Canucks: 3 takeaways from the 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers
Well, that was short-lived for the Vancouver Canucks.
After coming away with the victory on Thursday night, the team was looking to continue their winning ways, once again facing off against Connor McDavid and his playoff-bound Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
This would mark the Canucks’ fourth game in six nights, a schedule that was becoming all too familiar for players, coaches and fans. Despite the compressed calendar, however, the team had only been outscored by a margin of 12-10 over their past three games, and actually had a chance to end their four-game mini series with a .500 record.
But, as we’ve seen before, the Canucks were ultimately no match for the high-scoring, fast-paced Oilers, falling to them by a score of 4-3.
With the loss, the Canucks fell to the 29th spot in the overall league standings with 43 points, sitting only ahead of Anaheim and Buffalo. They currently sit 14 points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the fourth and final playoff spot, which, mathematically speaking, is technically still up for grabs, but we all know the team would need a miracle to climb their way out of the basement in their division.
Nevertheless, here are three takeaways from last night’s loss:
The Canucks didn’t go down without a fight
As alluded above, the Canucks schedule has not been forgiving as of late.
The team had already played 12 games in 21 nights since returning from their team-wide COVID-19 outbreak in mid-April, including two separate back-to-back situations. It’s evident that the majority of the roster isn’t 100% healthy, with most players dealing with a nagging injury, the aftermath of COVID-19, or a combination of the two.
“We had some injuries coming out of COVID like you expected to see happen,” says Thatcher Demko, suggesting that the injuries were related to game readiness following the outbreak. #Canucks
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) May 9, 2021
Yet, despite all odds against them, the team was actually able to put up a decently competitive performance last night.
The Canucks were able to limit the Oilers to only one goal in the first frame, and did not surrender a penalty during that 20-minute span. Yes, there were moments of sheer panic and cringe-worthy gameplay, but the team was still able to hold their ground to keep the game close.
As has been expected lately, though, the team appeared more fatigued coming into the second period, once again surrendering a tally early on. They easily could’ve thrown in the towel, much like they had done during this recent stretch of games, but you have to give credit to the team for continuing to battle.
They were able to register two goals in a span of 2:28 to bring the game to even again, including this marker from J.T. Miller, who was able to intercept a pass at his own blue line before storming down the ice for a silky breakaway finish:
J.T. Miller with the beauty breakaway finish pic.twitter.com/8n708CYocJ
— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) May 9, 2021
The Oilers’ top guns went to work shortly after, restoring their one goal lead with ease less than one minute later. But, once again, the Canucks found a way to dig in and respond, something that fans are not used to seeing from this team in the middle frame lately.
The offence eventually dried up, with the Canucks unable to mount one more comeback in the final frame.
In the end, the team ultimately came away with the result that they deserved, but you can’t negate the effort that the players put into this one. And with seven games still remaining on this never-ending roller coaster season, that’s all you can really ask of this team each night.
The bottom six finally finds the back of the net
We’re not going to sugar coat this. It’s been a brutal year for the Canucks’ bottom six forwards.
The third and fourth lines have been a disaster on the scoresheet, and have essentially been invisible on a nightly basis. It’s been a revolving door for both of those lines, and head coach Travis Green has been forced to juggle a plethora of players in those roles, hoping that just one of them can slot in and create some kind of offensive spark on the ice.
He finally got his wish on Saturday night.
The Canucks were finally able to receive some secondary scoring, with the third and fourth lines combining for two of the team’s three goals.
Forward Travis Boyd was able to register his first point as a Canuck, receiving a quick pass from fellow waiver claim Jimmy Vesey before snapping the puck past netminder Mike Smith to tie the game at 2-2.
Boyd's first goal with the #Canucks. He did not hesitate at all on this one! pic.twitter.com/OphZN48AdQ
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 9, 2021
Tyler Graovac also found the back of the net, notching his second goal in as many games, with the primary assist coming from Jayce Hawryluk.
I see your Connor McDavid love, but have ya’ll seen Tyler Graovac? pic.twitter.com/PI21Qz7rlY
— Dan Riccio (@danriccio_) May 9, 2021
As relieving as it was to see these players hit the scoresheet, especially with both goals coming in game-tying fashion, it’s ultimately a moot point at this point in the season.
The Canucks have been forced to rely on their top two lines for much too long now, with opponents fully aware that they only need to shut down five or six key players to come away with a victory. Canucks’ fans and management would’ve also loved to have seen this kind of production earlier on in the campaign, when the team was still in the postseason hunt.
Would it have ultimately changed their outcome in the standings? Probably not.
But, if the Canucks want to even consider contending for a playoff spot in the near future, they’ll need their bottom roster to start contributing like this on a nightly basis, no matter who makes up the third and fourth lines.
Special teams continue to struggle
Let’s face it. The special teams are anything but special now.
The Canucks laid yet another goose egg on Saturday night, going 0-for-5 on the man advantage. Their powerplay, which was a consistent top-10 threat last season, has struggled mightily as of late, ultimately becoming one of the key reasons that the team continues to lose games.
At this point in the year, with the physical and mental exhaustion reaching new heights every game, the Canucks won’t be able to compete 5v5. It’s just reality. They lack the stamina, foot speed and execution that other teams are equipped with, and only have a leg up when they literally outnumber their opponents on the ice.
The Canucks have been getting their fair share of chances, and they’ve slowly been able to increase their shot totals. But the team continues to have difficulty entering the offensive zone, and usually squander the opportunity with weak passing and poor decision-making once they do actually manage to set-up.
Factor in a crumbling penalty kill unit, which allowed two goals on Saturday night, including the eventual game-winner, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find any good talking points for this team throughout their entire 60 minutes on ice.
Yes, it’s hard to find the goals when a powerplay specialist like Elias Pettersson has been out of the line-up for an extended period of time, but that excuse dried up weeks ago. All teams face key injuries at some point in their seasons, but it doesn’t stop the good ones from still finding ways to come away with victories.
And right now, the Canucks are miles away from not only dressing a functional, dangerous, two-fold powerplay, but from also putting together a team that can contend each and every night, no matter the situation.
Other notes:
- Connor McDavid recorded his 100th point of the season, after putting up a goal and three assists on Saturday night. He is the 9th player in NHL history to reach the century-point mark in 53 games or less, and the first since both Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemeiux completed the feat during the 1995-96 campaign. McDavid and his Oilers team still have three games remaining this year, meaning he could easily push for 110 points if he continues to produce at this torrid pace. During this four-game mini series against the Canucks, McDavid put up an astonishing three goals and 10 assists, putting Vancouver on the wrong side of the highlight reel for many years to come.
- Marc Michaelis slotted into the third line on Saturday night, replacing winger Zack MacEwen, who was serving his one-game suspension for kneeing Oilers’ defenceman Darnell Nurse. Michaelis, who last played on April 22nd, recorded two shots on goal and a plus one rating over 10:44 of ice time.
Next. Jack Rathbone could become a fan favourite. dark
The Canucks will continue their road trip with a Monday night match-up against the Winnipeg Jets. Puck drop is at 5:00pm PST.
What did you think of the team’s 4-3 loss to the Oilers? Make sure to drop a comment below!