CONTROL ISSUES IN BATTLING THE BLUES
POSSESSION GAME The Canucks will be leaning on captain Horvat to continue his domination in the faceoff circle as Vancouver faces the defending Stanley Cup champs from St. Louis
Ryan O’Reilly said he struggled in the final game of a lethargic, no-hitting, meaningless round robin prelude to games that count in the NHL post-season.
The St. Louis Blues centre wasn’t satisfied after winning 60 per cent of his draws in Sunday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Imagine that.
However, over the course of the three-game round robin, he won 43 of 59 faceoffs and his whopping 72.9 per cent success rate leads the post-season. And it’s a significant number heading into a first-round Stanley Cup playoff matchup against the Vancouver Canucks that opens Wednesday night in the western bubble.
“I struggled a bit (on Sunday) but that happens — it doesn’t make or break a game and I feel comfortable with my draws,” said O’Reilly. “Vancouver has great centres and it’s going to be a tough challenge — but I think I’ll do just fine.”
J.T. Miller of Vancouver finished second in NHL regular-season faceoff efficiency at 59.2 per cent while Jay Beagle was third at 59.1 and Bo Horvat seventh at 57.3. The Canucks were second overall in faceoff wins and the Blues sixth.
It means the circle game will have plenty to do with the outcome of every contest in the series — either to gain offensive zone puck possession or shutdown the opposition on the penalty kill.
The Blues know the Canucks had the league’s fourth-best power play during the regular season and held them to just one power-play goal in 10 chances. But Horvat also had the league’s second most faceoff wins on the power play, so that could be a big playoff factor.
“He’s extremely strong,” said O’Reilly. “He (Horvat) gets very low and his timing is very good. Every time you’re in a faceoff against him, you know you have to bear down. It’s going to be tough, for sure.”
O’Reilly, who owned a 56.6 per cent success rate in the regular season to place 10th overall, saw the Canucks captain dominate the circle during the season series, won by the Canucks (2-0-1).
He forced overtime in a 4-3 shootout win in St. Louis on Oct. 17 and went 16-for-25 (64 per cent) in draws.
In a 2-1 overtime loss at Rogers Arena on Nov. 5, Horvat was 13-for-19 (68 per cent) in the circle, and in a 3-1 home ice triumph on Jan. 27, in which he scored again,
Horvat went 14-for-20 (70 per cent).
By comparison, O’Reilly had only lukewarm success against the Canucks. Tyler Bozak finished 20th this season in faceoff efficiency (55 per cent) for the Blues, while teammate Brayden Schenn was only 70th (49 per cent). So, it’s a key stat that favours the Canucks, but this isn’t the regular season.
“We push each other hard in the faceoff dot,” Miller said Tuesday. “If someone has a good night, better than the other guys, we’re the first to let them know. That’s a good, healthy competition. We each bring our own unique style to it, but Manny (assistant Malhotra) does a great job in showing video of what does and doesn’t work, and when we get away from our tendencies.
“We just feed off each other and understand that starting with the puck in this series is going to be crucial. We’re playing a team that doesn’t get rid of pucks, and if you lose a draw, you’re going to start a long shift in your own end.
“We’re going to treat it like any other game, and it’s nothing new for us, but we obviously have a tall task with some of their centres. We’re looking forward to the challenge.” And it’s not just in the circle. The Blues can come at you in many ways and Canucks coach Travis Green believes Horvat is well-suited for any game — not just a northsouth matchup.
“He can play in any type of game and I’m not worried about him at all,” said Green. “He’s going to have to be a big part of our group. He was in the past series, and I expect him to be this series. He can play a skilled game and a heavy game — it’s a big part of his hockey.”
So is adapting to new rules. That has helped the Canucks command the circle.
Attacking teams get to decide which side of the ice the puck will be dropped after an icing call, at the start of a power play, after a shot from outside the red line is frozen by a goalie, or when a defensive player unintentionally dislodges the net. All that helped Horvat.
“It’s huge,” Horvat said earlier this season. “I don’t take as many (draws) on my off side now . ...
“Any time I get a chance to pick, I’m going to pick my strong side.”