CANUCKS ARMY POST-GAME: BACHMAN SHINES AS CANUCKS DEFEAT DUCKS 2-1

Less than 24 hours after stealing a win in Los Angeles and throwing a wrench into the Kings’ playoff aspirations, the Canucks made the short trip to Anaheim to play the Ducks. In Joseph Cramarossa’s neither long-awaited nor highly anticipated return to Anaheim, Vancouver again relied on superb goaltending and timely scoring to sweep the weekend in SoCal. Richard Bachman, making his first start of the year for the Canucks, stopped 43 of 44 shots and Bo Horvat and Markus Granlund potted the goals as the Canucks skated away with a 2-1 win. The win came at a loss, however, as Loui Eriksson left the game early after a hit by Anaheim forward Chris Wagner.

Things got off to a rough start early for Vancouver, as Loui Eriksson suffered yet another setback in his disappointing first campaign as a Canuck, leaving the game with an apparent leg injury.

The questionable hit resulted in Desjardins moving Nikolay Goldobin alongside Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi on the team’s second line (much to the delight of Canuck fans upset with Goldobin’s lack of ice time the previous night).

Although the Ducks held the balance of play throughout the first period, out-attempting the Canucks 26-19 at even strength, it was the Canucks who got on the board first. Bo Horvat would score his 20th goal of the season (this time, without question), after Ducks goalie Jonathan Bernier lost sight of a rebound off a Ben Hutton point shot.

The goal also finally guaranteed a $212,500 performance bonus for the young centre, as first reported by our Ryan Biech.

The Canucks would increase their lead in the second period with a Markus Granlund marker. Granlund would steal the puck at the Canuck blue line and head down the ice on a 3-on-1 with only Corey Perry back to defend. Looking pass, Granlund fired the puck five-hole past Bernier.

The Ducks held an even more lopsided even strength advantage in the middle frame, out-attempting the Canucks 21-11, but the period ended with the Canucks up by two.

For the second night in a row, the Canucks retreated into a defensive shell in the final twenty minutes. Patrick Eaves would wire home a neat cross-ice feed from Ryan Getzlaf to bring the home side within a goal, six minutes into the third.

The Ducks would continue to press the rest of the way, outshooting the Canucks 19-4 in the third period. Richard Bachman would hold firm, however, finishing with 43 saves as Vancouver would hold on for the 2-1 victory.

As much as this gives Canuck fans some hope for the future, it is also a commentary on the Canucks draft record over the past decade and a half. Of the 115 players the organization has drafted since the 1999 (Sedin) draft, only seven have managed to score at least 20 goals in an NHL season. Of those four, only four did so with the Canucks (Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond, Jannik Hansen, and now Horvat). This is actually on par with teams that have experienced similar long stretches of success over the same period, like the Red Wings, Bruins, and Sharks, so it also partially reflects the Canucks relatively low draft position over the years and the club’s tendency to trade away draft picks for immediate playoff help. Might be worthy of a more in-depth investigation one day.

*NB: In the comments, try and name the three players drafted by Vancouver since 2000 (inclusive) who scored 20 goals in at least one NHL season, but not with the Canucks.

-Markus Granlund notched his 17th goal of the season, the game-winner. Mikael’s younger brother continues to surprise many with his offensive contributions, but it was a play late in the game that I found most impressive. With Anaheim’s net empty, Granlund got the puck a few feet from the Vancouver blue line. He could have made an attempt on the Anaheim goal, but instead he hustled out to the red line and got the puck safely into the Ducks zone

-Corsi-wise, this was not a banner game for the Canucks, score effects notwithstanding. Give Bachman full credit for the win – this was his game. I may have joked about Cramarossa’s return to Anaheim, but he was the only Canuck with an even-strength Corsi north of 50%. The next best Canuck? Jayson Megna.

-Nikolay Goldobin played a much more reasonable 12:41 of ice time tonight, but that can partly be explained by Loui Eriksson’s injury. Not only did he replace Eriksson on Horvat’s wing, he also replaced the Swede on the top power play unit. The Goldobin-Horvat-Baertschi unit looked promising on several occasions, including the opening goal.

-On a personal note, I would encourage all Canucks fans to take the time and donate even a small amount this Tuesday during the annual Canucks For Kids Fund Telethon. The proceeds go to Canucks Autism Network, BC Children’s Hospital, and Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. As a volunteer at Canuck Place since 2008, I can personally attest to the courage, strength, and perseverance shown by the children and families on the program. With every encounter, I am reminded of how important it is that we take the time to appreciate how precious life truly is and that there are ultimately more important things than where the Canucks finish in the draft lottery standings

As we say at Canuck Place, take care of yourselves … and each other.

Tuesday, March 7 vs. Montreal @ 7 PM PST. TV: SNET, Radio: TSN 1040