Too many injuries, too few shots, too many mistakes cost Canucks
Undermanned squad looks lethargic in second half of back-to-back in Arizona
GLENDALE, ARIZ. Goal-starved Loui Eriksson was on the first powerplay unit.
Recalled winger Darren Archibald was on the second line and the third defensive pairing consisted of the frequently scratched Michael Del Zotto and recalled travel-weary Alex Biega.
The absence of the injured Alex Edler, Chris Tanev and Sven Baertschi — and the day-to-day waiting game on the recovering Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson — ensured one thing Thursday. Goals were going to be at a premium against the Arizona Coyotes and it was going to be tougher to defend, even against the NHL’s lowest-scoring club, which entered the encounter with just 14 goals in its first eight games.
It’s why the sight of Bo Horvat passing to Eriksson on a 2-on-1 rush in the first period — he did put the puck right on the winger’s tape — left you scratching your head. Horvat has seven goals. Eriksson has zip and hasn’t scored since Feb. 17.
Maybe the unselfish centre was just trying to get the perplexing Swede going, because the Canucks need everything and anything to happen offensively until help arrives.
Here’s what we learned as the Canucks looked lethargic in a 4-1 loss.
SHOTS IN THE DARK
The shot clock was telling the story.
Through two periods, Derrick Pouliot and Biega led with three shots apiece while Ben Hutton had a pair. Pouliot also hit the post on the power play and Troy Stecher also clanged one off the iron. The only forward with more than one shot was grinder Tyler Motte.
Part of all that could be playing the second half of back-to-back nights and a natural letdown after a gutsy shootout win the previous night in Las Vegas.
The Canucks had one power play through two periods, a product of not doing enough to draw man advantages. The first line had a quiet night and that only put more pressure on the Canucks to defend better.
Del Zotto gave defenceman Alex Goligoski too much room in the second period and a stick wave allowed the defenceman to work his way into the high slot and put a backhander by Anders Nilsson. And early in the third period, Pouliot was stripped of the puck on a breakout by Alex Galchenyuk and Clayton Keller had all kinds of time to find the net.
The dagger came when the Canucks blew a power-play tire in the offensive zone and Brad Richardson finished off a short-handed odd-man break by banging home a rebound. It was that kind of night.
LOUD KNOCK OF OPPORTUNITY
Archibald made the right impression with a first-period goal, his sixth in 44 career NHL games.
He not only got to the top of the slot, he established position and deflected a Stecher point shot over the shoulder of goalie Darcy Kuemper. For a guy who had but four goals in 27 games last season with the Canucks, it was a moment where you wonder if there’s more to the winger, who had 23 goals and 47 points two seasons ago with the Utica Comets, or if at 28 years of age, he’s just one of those recall options.
And on a night where there was so little to speak of offensively, the first NHL career point for centre Adam Gaudette and his prominence in the faceoff circle by winning seven of his first 10 draws was encouraging.
IS HELP FINALLY ON THE WAY?
Pettersson (post-concussion recovery) and Boeser (groin) were still sidelined Thursday, but Canucks coach Travis Green said both are “pretty close,” with Pettersson cleared for contact.
“It’s just protocol and making sure he (Pettersson) is feeling comfortable getting in,” added Green.
As for Boeser, Green said the club isn’t worried about the groin strain suffered in Winnipeg on Oct. 18 getting worse.
“We want to make sure he’s ready when he comes back,” said Green. “We’re not saving guys, they ’re just not ready to play.”
The news is not as good for Edler. He could face a long road to recovery after Green revealed the defenceman will have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to assess the extent of a knee injury
suffered Wednesday in Las Vegas. Edler went down midway through the first period after getting tangled up in the offensive zone with Golden Knights winger Max Pacioretty and falling awkwardly to the ice. And when the play went back into the Canucks’ zone, Edler absorbed a heavy sideboards hit from Pacioretty.
Edler suffered a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain last Oct. 12 and Green didn’t know if the latest ailment was on the same knee. Edler missed a dozen games last season with the sprain.
Green also said Tanev is out dayto-day after suffering a hip bone bruise Wednesday after blocking a shot; he could play Saturday at home against Pittsburgh. Baertschi is in concussion protocol after a late second-period collision when the winger got hit high on the back and fell to the ice.