Canucks: 3 takeaways from embarrassing 7-4 loss to Anaheim
That was a really bad effort from the Vancouver Canucks.
The team returned to Rogers Arena on Saturday night, kicking off their three game homestand against Troy Terry and the Anaheim Ducks. It was an important contest for the Canucks, who were hoping to secure their third straight victory in front of a full-capacity crowd, while also trying to close the gap between their California rival.
Cue the disappointment.
Vancouver gave up the first five goals of the game for the second time this month, ending Thatcher Demko’s night just 25 minutes into the contest. The team showed flashes of offence and spark throughout the remaining half, but those opportunities never amounted to any sort of comeback, forcing fans to leave their seats well before the final whistle.
With the embarrassing loss, Vancouver is now just one game above .500, sitting sixth in the Pacific Division with a record of 23-22-6. They’re also seven points behind the Los Angeles Kings, who currently hold the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference with a game in hand.
But, hey – at least the dog race was entertaining?
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s 7-4 defeat to Anaheim:
Another flat first period
If only this contributor had a nickel every time the Canucks started a game poorly.
Similar to their contest against the Islanders earlier in the month, the Canucks came out extremely lethargic and flat-footed on Saturday night, and it impacted them on the scoreboard right away.
Before Vancouver could even register a shot on goal (or even register what was going on in the game, for that matter), Anaheim was able to establish a two-goal lead, thanks to two quick tallies from Terry and Nicolas Deslauriers.
Even with plenty of time left on the clock, Vancouver wasn’t able to find the motivation to claw their way back into the contest, let alone escape from their own end.
The team finished the opening frame with just two SOG, compared to nine from Anaheim. They were able to build on those totals, registering nine more shots in each of the following periods for a total of 20, but it’s hard to call that an improvement when you also give up a touchdown of goals.
Simply put, that’s nowhere near good enough for a team who is desperately trying to make it into the postseason.
Special team struggles continue
If only this contributor had a nickel every time the Canucks
started a game poorly
were an absolute disaster on their special teams.
The team once again surrendered the first powerplay of the game, thanks to a cross-check from big-bodied blueliner Luke Schenn. His teammates were fortunately able to kill off the penalty, but it didn’t help Vancouver’s overall effort and success moving forward.
Anaheim continued to cycle the puck well and maintain consistent even strength pressure in Vancouver’s end, which eventually led to a slashing penalty on J.T. Miller.
Unlike their first attempt, Anaheim was able to strike quickly on this man advantage, thanks to a Rickard Rakell deflection that slipped past Demko.
The sin bin struggles continued into the middle frame, with Bo Horvat and Quinn Hughes getting called for back-to-back penalties early on.
As expected, Anaheim was once again able to take advantage of Vancouver’s horrendous penalty kill setup, potting their fourth goal of the game just 21 seconds into their powerplay.
Vancouver technically didn’t give up another powerplay goal while Hughes was in the box, but can you really call it a successful penalty kill when you’re hemmed in your own zone for the full two minutes, failing miserably to clear the puck on two separate occasions while eventually just giving up the goal two seconds into returning to even strength? (spoiler alert, the answer is no).
The Canucks were able to find pad their own powerplay stats later on in the second period, with Hughes teeing up Elias Pettersson for an absolute rocket from the circle to cut the lead to 5-2, but the momentum was extremely short-lived, thanks to what can only be described as a baffling beer-league sequence that eventually led to Adam Henrique’s second goal of the game just 63 seconds later.
In the end, Vancouver allowed Anaheim to register two goals on five man advantage attempts, marking the third consecutive game that the Canucks have surrendered two powerplay tallies to their opponents.
What’s even more concerning is who is taking these penalties for the Canucks, with players like Miller, Horvat, Hughes and Brock Boeser all becoming regular visitors in the sin bin these days.
After Saturday night’s loss, the Canucks remained dead last in the penalty kill department with a mediocre success rate of 69.1%.
Simply put, that’s also nowhere near good enough for a team who is desperately trying to make it into the postseason.
Blueline either out of position or out on the sidelines
It goes without saying, but Saturday night was a rough outing for Vancouver’s defence.
The misery started on the opening shift, with third-pairing blueliner Kyle Burroughs going straight to the locker room after taking a big hit in his own end. The 26-year-old appeared to be in considerable discomfort and was eventually ruled out to returning, forcing Vancouver to roll with five blueliners for the rest of the contest.
And it got worse from there.
The blueline appeared to be all over the ice on multiple occasions throughout the game, falling victim to Anaheim’s slick and quick passing plays in the offensive end.
Their poor positioning was particularly evident on Anaheim’s second goal, with Hughes getting sucked into the corner and Travis Hamonic ending up at the top of the red circle, leaving Conor Garland to defend the blue paint.
A similar play occurred on Anaheim’s seventh goal, with Schenn and Hughes once again behind the play after a failed pinch attempt, forcing Tanner Pearson to do his best impression of a defenceman.
The final nail in the coffin was hammered in towards the end of the final frame when Oliver Ekman-Larsson also left the game after a big hit along the boards. The 30-year old veteran was seen limping down the tunnel, forcing many people on Twitter to hesitant revisiting his previous injury history.
FWIW, OEL had surgery to repair torn meniscus in his left knee in 2019.
— Patrick Johnston (@risingaction) February 20, 2022
Bruce Boudreau says Kyle Burroughs injury doesn't look good. He didn't have an update on OEL. #Canucks @Sportsnet650
— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) February 20, 2022
In the end, Vancouver’s blueline combined for a minus five rating, with Tyler Myers the lone soldier to finish in the plus column. It was a particularly tough game for Hughes who, despite the two-point performance, showcased shades of his defensive lapses from last season.
Hopefully this doesn’t turn into a pattern for Vancouver’s backend down the stretch.
Other notes:
- The only bright spot for Vancouver was the newly-formed line of Garland, Pettersson and Pearson, who combined for three goals and four assists on the night. Pettersson, in particular, has been red hot as of late, recording 14 points in his last 15 games.
The Canucks will have Sunday off before continuing their homestand on Monday night against the Seattle Kraken. Puck drop is set for 7:00pm PST.
Next. What should the Canucks do with Brock Boeser?. dark
What are your thoughts from Saturday’s 7-4 beatdown? Make sure to drop a comment below!