BETTER EFFORT NOT ENOUGH AGAINST JETS
Hellebuyck stands tall for the home side as Canucks lose second straight in regulation
In their two-game swing through Chicago and Winnipeg, the Vancouver Canucks accomplished something they haven’t done since the first two games of the NHL season.
They lost back-to-back games in regulation time.
Here’s what we learned from Friday’s 4-1 loss to the Jets at Bell MTS Place, which dropped the Canucks’ record to 9-5-3:
BETTER EFFORT COMES UP SHORT
After an off night in Chicago, the Canucks responded with an improved effort but had the game taken away in the second period and couldn’t beat hot Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck in the third.
Bo Horvat had the Canucks’ best chance in the final frame, but failed to get the puck over an outstretched Hellebuyck with six minutes left in the game.
Shortly after that superb save, Kyle Connor stole the puck from Tyler Myers at the Jets’ blue-line and beat Thatcher Demko on a breakaway.
Jake Virtanen also had a clean look earlier in the third when the score was still 2-1 and the Canucks squandered a late power play without producing a scoring chance.
Adam Lowry added an empty-netter for the Jets.
“I’d like to have that one back,” said Horvat. “He made a heckuva save off me. If I bury that one it’s 2-2. It’s frustrating, but I thought we did some really good things tonight.”
That sentiment was echoed by Canucks head coach Travis Green.
“That game could have gone either way,” Green insisted. “There are probably games earlier we would have won with that kind of game or get a point. That’s the ebbs and flows of he NHL.”
JETS ‘JUICED’ ON POWER PLAY
The Jets erased a 1-0 Canucks advantage with a dominating second period, outshooting the Canucks 19-9 while taking the lead with a pair of goals. Mark Scheifele gave the Jets the lead when he picked up a rebound on Connor’s shot on a play that started with Tanner Pearson’s turnover in the neutral zone. Earlier, Jack Roslovic scored on the second of back-to-back Jets power plays when he converted his own rebound.
Those power plays changed the complexion of the game, according to Green.
“Give them credit,” said Green. “They got a lot of momentum off the power play. They got a little juice off it. I thought for seven minutes the game was going their way. Then in the third period we had our looks.”
Just before Roslovic’s goal, Canucks defenceman Chris Tanev blocked a Patrik Laine slapshot and had to be helped off ice. The veteran blue-liner missed a handful of shifts, but was back before the end of the period. Thursday in Chicago he missed the final two periods of a 5-2 loss with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
“The leg went numb for a bit,” Tanev said. “I came in, saw the doc and he gave me the green light. It’s hockey. Everyone does it.”
Well, not everyone. “Nothing (Tanev) does surprises me,” Green said. “He’s a warrior. He has to be hurt really badly, something broken to keep him out.”
MILLER NETS EIGHTH GOAL
J.T. Miller opened the scoring for the Canucks early in the second with his eighth goal of the season.
Elias Pettersson started the play off the rush in the Canucks’ end and Brock Boeser eventually picked out Troy Stecher with a cross-ice pass. Miller deflected Stecher’s diagonal pass behind Hellebuyck.
The Canucks outshot the Jets 13-9 in the first period.
“I like our game a lot more than I did in (Chicago),” Green said.
BAERTSCHI MAKES DEBUT
Sven Baertschi made his first start of the season, playing on a line with Horvat and Virtanen. The line produced 10 shots in the
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“Not bad,” Green said of Baertschi’s game. “He had his looks.”
Baertschi cleared waivers before the start of the regular season and was sent to Utica where he had 10 points in seven games with the AHL Comets.
The slick Swiss forward was recalled more than a week ago.
“It’s always a dose of reality when you go through waivers,” Green said before the game.
“You feel bad for guys and I felt bad for him. We had to make hard decisions.
“You never like to see guys go through hard times, but that’s part of the NHL.”
MYERS BACK IN MANITOBA
Myers played his first game in Winnipeg after signing a fiveyear, Us$30-million deal with the Canucks this off-season. Myers spent five-plus seasons with the Jets.
“It’s a little weird, but I’m excited,” Myers said before the game.
“I’ve got a lot of friends over there. We’ll put that on hold for 60 minutes and I’ll say ‘hi’ to them after the game.
“I have a lot of good memories playing in Winnipeg, stuff I’ll never forget, but I’m excited about this new chapter.”
The Jets honoured him with a brief video in the first period.