ONE AND DONE
Canucks’ winning streak stopped at a single game as Kings come into Rogers Arena and take home a 2-1 OT victory
The former coach was booed.
The current owner was live tweeting.
And the biggest commotion was getting a 50-50 ticket for a shot at a world record jackpot of more than $1 million on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena. The final total was $1,413.630 million. The winner pocketed $706,815.
On a night where the return of Brock Boeser from a groin injury that morphed into adductor irritation and a hernia scare should have been the big story — especially with the Vancouver Canucks right winger and 2017-18 Calder Trophy finalist missing the previous 11 games and 13 of the past 17 — there were sidebars competing for headline status.
How about the return of former Canucks bench boss Willie Desjardins to a mix of cheers and jeers?
How about Francesco Aquilini clogging up your Twitter timeline with his take on anything and everything?
How about the battle level in Jacob Markstrom to stay square, stay off his knees and show better rebound control, even though a goal squeezed through him?
And how about a third period when the Canucks threw everything at the Los Angeles Kings, including Bo Horvat nearly lifting a backhander home in the crease?
And how about Alex Biega’s roller-coaster night, with his point shot going in off Markus Granlund to force overtime?
Here’s what we learned as the Kings’ Dustin Brown scored on a rebound 53 seconds into the extra session for a 2-1 triumph:
PLENTY TO LIKE IN BOESER’S RETURN
He looked leaner. He looked quicker.
When Boeser showed good early lateral movement to pin his check to the sideboards, it was an encouraging sign that his stride is strong. He would have a pair of take-aways, something he wasn’t capable of doing while trying to play through the injury.
And when the potential-packed first power-play unit got a first-period chance, he got two shots away from the dot — one on target and one blocked — to hint at the damage he and Elias Pettersson are capable of doing with one-timers.
Boeser got better with his ability to get to the net in the second period and nearly converted a Pettersson dangle — his backhander went off the post past Kings thirdstring stopper Calvin Petersen — in another sign of encouraging times.
Boeser would finish with three shots and 10 attempts and played with confidence.
"I just wanted to make sure today that it (adductor) wasn’t sore and that my legs feel good and that I’m ready to go,” Boeser said after the morning skate.
“It was just making sure everything was moving well with the hips and pelvis and not getting anything stuck. That’s a big part of it (recovery).”
MARKSTROM MAKING THE RIGHT STRIDES
It sounds so simple, but standing up is a big deal for any big goalie.
Markstrom was more stable in his stance on Tuesday and a penchant for dropping to his knees and shrinking the net to allow shots to sail over his shoulders wasn’t evident. And that had a lot to do with keeping the Canucks in the game as they tried to mount a third-period comeback.
Markstrom got a glove on an early hot Jeff Carter shot from the slot, and even when a mosh pit developed in front of the starter, he held his ground when he made a tough right-pad save and the rebound popped into the top of the crease.
He then foiled Tyler Toffoli late in the third period to keep the Canucks in the game.
THE GOOD BIEGA, THE BAD BIEGA
There’s something about Alex Biega’s determination and dedication that’s endearing.
He could have been a re-assignment candidate Tuesday to make roster room for Boeser.
He could have been an early storyline with surprising pace and playmaking ability after a pair of sublime crossice crease feeds to Antoine Roussel and Loui Eriksson could have resulted in goals.
That was the good stuff. Then came the bad.
Biega and Tyler Motte lost a puck battle with Dustin Brown on the end boards that triggered the opening goal. The Kings winger kicked the puck to Alex Iafallo in the slot, and his slapper got between the arm and body of Markstrom.
Biega then took an interference minor on Anze Kopitar in the slot in the second period and followed up with a hold on Sheldon Rempal to keep the Canucks from gaining momentum.
It only magnified the loss of Erik Gudbranson to an upperbody injury in practice that will keep him sidelined day to day, but isn’t considered serious, according to general manager Jim Benning.
OVERTIME: Prospect defenceman Olli Juolevi, who has 13 points (1-12) in 18 games this season with the Utica Comets, flew to Vancouver on Tuesday to have a troublesome knee examined. He injured it during an AHL game and will have an MRI (magnetic resonance image) as early as today.