Make it seven consecutive losses
Plenty of mistakes made on both sides by two squads ravaged by injuries
ANAHEIM, CALIF. They may still be struggling to pull off a win, but credit the Vancouver Canucks for not playing boring hockey.
On Wednesday at the Honda Center, the Anaheim Ducks came out 4-3 winners the night before American Thanksgiving.
It was a game that took a long time to find its feet. Given the two squads were missing a dozen players combined due to injury, it’s not surprising that the game opened up as it went along.
Both coaches came into the game stressing the need to be tight defensively, mostly because they knew how likely turnovers were going to be in a game featuring so many players who might otherwise be in the American Hockey League.
As the mistakes added up, so did the goals.
The Ducks got an early goal from Ryan Getzlaf off a turnover. Their second came on a second-period power play, with Ondrej Kase firing the puck past Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom. They added a pair of third-period markers from Adam Henrique just after a power play came to an end and Kalle Kossila scored his first of the season.
The Canucks got their first goal in the second period off the stick of Derrick Pouliot, which pulled them into a 1-1 tie for about three minutes. Their second was a bit of a lucky bounce, with the puck finding its way through Ducks goalie John Gibson off a shot from Jake Virtanen. The final tally was off a deft deflection by Bo Horvat on the power play, late in the third period.
DEFENSIVE STRUGGLES
Ahead of Wednesday’s game, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle nailed what every coach of a team that’s saddled with injuries will focus on in their game prep: sound defence.
When you’re short-staffed, he pointed out, you’d best make sure you’re playing the best defence you can muster. Bad defence guarantees losses. Bad offence, maybe you still get lucky.
The Canucks had a first-period stretch of play that was the opposite of what the opposing coach was describing, and only Jacob Markstrom kept it from being worse than 1-0. The goal came on a ghastly turnover in the slot by Derrick Pouliot, with Ryan Getzlaf scoring on a backhand deke. Markstrom had no chance.
POWER PLAY PROWESS
The Canucks have now scored goals with the man-advantage in five straight games.
That’s going to give you a chance to win every night.
One of these nights it will.
PENALIZING PENALTY KILL
While the Canucks’ power play continues to be a strength, their penalty kill has not.
The Ducks scored once on the power play and Adam Henrique’s came after the expiry of another.
They’ve given up power-play goals in six straight games, which has negated the success of their own power play.
GAGNER CAN PASS
The pass Gagner delivered for Pouliot’s second-period marker was a thing to watch over and over again. He threaded the needle through the Ducks’ defensive coverage, finding Pouliot streaking in from the point. It was so spot-on and so quick, Pouliot had nearly the whole net to shoot at.
Gagner nearly set up a second goal early in the third, as he floated a shot toward the net from out near the blue-line. The puck deflected and then skipped just past Ducks goalie John Gibson’s right post.
MULLIGANS, PLEASE?
Through two periods, Markstrom had stood tall.
He made a number of very solid saves on some gilt-edged scoring chances for the Ducks.
But surely he’d like to have the goals by Kase and Henrique back. Kase’s shot was from out high, while Henrique managed to pick the top corner over Markstrom’s shoulder, even though he was shooting from nearly the goalline.
At the other end, Gibson showed off the solid form that’s resulted in a .928 save percentage on the year. Still he might have wanted the Canucks’ second goal back, a Virtanen shot that took a bounce and then into the Ducks’ net.
BIRTHDAY BOY
Antoine Roussel turned 29 on Wednesday. He did everything but score. He was his usual aggressive self in pursuing the puck. He was a positive player in shot attempts.
He hit the crossbar in the first and had a short-handed breakaway in the second.
It was nearly quite the story.