Whatever disharmony they may be dealing with, they managed to play a pretty entertaining hockey game Saturday evening. Read on.
The noise around the Vancouver Canucks has been very, very loud this week.
Not for playing reasons, really.
But whatever disharmony they may be dealing with, they managed to play a pretty entertaining hockey game Saturday evening at Rogers Arena, taking on their old coach Travis Green and his energetic young Ottawa Senators.
As usual, the Canucks gave up the first goal. Chasing the game isn’t easy.
But chase they did. Three times they came back.
It’s not an easy way to play, but it makes for entertaining hockey and fans paying as much as they do to get into Rogers Arena deserve entertaining hockey.
There are still lots of issues in the Canucks’ game, let alone issues off the ice, but kudos to the Canucks for not quitting on this night.
But they also should never have lost this game.
They held the upper hand so many times, outhustled the visitors in so many ways, and yet they kept making mistakes that gave the Senators everything.
The Canucks scored four goals and also just weren’t good enough.
Despite the best efforts of their captain.
Taking charge
What a two minutes for Quinn Hughes.
The internal chaos has a been a big leadership challenge for Hughes — and a day after the general manager pointed out that the team’s best players as a whole just haven’t been good enough.
So of course at the end of an otherwise dour first period for Vancouver, their captain first sets up a goal, then scores one of his own.
And of course it was Hughes who created the third goal too.
Taking charge pt. 2
It was a very uneven night for Brock Boeser, but for a player who has not been as productive of late as he needs to be — and surely was in the list of players frustrating his coach as well as his GM — you just can’t ignore production.
He scored twice on the ice, both times in spots where goal scorers need to finish.
Recover from mistakes
OK, yes, that should have been a tripping penalty but look how deep the turnover is after Hughes was knocked to the ice.
There’s just no excuse for the Canucks being so soft against the Senators’ breakout.
And yes, Tyler Myers also defends this in the crucial moment quite badly. Bit of a theme on the night for the Canucks.
Should this have been a penalty?
You’re not allowed to throw your stick to make a save, so was that a throw?
Watch what Hamonic does
This is a team that clearly knows that their opponents have a flaw when they lose a power play draw.
Travis Hamonic hammers it to the far corner and Josh Norris and Claude Giroux take off up ice.
Did they know the Canucks dog it after a lost faceoff?
Up ice, J.T. Miller is caught wandering and Boeser is too slow picking up what’s happening, instead left flailing at air.
Toxic
Interesting song choice by the arena DJ, just before a faceoff taken by J.T. Miller.
Britney Spears’ somewhat legendary Toxic.
NEXT GAME
Monday
San Jose Sharks vs. Vancouver Canucks
6 p.m., Xxxx, TV: ESPN Pacific, Radio: Sportsnet 650