The Numbers
#Canucks 5v5 Zone Entries Vs. #SJSharks
Despite the penalty, this was easily Dowd's best game. Made some nice plays in tight and distributed the puck into some scoring areas. The entries didn't hurt either.
The Bulldog was fired up tonight!
Goldy! pic.twitter.com/fmOBkQJrkY
— Darryl Keeping (@dkeeping) December 16, 2017
#Canucks 5v5 Primary Shot Contributions Vs. #SJSharks
Biega out of control tonight, 9 5v5 shot attempts! (59.46 CF%)
Hank with 8 5v5 primary shot attempts assists, he was dishing!
Zone Entries coming up next. pic.twitter.com/hb4bvHax6e
— Darryl Keeping (@dkeeping) December 16, 2017
#Canucks D-Men Defensive Zone Transition Vs. #SJSharks
Edler and Pouliot ??
5v5 Primary Shot Contributions + Zone Entries coming up. pic.twitter.com/mSIgVX3TWr
— Darryl Keeping (@dkeeping) December 16, 2017
Quick Hits
Game at a Glance, presented by @Bridgestone – #Canucks bump the slump with a 4-3 OT win over the Sharks, thanks to goals from @GranlundMa (2), @BBoeser16 & @89SGagner. pic.twitter.com/IWwAVDvNdH
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 16, 2017
- How’s that for a Markus Granlund coming out party? Not bad, eh? Honestly, I’ve been waiting for a night like tonight for a couple weeks now. Hell, maybe a couple of nights like tonight. All signs pointed to Granlund taking positive steps forward since leaving the “shutdown” line, and now the results are starting to follow — isn’t that always how it goes? Two goals might’ve been a bit excessive, but anytime someone gets 0.62 expected goals in a game, they’re doing something well. Whatever Canucks head coach Travis Green said to Granlund this morning, it worked.
#Canucks Green having a LONG chat with Markus Granlund off to side at morning skate pic.twitter.com/Yg9pw0Ps7o
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) December 15, 2017
- As far as entertainment goes, I’m not sure I’ve seen many Canucks games better than this one. In total, the two teams combined for 77 shots and almost nine expected goals. A lot of coaches talk the talk when it comes to playing an up-tempo game and preaching pace. There are few I’ve seen that live up to their word quite like Green does. And missing his most relied upon centres, too. If the Canucks are going to go down, it won’t be by sitting back on a lead or working for a tie. It’s a nice change of pace.
Green: We're not going to sit back. For me, that's a slow death in a game. We want to be aggressive…but we want to commit to a team defense. It's going to create offense. I've said from day one, both are connected when you're playing aggressive #canucks
— TSN Radio Vancouver (@TSN1040) December 16, 2017
- Sam Gagner has been an interesting player to follow this season. All the underlying data suggests that at some point he should start producing, though nowhere near the levels he produced at last season. Going into tonight’s game, Gagner was sixth on the Canucks in expected goals output. It’s not great, but it’s better than the 10th place he’s in on the team in actual goals. Who knows, maybe tonight is the start of a hot streak for Gagner?
After scoring a big overtime goal for the #Canucks, @89SGagner hopes it will get him going in the right direction. pic.twitter.com/pIZJSRHgns
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 16, 2017
- In my piece for The Athletic Vancouver on which Canucks defenceman should sit assuming they have a healthy blue line, I suggested that Michael Del Zotto made the most sense. So, of course, he has one of his best games of the season tonight. In over 20 minutes, Del Zotto was buzzing all over the ice for the Canucks. He was creating chances in the offensive zone and doing a solid job defensively when called upon. Del Zotto had a positive shot attempt differential and produced several scoring chances in the first period. It was one of his best games of the season.
Humour me. Let's imagine a scenario where the Canucks blue line all had a clean bill of health. Who sits?https://t.co/CcLAuwsvnP
— J.D. Burke (@JDylanBurke) December 14, 2017
- Your leader in shots on goal tonight? Why none other than Alex Biega! The added offence is a nice wrinkle, but the Bulldog was solid at all ends of the ice. He threw a thunderous hit on Melker Karlsson in the second period and was just generally solid in the defensive zone. It’s a solid luxury the Canucks have in keeping Biega as their seventh defenceman. It’s a difficult spot, sitting for a month, then coming in and playing as well as he does. Certainly, some credit is due.
Green on Biega: It was impressive tonight. He plays his best games when I give him a month off, so maybe we can make the season two years long, and he'll play like that every time.
— TSN Radio Vancouver (@TSN1040) December 16, 2017