ROLLING IN SIN CITY COMES UP SNAKE EYES
Unable to contain the Golden Knights in the early going or generate much offence, the Canucks folded in Las Vegas as their losing streak hit an unlucky seven
The Vancouver Canucks never had a chance.
They can’t score. They can’t defend. Their goalies can’t steal games. They can’t stay healthy. And they have no luck.
In other words, they can’t win. They’ve won just four times in the past six weeks, a stretch that has them right in the thick of the upsidedown race to see which NHL team finishes last.
On that file, a 4-1 loss in Las Vegas on Tuesday works out just fine. It means the Canucks have now lost seven in a row, all since Brock Boeser broke a bone in his back.
This is what we learned:
Vegas is setting up to be the story of the playoffs
Good luck to any Western Conference team that draws the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. The team plays fast and the arena plays loud.
On Tuesday, against the 29th-place team in the NHL, it was bananas inside T-Mobile Arena.
An incredibly loud sound system set the stage for a steady, deafening roar from the crowd. The place plays like the Thunderdome.
It helped that the Golden Knights scored two goals in the first five minutes. But if these fans can generate this kind of noise in a meaningless game against the Canucks, what’s the playoff atmosphere going to be like here?
It’s going to be bonkers.
Markstrom hasn’t stolen a game all season
We keep waiting for Jacob Markstrom to arrive. We keep waiting for him to play so wonderfully for 60 minutes he snatches a win for his desperate, undermanned hockey club.
We could be waiting a long time. This season, when Markstrom is on a great run, he’s slightly above average in terms of save percentage.
When he struggles, look out below.
Markstrom made some nice saves Tuesday, but let the third goal squirt through him and overplayed a backdoor play that led to the fourth.
The Sedins are fading down the stretch
The game started with Reid Boucher on a line with the Sedins. It lasted a period.
The line was helpless and was on the ice for two Vegas goals in the first. By the time the second started, head coach Travis Green had Nikolay Goldobin playing with the twins and he wasn’t much better.
Whether it’s age, injuries or the losing, the Sedins haven’t been this ineffective all season. They have faded down the stretch for three consecutive years now.
Neither Sedin played four minutes in the second period, which is telling. By the time the third started, they were on a line with Jussi Jokinen.
Henrik was giving the puck away all game. He wasn’t engaged. He was falling down. One play in particular underscored his night : The Canucks were on a third-period power play and he attempted a cross-ice pass that missed by 10 feet.
It led to a turnover and Alex Edler had to take a tripping penalty to prevent a breakaway. This is Henrik Sedin, one of the greatest playmakers in history. It was hard to watch.
Virtanen was really good
It will get swept aside because of how pathetic the Canucks’ collective performance was, but Jake Virtanen was Vancouver’s best player. In the
first 40 minutes, he had seven shot attempts and five hits. The Knights didn’t do much when he was on the ice and whichever line Virtanen was on dominated possession.
The Canucks don’t have many difference-makers, but you can’t say Virtanen wasn’t trying. The guy showed all-out effort.
Archibald needs to do more
Two quick early goals against set this one up for the Canucks’ big hitter. The Canucks really needed a physical response from Darren Archibald and they didn’t get it.
Archibald is supposed to be the player who is mentally energized with this NHL opportunity.
Play well now and he could earn himself some points toward making next year’s lineup. But after an emotional early stretch in which he often manufactured momentum, Archibald hasn’t been giving the team a lot during its current losing streak.
On the other side, Ryan Reaves set up a goal and was menacing Canucks defenders all game with his forecheck. Defencemen like Troy Stecher and Derrick Pouliot were shoulder-checking Reaves all game. The Canucks don’t have anyone who can do that.
Gagner is now a checker
It was a nice but short stint for Sam Gagner with the Sedins on Saturday. He had six shots on net and had some life. That got sucked out of him Tuesday when Green lined him with Brandon Sutter.
Gagner has now gone 24 games without a goal. The Canucks should try to get him one considering he’s signed for two more years. Playing with Sutter isn’t going to help him much.
If he goes the rest of the season without scoring, it will be 33 straight without a goal.