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Canucks: 3 takeaways from 3-2 shootout loss to Edmonton

By Zaahid Lalani |
EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 13: Goaltender Mike Smith #41 of the Edmonton Oilers makes a save against Alex Chiasson #39 of the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at Rogers Place on October 13, 2021 in Edmonton, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 13: Goaltender Mike Smith #41 of the Edmonton Oilers makes a save against Alex Chiasson #39 of the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at Rogers Place on October 13, 2021 in Edmonton, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)
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It wasn’t the prettiest outing, but the Vancouver Canucks were able to secure their first point of the year.

The team kicked off the 2021-22 regular season on the road against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night, looking to get an early lead in the Pacific Division.

Vancouver looked strong right out of the gate, showcasing speed and determination on almost every shift. They outshot the Oilers by a margin of 8-5 halfway through the first period but, unfortunately, that didn’t last too long. Edmonton replied with pressure of their own in the latter half of the opening frame, which eventually led to the game’s opening goal from Jesse Puljujärvi.

The game continued at its high pace in the second period, with both teams exchanging a handful of shots and dangerous scoring chances, but Edmonton once again found a way to hit the scoreboard thanks to a powerplay goal from newcomer Zach Hyman. The Canucks allowed that tally after being dinged for their first “too many men” penalty of the year, sending shudders and waves of PTSD through fans and media alike.

The team was able to claw their way back in the final frame, with blueliners Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Quinn Hughes finding the back of the net in the last 10 minutes of the contest to force extra time. Both teams had their chances in overtime, but eventually needed the shootout to decide the final fate. Local boy Kyle Turris would eventually bury the game-winning goal in round five, dropping Vancouver’s record to 0-0-1 to start off the season.

Without further adieu, here are three takeaways from Vancouver’s 3-2 shootout loss to Edmonton:

Powerplay can’t capitalize

It’s a tale as old as time for the Canucks these days.

The team once again struggled on the powerplay on Wednesday night, with the man advantage units unable to deliver when needed most.

The Canucks had to make some personnel changes heading into their regular season opener, particularly on the first powerplay unit. The team was without the services of Brock Boeser, who is still dealing with a nagging injury that he suffered during training camp. As a result, head coach Travis Green went with Alex Chiasson to fill out the primary unit, but it didn’t go exactly as planned.

The Canucks were unable to capitalize on their first four powerplay opportunities, only registering four shots on goal during that time. Both units looked out of sync, making it quite easy for Edmonton’s penalty kill to succeed.

Chiasson played alongside the usual primary powerplay suspects in Hughes, J.T. Miller, Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson, but all five players were unable to maintain consistent pressure or chemistry in the attacking zone, leading to a poor powerplay outing overall.

Chiasson also found himself on the top line with Miller and Pettersson for most of the evening.

The Canucks managed to record one goal on the man advantage, thanks to Ekman-Larsson’s first tally in blue and green, but it came in the 11th hour, something the team will need to improve on quickly if they want to start adding to the win column this year.

Höglander, Demko pick up right where they left off

It appears that Nils Höglander and Thatcher Demko haven’t missed a beat from last season.

Let’s start with Höglander.

The 20-year-old winger started the contest on the team’s third line alongside Matthew Highmore and Jason Dickinson, but was easily Vancouver’s most energetic player throughout the night. Like last year, Höglander made sure to put his speed, physicality and tenacity to win the puck on full display, and was also able to create offence and provide an energetic spark every time he hit the ice.

The former 2019 second round selection was eventually promoted to the top-six forward group in the final frame, and was even rewarded with some time on the second powerplay unit.

Höglander finished the night with two assists and four shots on goal in just under 16 minutes of ice time, and could very well continue to be an important X-factor for the Canucks for the remainder of the year if he maintains this style of play.

Same could definitely be said for Demko.

The 25-year-old netminder was busy right from the get-go, stopping 13 of 14 shots in the opening frame, including this nifty stick save against Hyman.

Demko continued to be peppered with scoring chances during the middle frame, and was once again forced to keep his team in the battle when they were unable to create chances of their own. Fortunately, his teammates were able to bounce back and give him a bit of a rest in the final frame but, if last night’s contest was any indication, it appears that Demko will need to continue to put up these strong performances on a nightly basis to give his team the best chance of winning.

Strong debut for the newcomers

The Canucks also managed to get solid debuts from some of their newer faces on the roster, particularly Conor Garland and Kyle Burroughs.

Garland made his Vancouver debut on the second line with Horvat and Tanner Pearson and, as expected, brought high energy and speed to the top-six rotation. The former Arizona Coyote was all over the ice on every shift, and wasn’t afraid to drive the net or battle against the boards.

Garland also found himself on the second powerplay unit, where he showcased his strong vision and quick passing abilities with Ekman-Larsson and Höglander en route to the team’s first goal of the game.

Garland finished the night with one assist, two SOG and three hits in just over 20 minutes of ice time, and is already cementing himself as the talented top-six winger that we all expected him to be.

Burroughs also had a strong outing with his new team.

The 26-year-old blueliner started the game on the third-pairing with Jack Rathbone, but definitely made the most of his given ice time. Burroughs didn’t hesitate to join the rush every time he hit the ice, and was able to put his offensive mindset on full display on numerous occasions.

Burroughs and Rathbone appeared to be on the outside looking in during Wednesday’s morning skate, but eventually got the nod from Green to suit up for the season opener over Brad Hunt and Luke Schenn, which turned out to be a very smart move for the Canucks.

The Vancouver native finished the game with two SOG, two blocked shots and one hit in just over 11 minutes of ice time, and has definitely earned another look with his hometown club.

Ekman-Larsson also put up a strong outing with his new club, registering one assist, four SOG and three hits in just under 24 minutes of ice time. Ekman-Larsson had the second highest TOI amongst the Canucks, right behind Hughes, with six of those minutes coming on the powerplay and penalty kill.

Other notes:

  • Fans were treated to a gift to kick off the season, thanks to this bone-crushing hit from Tyler Myers on public enemy #1 Duncan Keith.

The Canucks will continue their six-game road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday afternoon. Puck drop is set for 4:00pm PST.

dark. Next. 3 keys for a successful 2021-22 season for the Canucks

What were your thoughts on Vancouver’s season opener? Let us know in the comments!

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