Backup Bachman gets the job done
Youngsters continue to shine, with Gaunce notching his first career goal
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Backup Richard Bachman took care of business. Meanwhile, a collection of Vancouver Canucks youngsters seem to be suggesting we ain’t seen nothing yet.
Bachman, who hadn’t played a full game since May, was solid in his first action as a Canuck and rookies Brendan Gaunce, Jared McCann and Jake Virtanen continued to impress as Vancouver beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 Friday night at Gila River Arena.
“It’s a great feeling to get a win. The guys did an unbelievable job,” said Bachman.
“Getting two points on the second of a back-to-back is huge, they could be real important for us later in the season.”
McCann scored his teamleading fifth goal of the season, Gaunce potted his first NHL goal in just his second game and Virtanen picked up an assist.
The Canucks bounced back nicely from Thursday night’s disappointing 4-3 overtime loss in Dallas and gave Bachman some early run support. The Canucks chased Arizona starter Mike Smith when they scored on two of their first three shots.
McCann opened scoring at the 1:56 mark of the first when he took a behind-the-net pass from Adam Cracknell, calmly skated to the middle of the ice and snapped a wrist shot over Smith’s right shoulder.
Less than three minutes later, Alex Burrows beat Smith short side from the left circle. That brought backup Anders Lindback into the game.
Gaunce put one past him at 10:56 when a rebound off a Chris Tanev point shot hit Gaunce’s skate and ricocheted into the net.
Rookie Max Domi made it 3-1 at 5:50 of the second when he put a backhand rebound attempt by Bachman. Steve Downie made it a one-goal game at 17:04 of the second, beating Bachman from the top of the right circle.
But just over a minute later Daniel Sedin scored on the power play to make it 4-2.
This time, the Canucks were able to hold a third-period lead, although they got a scare when Tobias Rieder made it 4-3 with 2:17 remaining. The Canucks were the last NHL team to use their backup goalie this season. Ryan Miller had started the first 10 games. Head coach Willie Desjardins made one other lineup change. He made winger Sven Baertschi a healthy scratch and replaced him with Cracknell.
“If you look at the overall game, I think the battle level is probably the biggest thing,” Desjardins said before the game of Baertschi. “It’s not that he’s bad. He has played pretty good. But Gaunce came in and played good and the matchup here against Phoenix, I think Gaunce and Cracknell are good fits.”
The Canucks finished the month of October 5-2-4. Last season, they went 7-3-0 in October. Vancouver plays 10 of its 14 November games on the road.
ICE CHIPS: Canucks prospect Hunter Shinkaruk scored twice in Utica’s 7-5 win over Binghampton on Friday night. Shinkaruk has six goals in six games this season for the Comets. ... The Canucks chartered home after the game and play host to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night. ... PGA Tour regular Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford took in Friday night’s game. ... While the Canucks were playing in Glendale, across town the Phoenix Suns were welcoming Victoria’s Steve Nash into their ring of honour at their game at Talking Stick Resort Arena.