CANUCKS WIN IN OVERTIME
Vancouver gave up a tying goal with 5.6 seconds left in the third, but scored early in overtime to beat the visiting Calgary Flames 2-1 on Saturday.
They got lucky. They got robbed. And they kept a playoff pulse.
On a night when an Alex Edler knuckler from 84 feet dipped on Brian Elliott — bringing back memories of Nicklas Lidstrom’s series-changing, long-bomber on Dan Cloutier — and the referees somehow lost sight of a loose puck that had negated Bo Horvat’s diving jam-job, it was theatre of the bizarre and then a thriller Saturday at Rogers Arena.
In what was looking like a bad movie for the Vancouver Canucks — another offensive-challenging exercise against the Calgary Flames because Edler’s effort was the first shot registered by the locals at 12:44 of the opening period — the National Hockey League club had the appearance of a struggling side stumbling out of the league’s mandated five-day break.
But then something happened. Something wonderful. A game broke out.
There were scoring chances, there was chippy play, there was Nikita Tryamkin wanting to remove the head of Troy Brouwer and there appeared to be a crucial 1-0 victory in the bag before lighting struck with 5.6 seconds remaining in regulation.
With the Flames on the power play and Elliott pulled, a harmless-looking Mark Giordano wrist shot off the sideboards somehow eluded Ryan Miller.
Then lightning struck twice. Chris Tanev scored his first of the season off the rush at 34 seconds into the extra session for a dramatic 2-1 win.
It not only pulled the Canucks to within four points of the Flames, who hold down the final Western Conference wild-card position, it’s going to create a polarizing conversation.
For the non-draftists, who believe making the playoffs is a good thing to groom the kids and that hanging on to tradable assets is prudent, the lead-up to the March 1 trade deadline is going to bring non-stop chatter from both sides.
The one thing nobody will debate is the current and possibly extended value of Miller.
The unrestricted free-agent stopper made a pair of solid saves off Brouwer in the third period and then held his ground as Micheal Ferland tried to push him and the puck across the goal-line.
Miller was steady, he was square to pucks and he was calm. A 35-save effort said something about his desire to remain here next season to work in tandem with Jacob Markstrom. Whether that’s a season-ending short extension or a July 1 conversation, Miller continues to force management to consider options with him.
It’s because the Canucks never make it easy on their stoppers and they managed but 19 shots. The 27th-ranked power play went 0-for-4, including a four-minute advantage late in the first period when Kris Versteeg took an interference minor and an unsportsmanlike penalty.
The Canucks responded by doing little. They had Jayson Megna on the first unit and Alex Burrows on the second. They should have switched them around.
Yet, the Canucks found a way and now that rekindled playoff story is one that won’t go away.
OF NOTE — Winger Jack Skille left the game after the second period with a groin strain.