contest. But for whatever reason, the gas tank ran dry and Vancouver struggled to keep that composure in period three.
According to NaturalStatTrick, the Canucks Corsi For was 60.87% in the first period, 62.5% in the second period, but only 36.84% in the final frame. Where is the compete level when it matters most? When all was said and done, Vancouver finished with 34 shots on net. Calgary finished the game with 26.
Nils Hoglander was a man on a mission
The Canucks rookie forward was a player who I found to be most noticeable for the Canucks. He had the energy to burn, speed for miles, and a shot that could have taken somebody’s head off. Nils Hoglander was hungry for a win against some of the Canucks’ former allies but to no avail.
The 20-year-old Swedish winger had another terrific performance. He may not have registered a point on the scoresheet or earned two points for his team, but if anyone was working hard out there, it was him.
Hoglander finished the game with 19:10 in ice time, he had four quality scoring chances, and his CF% was 52.17% at even-strength. Maybe it’s something in the cool-aid or maybe it’s just the drive of another successful Canucks first-year, but the kid sure wants to win.
Bad luck for special teams
This was a game that the Canucks could have won, maybe even a game they should have won. But at the end of the day, Markstrom and the Flames got the last laugh once again. That’s just luck sometimes, good or bad. Let me explain…
According to the stat-sheet, the Canucks penalty kill was a perfect three for three. Take a closer look, and Vancouver gave up two goals only a fraction of a second after the expiration of those penalties. Not even enough time for the penalized Canuck to get his foot on the ice and begin making his way back to his defensive zone.
Want to know the real kicker? Both goals were headed well wide of the net but somehow redirected off a body in front before beating a down and out Thatcher Demko. The Canucks just can’t catch a break. The wheels are turning, their starting to move their team play in the right direction, but bad luck catches up with the Canucks once again.
Final thoughts…
Travis Green doesn’t exactly blame his team for another loss. He saw the effort in this game and he knows his team can find a way to win. Just one of those games where the bounces don’t go your way. Here’s what he had to say in a post-game presser:
“As much as you hate losing, our guys are smart enough to know they played a pretty good hockey game,” Green said. “They know if we bring that game to the table, you’re going to win more than you lose. You’re not gonna win every game when you play well, that’s just the way the league is, the league is too good. But I’m comfortable our guys know that if they bring that type of effort, good things are gonna happen.”
The Canucks clash with the Flames once again on Saturday night for Hockey Night in Canada’s main event. The puck drops at 7 p.m. Pacific time. Expect the Canucks to be starving for a win.