Top players struggled
Along with Miller, Boeser and Quinn Hughes struggled as well. Boeser, in particular, played an uncharacteristic game, as he struggled defensively and didn’t generate much offence either. In fact, he registered an abysmal 15.38% corsi at five on five according to Natural Stat Trick, which was dead last on the team. He also ended the game with an expected goals percentage of 6.66%, which is a number so low that it almost seems impossible.
The one good news is that Boeser was also the only person to beat Carey Price, as he unloaded an absolute rocket on a second-period power play.
That's what we call a Brocket! 🚀
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) March 11, 2021
On the PP, Boeser gets his 14th of the year and the #Canucks are on the board! pic.twitter.com/D1NtIgr43K
Hughes, on the other hand, wasn’t much better. The 21-year-old had a corsi below 35% and an expected goals percentage of 23.10%. It’s obvious that this team isn’t capable of winning games when their best players aren’t at their best since Vancouver’s bottom-six isn’t reliable at all.
With that said, I don’t think we need to be concerned about the play of Miller, Boeser, and Hughes moving forward. The trio was lights out before last night’s game and there’s no reason why they won’t bounce back, so I’m sure that it was just one tiny bump that we’ll soon forget about.
Other notes
- Last night was the first time the team really missed Elias Pettersson, who won’t be back for another week. It was inevitable that Vancouver would fall back to earth with their best player sidelined, and we can only hope that the Swede comes back sooner than later.
- After weeks of elite play, Demko also looked more human. However, he was still the Canucks’ best player and kept them in the game, especially in the first period; Vancouver could’ve easily been down by three or four goals if it wasn’t for him.
- Continuing on my previous point, I wonder if Demko is feeling a bit tired after starting four consecutive games. The team’s next game doesn’t come until Saturday, so he should get some extra rest before then. I won’t be surprised if Braden Holtby gets the start either, since he does need to get some starts no matter how much he’s struggled.
Like I just mentioned, the Canucks will have two days off before facing the Oilers on Saturday. Puck drops at 7 pm Pacific Time and Vancouver will need to bring their “A” game if they hope to win, as Edmonton just thrashed Ottawa 7-1 last night.