Canucks: 3 takeaways from frustrating 6-4 loss to Washington

Penalty kill problems continue

No, we’re not talking about the 2021-22 season.

For the second consecutive campaign, the Canucks’ penalty kill has been the weakest part of their game, and the disappointment continued on Monday.

The team got off on the wrong foot just 36 seconds into the game, thanks to a high-sticking penalty from Brock Boeser that put his team down a man.

Like we’ve seen far too often this year, the penalty kill unit appeared passive and out of position, which eventually led to Ovechkin’s first goal of the year to open the scoring.

The Canucks did manage to stay out of the sin bin for the next 40 minutes, while even capitalizing on a powerplay of their own in the second period, but that excitement was all but erased in the final frame.

Like the opening period, the Canucks took yet another lazy infraction, this time with the captain being sent to the penalty box for an unnecessary cross-check.

As we all know, the Capitals made them pay, opening the flood gates for the rest of their third period tallies.

Washington ended up going 2-for-3 on the man advantage, bringing Vancouver’s penalty kill success rate to a pitiful 50% on the year. It’s not as bad as the first 25 games from last season, but there’s no doubt that the team is well on their way to another historic low if they continue at this disappointing pace.