NEW-LOOK RANGERS STILL PACK BIG PUNCH
New York waved the white flag on this season, but the Blueshirts didn’t surrender in Vancouver
The Canucks went down 3-0 and, on this night, you just had a feeling they’d come back.
Part of it was all the positive vibes happening in the city on Wednesday.
Earlier in the afternoon, it was announced the Vancouver Canucks landed the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, then a rough start against the visiting New York Rangers was washed away by an impressive Canucks’ comeback.
The Canucks ended up tying the game 5-5 late in the third period, with a fired up Brock Boeser firing a wrister for his second goal of the night.
But the revamped and resilient Rangers, though badly outshot, won it 6-5 in overtime.
This is what we learned:
Canucks won’t roll over
Sure, they were playing an undermanned team with a bad defence. Who cares, right?
The Canucks were fun to watch and the reaction from any hockey fan in this city should be: More, please!
When the Willie Desjardins-coached teams wilted down the stretch, they curled up into a collective ball, whereas Travis Green’s Canucks poured it on Wednesday.
In the first period, they had 17 shots. With 3:45 left in the game, they got to 50.
This is the type of hockey the Canucks need to be focused on down the stretch to see what they have in some of their more offensive players.
Feel good about the new guys
The Canucks want some positivity and they’re going to get it because their trade deadline acquisitions were good on this night.
In his first shift, Brendan Leipsic helped his line generate two shots on net. He made a nice play slicing through the middle of the ice and between defenders to get a shot off.
In the third, he helped set up the Canucks’ fourth goal.
Tyler Motte didn’t disappoint, either. Acquired in the Thomas Vanek deal, Motte was fast and tenacious. He won a long puck battle, the lone guy in forechecking against two Ranger defenders.
Canucks have goaltending issues
You’re seen it before. So many times.
The game wasn’t even two minutes old when a bad goal leaked through starter Jacob Markstrom.
The season is almost over and Markstrom has been the Canucks’ No. 1 goalie for all of it. Mostly, he’s been below average.
This year is lost, so it hardly matters. But if the Canucks are going to get off the mat for next season, they need to get better production and consistency out of their netminders.
There’s no reason in the final six weeks that Thatcher Demko
shouldn’t be getting into games.
After he allowed three goals on five shots, head coach Travis Green pulled Markstrom and it ignited his club.
Anders Nilsson was really good in relief. And he’s going to need some more really good games if the Canucks are going to be able to trade him this summer.
Boeser hasn’t lost his touch
There’s lots of concern in the city about the Canucks’ super rookie, and with good reason.
He had scored once in eight games since injuring his wrist in Tampa. He’s downplayed the issue in public, but acknowledges there’s pain and discomfort. The wrist has been wrapped pretty heavily.
But Wednesday, he was firing. He had a couple of really nice, lethal-looking snap shots that looked much more like the type of shots we saw from him in November and December.
He scored one of his two goals courtesy of a great, 180-spin pass from Bo Horvat.
Hutton was flying
Again, it should be noted the New York Rangers are not a good team. Head coach Alain Vigneault met with owners and told them he thought his team was good enough to make the playoffs, but not good enough to win the Stanley Cup.
So, ownership blew up the team, traded key pieces, wrote to fans to explain their decision, and the team New York iced in Vancouver was a shadow of the former NHL team.
Hutton is one of the Canucks who took advantage. He was flying in open spaces and made a couple of strong pinches to keep possession moments before the Boeser goal.
Bettman understands the city’s angst
The commissioner arrived in Vancouver to announce the 2019 NHL Draft being hosted here.
During his visit, he mentioned the word “rebuild” more times in one day than the Canucks management has in four years.
“If you’re going to go through a process that some fans are going to find painful, it’s good to be transparent and up front,” Bettman said. “I think most teams tell the fans what they’re goals are.
“When you’re in a rebuilding mode and you’re going to go with young players to rebuild a team that’s going to be good for the long haul, and competitive for the long haul, your fans want to know that.”
If he keeps this up, he won’t even be booed in Rogers Arena in 2019.