Marchand remains Bruins’ best pest to cuff Canucks
There’s nothing quite like Nostalgia Night. Even if it lasts only an hour.
While it’s unrealistic to expect willing minds and aging bodies to always be in sync, there were flashes of the good, old times Monday. There were even images to suggest that amid the stark reality of another NHL season gone south for the Vancouver Canucks, that Henrik and Daniel Sedin thought it was 2011. Even for a period.
They combined with Markus Granlund to put up six first-period points. They looked like the answer to match the dominant Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Backes trio that had six shots in the opening frame and threatened to put the game away early.
Yet, in the end, the Canucks didn’t have an answer against the Boston Bruins in a 6-3 loss.
It wasn’t a throwback to the 2011 Stanley Cup final because the Bruins iced only six players from that seven-game series and the Canucks have only four on their roster who can still recall the agony of that setback.
But what the Bruins had Monday was purpose in staying in the playoff picture, while the Canucks tried to stay in the moment, but are really focusing on what next season may bring.
Yet in the end, it was really 2011 all over again.
It wasn’t Marchand using Daniel Sedin like a punching bag, it was the irritating and effective winger continuing to take his game to another level. With the Canucks in a 3-3 deadlock in the third period, it was Marchand’s second goal of the period that embarrassed the Sedins and Alex Edler.
All three Swedes played in that 2011 Cup final and what Marchand did to them to break the deadlock on Monday was, well, too muchdéjà vu. Marchand knocked Henrik Sedin off the puck on the sideboards, breezed by Daniel Sedin in the slot, went around Edler and slipped a backhander past Ryan Miller for his 34th goal of the season. He then added an empty-netter for good measure.
He received a chorus of boos for the effort, but it was something that really deserved a standing ovation.
However, it wasn’t a total loss for the Canucks.
They have stayed loyal to Granlund and he looks more than comfortable on the first line. Whether he’s a fit there next season remains to be seen, but his ability to release a quick and accurate wrist shot and get to the net will resonate with any coach.
Think about the other right wingers who have flanked the Sedins. There was Loui Eriksson, Jannik Hansen, Brandon Sutter, Jayson Megna, Radim Vrbata, Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, Nicklas Jensen, Mason Raymond, Zack Kassian, Taylor Pyatt, Jason King, Anson Carter, Jeff Tambellini, Sergei Shirokov, Steve Bernier, Trent Klatt, Trevor Linden, Peter Schaefer, Donald Brashear, Todd Bertuzzi, Matt Cooke, Jarkko Ruutu, Ryan Shannon and Brad Isbister.
There was also something else Monday.
Despite missing Chris Tanev, Eriksson, Brendan Gaunce and Nikolay Goldobin — and those who are just starting to skate in Derek Dorsett, Erik Gudbranson and Jack Skille — there was effort. Great goaltending and one-goal games have become the norm and despite finding themselves in a 3-3 deadlock in the third period, the Canucks didn’t have a closer.
They don’t have a kid like David Pastrnak who has 28 goals. They don’t have a first-round pick who can wire a one-time slapper off a cross-ice feed like Alex Ovechkin. They will have one once Brock Boeser finishes his career at North Dakota and signs with the Canucks.
That’s something to hope for.