The Canucks threw in two men’s advantage goals and, once again, it was the difference between staying in contention for a rare win and catching up on a 5-1 loss.
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Nothing like the second half of back-to-back games and an early start Sunday to test the strength of the spine.
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The Vancouver Canucks had already gotten a navel gaze and were full of confidence before wrapping up a powerful three-game trip with a stop in Anaheim.
With the Ducks strutting around with some towering superlatives, a six-game win streak in which they outscored the opposition 25-10 and had winger Troy Terry on a 13-point streak that featured 19 (11-8) points, the Canucks they had to stay out of the penalty area if they expected to equalize.
However, the Canucks scored two men’s advantage goals and once again it was the difference between staying in contention for a rare win and catching up on a 5-1 loss that was sealed in the final minute when Adam Henrique scored a void. – Net goal before Sam Steel connected in a redirect in the last seconds.
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NEXT GAME
Wednesday
Colorado Avalanche vs. Vancouver Canucks
7 pm, Rogers Arena. TV: Sportsnet Pacific; Radio: AM650
Nils Hoglander scored the Canucks lone goal, while Brock Boeser was repelled by the crossbar on a breakaway and Bo Horvat got his tip from a frustrated Boeser power play pass.
Once again, Elias Pettersson was also difficult to find. He was denied in a blatant puck drag attempt in the first period, a move that Peter Forsberg made famous, after exiting the penalty area. He finished with two shots and six attempts, but remains stuck at three goals this season.
Here’s what we learned when the Canucks fell to 5-9-2 and were outscored 19-6 after losing every road game:
KILL THEM TOO GENTLE
Tyler Motte’s return from an offseason neck surgery wasn’t a definitive solution to the worst penalty in the league, but it was an injection of pace, chase and shot-blocking expertise.
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Motte was at his best in the opening period when Justin Bailey hit a minor double for putting a high stick on Terry. Instinctively, Motte broke a cross ice pass with good anticipation to get into the overtaking lane and clear a puck. And he wasn’t responsible when the Ducks attacked 23 seconds ahead.
Juho Lammikko lost a defensive end tie usually taken by Horvat or JT Miller and led to a quick sequence with Trevor Zegras finding the high stick over Jaroslav Halak. The Ducks attacked again on a power play in the second period when Madison Bowey tried to clear a rebound and put it on Zegras’ tape. That led to a 16-goal lead in the last nine games and seven of eight games with at least two lost.
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HOGLANDER IS A HOT THING
Speed has always been there for the mighty mite. Also tenacity and creativity.
The only thing Hoglander was missing earlier this season were goals. After scoring just once in his first 11 games despite 26 shots and a few that found iron, the winger scored five goals in his last six outings on Sunday with a coast-to-coast effort that will show on the featured reels.
Hoglander sped into his own zone and went ahead of defenders before breaking a John Gibson one on the side of the glove to open the scoring.
Hoglander got another Grade A shot late in the first period when he worked his way into the soft slot area and a quick release nearly fooled Gibson. He also delivered a reverse hit on the benches in the offensive zone to add that playing power in the tough areas. He was also too tight on a second-period opportunity to roof a rebound and would finish with six shots.
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ZEGRAS OR PODKOLZIN PICK?
It’s too early to evaluate the 2019 NHL draft.
However, amid the anguish of the Canucks who continue to fight, Zegras’ first three-point effort on Sunday was a small shot off the bow from Vasily Podkolzin. Zegras was the ninth overall pick in that draft at Rogers Arena and the Canucks selected Podkolzin with the next pick.
Zegras has played 38 games in two NHL seasons and has an advantage over Podkolzin, who has registered 14 after playing for the KHL the past two seasons. Zegras is remarkably fast and has a knack for taking a fast pitch to rack up eight points (4-4) this season.
By comparison, Podkolzin has three goals from a strong and accurate shot and is making progress in every aspect of his game.
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This was the pre-draft hype at Zegras:
“He’s the best quarterback in the power play in this draft.”
You’d expect any coach to beat the drum that loud to promote a top prospect, but the chief bench for the US National Team Development Program, John Wroblewski, wasn’t just fuming on Zegras.
The scouting consensus was that Zegras, who played much of the season as a second-line center behind Jack Hughes, the first overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft, is an elite playmaker whose versatility to play. also as a wing it attracted a lot of interest.
Zegras was on the Canucks’ radar but was expected to leave because of the way he adapted and sped up his game to finish with 78 points (26-52) in 54 games. Assigned as a third-line center, he rose when Alex Turcotte, another projected top 10 pick, was injured and limited to 30 games.
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