LEAN TIMES FOR RIVALS
Two Canadian teams, both struggling to keep pucks out of their net and string wins together, battled last night — and the goal light got another workout
It was fun while it lasted, but another game got away from the Vancouver Canucks. The goalie wasn’t good and neither was the defence. It ruined the night for Brock Boeser, who seemingly rose from the dead to do what he does best: score goals.
He got his, and teammate Thomas Vanek added three more, but it wasn’t enough in a 7-5 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Rogers Arena.
Here is what we learned:
Boeser does it again
All alone, in the slot, it’s Boeser staring down Carey Price.
Let’s say it happens 10 times. On how many would Boeser score? The answer in Vancouver is clearly 10.
Boeser unleashed that lethal shot on a third-period power play. It looked like Price never had a chance. And who knows? Maybe he didn’t.
It’s Boeser’s 18th goal of the season and his 16th since Nov. 1. Since then, he leads the entire NHL.
Vanek has finally arrived
The Canucks could have used this Vanek six games ago.
In the first six the Canucks were without Bo Horvat, Vanek had games were he did good things, like his six-shot performance Friday.
There were games he did nothing — take the 7-1 loss to Nashville.
There were times he was snake-bitten. In others, he wasn’t noticeable — not nearly enough, anyway, for a guy with his talent.
It all changed Tuesday. He scored three goals and added an assist. It was arguably his best game as a Canuck and it was desperately needed.
For US$2 million, Vanek has done all anyone could have hoped for offensively.
Nilsson’s back to earth
Just about the entire season, Anders Nilsson has had a better save percentage than Jacob Markstrom.
It was never reflected in workload. Travis Green continues to deploy Markstrom like his true No. 1 goalie.
Markstrom has had his moments, but now he has a .907 save percentage, under the league average of around .912.
From the jump, Markstrom has been on pace for a 55-start season. Will Nilsson ever be allowed to disrupt that pace?
Tuesday was a chance to prove he should. He was great for a period against Calgary on Sunday, a third in which he made 18 saves.
He continued just where he left off early against Montreal. His best save was a back-diving stop on Max Pacioretty, upsetting a glorious back-door scoring chance.
But things fell apart for him in a second period in which he gave up three goals to Montreal, including two long ones that generated some groans.
Since late November, the Canucks’ even-strength goaltending save percentage has been near the bottom of the league. This team isn’t good enough to win with that kind of goaltending.
It’s not Demko time
I know what you’re thinking. Play the kid.
But did you see Montreal’s fifth goal? It was a defensive gong show. One player set up on the back door. Nilsson sprawled out to prevent that from being a goal.
The Habs still had time to play catch unhindered around the net before sliding one by Nilsson. Derrick Pouliot did little to help. Erik Gudbranson did less.
This is not a good defensive club. You really want to expose Thatcher Demko to this for his first taste of NHL action?
Power play keeps churning
The Canucks have had the best power play in the league since mid-November.
They got another one in Tuesday’s first period. Vanek absorbed a shot off his jersey, knocked the puck to the ice and then swatted it in.
There were some strange things on the power play, especially when Alex Edler was ignoring Boeser in the slot.
But Pouliot made it irrelevant with that quick shot that spun into Vanek’s jersey.
Hutton a first-time scratch
For the first time in his Canucks career, Ben Hutton was healthy and didn’t play.
He was taken out of the lineup to make room for Gudbranson, who many believe could be traded.
The sooner it happens the better if it means he’s keeping the 24-yearold Hutton from playing. Green said it wasn’t an easy decision to sit Hutton.
“I think he’s had a pretty good year this year,” Green said. “I don’t think he’s been great as of late, but he hasn’t been terrible. I could easily keep him in.”
The decision is not backed by the numbers. Hutton has been among the best defencemen on the team in controlling shot attempts and evenstrength goals.
In fact, the Canucks score more than 48 per cent of the even-strength goals when he’s on the ice. When Michael Del Zotto is playing, they score about 38 per cent.