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Canucks: Three takeaways from disappointing 3-2 loss to Minnesota Wild

By Joshua Rey |
VANCOUVER, BC - OCTOBER 26: Alex Chiasson #39 of the Vancouver Canucks and Jared Spurgeon #46 of the Minnesota Wild eye the loose puck after goalie Cam Talbot #33 of the Minnesota Wild made a save during the second period of NHL action on October, 26, 2021 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - OCTOBER 26: Alex Chiasson #39 of the Vancouver Canucks and Jared Spurgeon #46 of the Minnesota Wild eye the loose puck after goalie Cam Talbot #33 of the Minnesota Wild made a save during the second period of NHL action on October, 26, 2021 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
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The Vancouver Canucks were finally playing a game without tarps and fake crowd noises that sounded like the screams from the pits of hell.

For the first time since March 10, 2020, their were fans in the stands at Rogers Arena cheering on the boys in blue and green.

It is the first of a seven game homestand for the Canucks after spending the first six games of the season on the road.

The Canucks honoured essential and frontline workers before the game and rightfully so.  It has been a tough 19 months for them and they have been giving their all for us during the pandemic. If you are a frontline or essential worker reading this, we salute you.  It would be a lot harder to go through these rough times without you.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry was also there to crank the siren before the game.

The Canucks also put out an epic intro video for fans in the stands. It wasn’t shown on the broadcast but here it is below.

Big props goes to the people who made this video. J.T. Miller as a lumberjack?! Quinn Hughes taking his jersey of a backpack like Peter Parker?! Elias Pettersson as a Jedi?! What’s there not to like!

Unfortunately, the game wasn’t as exciting as the intro video.

The Wild were playing their third road game and in four nights but it was the Canucks who look like they were out of gas. They didn’t have much to begin with, to be honest.

Alex Chiasson got the Canucks on the board which came on the power play in the second period. Bo Horvat managed to get the Canucks within a goal with a great solo effort late in the third.

Mats Zuccarello, Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba got the goals for the Wild.

” We didn’t converge,” said head coach Travis Green after the game. “We didn’t create enough. We have to find a way to create more chances. I think we’re defending a lot better, but we still have to create.”

The Canucks did have the puck a lot but they weren’t creating much scoring chances. They were playing with no energy and no urgency especially in the third period. It was like they were on autopilot all game.

It also felt like the team wasn’t clicking together and it makes you question what their system even is.

Overall, it was a disappointing and poor effort from the home team.

Alright, here are three takeaways from the Canucks 3-2 home loss to the Wild.

VANCOUVER, BC – OCTOBER 26: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks and Nico Sturm #7 of the Minnesota Wild battle for the loose puck along the boards during the first period of NHL action on October, 26, 2021 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC – OCTOBER 26: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks and Nico Sturm #7 of the Minnesota Wild battle for the loose puck along the boards during the first period of NHL action on October, 26, 2021 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

Defence was giving the Wild easy chances

The Canucks defence did not look good on paper before the season started. Seven games into the season, the defence hasn’t looked good at all.

Vancouver gave the puck away six times in the game. (Though it seems like it was more.)

On the first goal, Tucker Poolman and Hughes left Zuccarello all alone.

Poolman by the way, left the game in the second period and did not return. According to Thomas Drance of The Athletic, it is an upper body injury.

There was an unacceptable turnover from Jack Rathbone in the second which lead to Brodin’s goal.

There were a lot of turnovers and odd man rushes. The Canucks defence looked so careless coming out of their own zone and made a bunch of ill-advised passes.

The Wild went through the Canucks defence like they were a turnstile at a Skytrain station except they didn’t need a Compass Card to go through.

It isn’t going to be fun watching this defence as the season goes on.

Elias Pettersson invisible again

Yes, he assisted on Chiasson’s goal. It was a nice pass.

Other than that, Pettersson didn’t look like himself again.

Per NaturalStatTrick, Pettersson had a 50% Corsi For percentage but analytics don’t tell the whole story.

He looked like he was overthinking on the power play. Pettersson was hesitating to shoot and kept passing instead.

At five-on five, Pettersson looked invisible. He was missing like Luke Skywalker in The Force Awakens.

Like the rest of the team, he wasn’t taking shots on goal, (he had two the entire game and was barely shooting.) or creating plays like he usually does. Pettersson looked slower out there and it has been a rough start to the season for the 2017 fifth overall pick.

“I thought his game was average tonight,” said Green on Pettersson.

The Canucks need their best players to perform. It’s obvious at this point. Pettersson is the best player on the Canucks, and he needs to get going.

Yes, he hasn’t played a lot of hockey over the last calendar year. Yes, he has missed training camp due to contract negotiations but he has to figure it out soon.

It’s natural to be worried about Pettersson’s start, and I’m sure he will figure it out at some point and this homestand is a perfect opportunity.

It just can’t come soon enough.

VANCOUVER, BC – OCTOBER 26: Marcus Foligno #17 of the Minnesota Wild shoots against goalie Thatcher Demko #35 of the Vancouver Canucks during the first period of NHL action on October, 26, 2021 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC – OCTOBER 26: Marcus Foligno #17 of the Minnesota Wild shoots against goalie Thatcher Demko #35 of the Vancouver Canucks during the first period of NHL action on October, 26, 2021 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

#3 Thatcher Demko kept the Canucks close

We are starting to sound like a broken record in our post game articles but can you blames us?

Thatcher Demko has been solid to start the season and he didn’t slow down against the Wild. You couldn’t really fault him for the three goals he gave up. (See takeaway number one.)

With the Wild getting the majority of the scoring chances, Demko was there to shut the door.

Perhaps his best save of the night was this incredible glove save off Frederick Gaudreau in the second period.

The 25-year-old netminder has been the MVP of the Canucks so far this season.

Much like previous games this season, he stood tall. Demko was once again there when the Canucks needed to be.

Other notes

  • Justin Bailey was called up prior to Tuesday’s game. He looked good as he displayed some speed and made a big block on the penalty kill.
  • Nils Höglander was one of the few Canucks who displayed energy and tenacity all game.
  • While Chiasson did score on the power play, it does make more sense to have Brock Boeser on the first power play unit instead.

Next. Canucks: Elias Pettersson is the star that Vancouver needs right now. dark

The Canucks homestand continues when the Philadelphia Flyers come to town on Thursday. Puck drop is at 7:00 PM.

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