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Canucks: 3 takeaways from 5-3 loss to Edmonton (October 12th)

By Zaahid Lalani |
Oct 12, 2022; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko (96) tries to move the puck past Edmonton Oilers defensemen Ryan Murray (28) during the second period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2022; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko (96) tries to move the puck past Edmonton Oilers defensemen Ryan Murray (28) during the second period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
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Well, that wasn’t the best start for the Vancouver Canucks.

The team hit the road on Tuesday afternoon, kicking off their 2022-23 season with a tilt against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Wednesday night.

It should come as no surprise that the Canucks entered the game with an immense amount of pressure on their shoulders, with both the coaches and players looking to bounce back from last year’s disappointing results.

The team finished five points back of the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference, marking the sixth time in seven years that they missed the playoffs.

Unfortunately for the Canucks, their losing ways continued on Wednesday night, with the team falling to Connor McDavid and co. by a score of 5-3.

Here are three takeaways from last night’s disappointing loss in Edmonton:

Firing on all cylinders in the first period

We didn’t say it often last year, but the Canucks put up a fantastic first period performance last night.

Vancouver looked much more focused and competitive than their opponents, driving the play from the opening puck-drop.

The team was rewarded right away for their efforts, with Elias Pettersson notching the first goal of the season for the Canucks.

The young Swede was in the right place at the right time, picking off a misguided pass from rookie Dylan Holloway near the blueline before undressing Jack Campbell to open the scoring.

The Canucks made sure to keep their foot on the pedal afterwards, thanks to J.T. Miller.

The 29-year-old forward, who inked a seven-year extension in the offseason, picked up from where he left off last season, roofing the puck past Campbell less than a minute after the Pettersson tally.

The Canucks were kept off the scoresheet for the rest of the period, but they were easily still the more dominant team, outshooting the Oilers by a wide margin, while also getting vintage key saves from netminder Thatcher Demko.

They even managed to frustrate the Oilers enough to draw an undisciplined penalty from blueliner Darnell Nurse, who was later fined the league maximum of $5,000 for his late antics against Kyle Burroughs.

Special teams not so special

Unfortunately for the Canucks, the first period dominance didn’t carry over, large in part to their special teams.

The team surrendered three powerplay goals on four chances in the final 40 minutes of the game, while also giving up a shorthanded, game-tying tally late in the second period to swing all of the momentum in Edmonton’s favour.

To make matters worse, the Canucks came out even more flat on their own powerplays, notching one lone goal on eight chances.

Of course, Edmonton’s first powerplay goal shouldn’t have even been allowed in the first place, with the referees failing to call a blatant high-stick on Quinn Hughes, who was on all fours with a bloody face during Edmonton’s opening goal sequence.

It’s also hard to blame the penalty kill unit for the second man advantage tally, given that the Oilers executed their tic-tac-toe passing play to absolute perfection.

But, at the end of the day, the Canucks’ special teams cost them two points that they essentially had in the bag following the opening frame.

Moving forward, there’s no doubt that they need tighten up on their penalty kill, while also taking advantage of their powerplay opportunities; otherwise, we’ll be in for another historically-low output for the remaining 81 games.

Strong debut for Kuzmenko

There weren’t too many players that excelled for the Canucks on Wednesday night, but it’s safe to say that Andrei Kuzmenko was definitely one of them.

The 26-year-old was one of the best forwards on either side of the ice, consistently showcasing his size, speed and slick hands.

Kuzmenko, who signed a one-year contract with the Canucks back in June, started the game on the second line with Pettersson and Nils Höglander, and did not look out of place at all.

Kuzmenko was even rewarded for his impressive play early in the second period, burying a back-door pass from Miller to mark his first-career NHL goal.

Kuzmenko finished the evening with one goal, four shots and a Corsi For percentage of 81% in just over 18 minutes of ice time. The Russian rookie also logged 7:10 on the first powerplay unit, replacing Brock Boeser who previously held that role.

The Canucks are back in action on Saturday afternoon, taking on the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Centre. Puck drop is set for 1:00pm PST.

Next. What to expect from newly acquired defenceman Riley Stillman. dark

What are your thoughts from Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to Edmonton? Let us know in the comments below!

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