Sedins show they still have it in shootout loss to Senators
Markstrom recovers after weak early goal to get Canucks on track for a point
The minutes are down, dramatically so, but the production isn’t. Not yet anyway.
Henrik served notice early. He made this wonderful pass to himself off the net to create time and space, allowing him to set up a Chris Tanev goal in Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators.
It was the type of pass that have made the Sedins local legends. It was cagey and effective. Henrik managed another assist on Thomas Vanek’s second-period goal.
That was three points in two periods for the Sedins.
Yes, Henrik was playing less than all the other centres, including Alexander Burmistrov. But he was effective in those minutes.
Could Ben Hutton be the player who sits for Derrick Pouliot?
With the Canucks trying to bring home a 2-1 lead in the third period, Hutton got sloppy and soft behind Jacob Markstrom.
He got pushed off a puck along the end boards and didn’t recover before the Ottawa Senators. It wasn’t great. And neither was his game.
Someone is coming out sooner or later so that Derrick Pouliot can play. One of the reasons the Canucks traded for him is because he fits Travis Green’s system. Vancouver just got a crash course in Vanek: In many ways, Vanek is the antithesis of Alex Burrows hockey. Burrows is effort and passion. When he’s on, he’s providing animated, can’t-miss hockey.
When Vanek is on, you may not notice him for a period. Or two.
But when the game is over, you look up and he’s scored one goal and had a big impact leading to another.
Vanek will produce. He did Tuesday. In addition to his goal, he was setting a screen so Chris Tanev could get one. It was quiet. It was understated. But it was productive.
Vanek will also be frustrating, especially when he’s playing in place of Brock Boeser. But that’s the trade-off with him. Markstrom proving to be resilient: This is the positive way at looking at things in net.
For the second time in two games, Markstrom gave up a weak early goal and recovered in time to be one of the Canucks’ best players. Markstrom has been really good to start this season. Burrows loves Vancouver: As if there was any doubt.
There was always something special about Burrows’ relationship with Vancouver. Pick any player from the 2011-era Canucks. None make local hockey fans respond quite like Burrows.
Part of it is the underdog, straight-out-of-the-ECHL backstory. Part of it is the dragon-slaying goal. Part of it is his place in Sedin lore. Part of it is his aura, that he’ll do anything to win. Part of it is because no one embodied the Vancouver-vs.-the-world feeling during the 2011 run to the Stanley Cup finals quite like Burrows
And part of it is how the game and its history — his love for it and Vancouver — just oozes so effortlessly from him.
As wild as this reads, the undrafted Frenchman from a Montreal suburb got us more than any other athlete in the past decade. In turn, Vancouver got him. Burrows said Tuesday being a Canuck will never leave him.
“It will always stay with me. I still watched a lot of (the Canucks’) pre-season games. I watched what happened in China. I’ve kept in touch with a lot of different guys,” said Burrows before the game.
“I even read some of your stories now.”
And we will keep reading yours. Burrows kept inspiring Jake Virtanen, even after the trade.
Virtanen revealed Tuesday he continued to get positive, meaningful messages from Burrows this past summer.
“I’m not even on his team, and he’s reaching out, telling me to stay positive,” Virtanen said.
Burrows said: “I always liked him. I see the tremendous potential. It’s not like he didn’t want to have success under Willie, it just wasn’t coming.
“He had some bad games and he got down on himself. He started doubting himself. People were talking about his conditioning. But I’ve always seen the tool set. He has that edge. He wants to do well. He wants to help this team. He cares a lot about this city and this team.”
OK, it’s time to play Boeser, right? For the second game, the Canucks’ top prospect was scratched.
Green articulated all kinds of acceptable reasons why this week. He cited matchups and the fact Brock Boeser faded at the end of pre-season.
He also pointed out how difficult it is for a coach to change his lineup after a big win, and the Canucks got that in their opener against Edmonton.
Maybe most interesting, Green suggested this is all part of a plan to help Boeser transition from college to the pros.
“I know he didn’t play a lot of hockey last year,” Green said. “I thought he got tired toward the end of training camp. I think the pro game for college guys is going to be a little bit of a change. I don’t worry about him not being in a groove as much. He’s used to not playing for a week at a time.”
Green’s answers have been detailed and convincing.
Boeser, however, still has to play and soon.
I think the pro game for college guys is going to be a little bit of a change.