Canucks Army Postgame #21: The Lone Goal State

As far as losses go, this one wasn’t so bad. The Canucks went toe-to-toe with one of the best offensive teams in the league and were more or less able to match their intensity for the majority of the game. They came away from tonight’s game with the lead in shots and scoring chances. Unfortunately, “close enough” rarely is, and the Canucks fell to 8-11-2.

What the hell is Jayson Megna doing on a line with Bo Horv- Oh, he scored? He scored. On the first shot of the game, no less.

After Megna opened the scoring for the Canucks at 5:01 into the first period, the Canucks and Stars traded chances fairly evenly, with Vancouver edging out Dallas on the shot clock 12-10. There were also some fisticuffs provided by Luca Sbisa and Antoine Roussel. 

The Canucks kept pace with the Stars for most of the second frame, but it was Dallas that came out ahead, with goals from Radek Faksa and Esa Lindell. The Canucks can place the blame for the first goal on a blown icing call, but the truth is that Ryan Miller would probably like that one back.

The Canucks struggled to keep up with the Stars’ attack through the first half of the third, but came roaring back in the final eight minutes. Unfortunately, Antti Niemi turned away every last shot the Canucks could muster, and the Stars held on to win the game 2-1. 

– At first glane, Jayson Megna didn’t exactly look like the best fit to replace the injured Sven Baertschi on the Horvat-Burrows line, but they didn’t miss a beat, producing the Canucks lone goal and the majority of the team’s scoring chances as well. Megna was 4th among Canucks forwards tonight in CF% with 59% and has probably earned himself a spot on that line until Baertschi returns. 

-Alex Burrows has looked like a different player these past few weeks. Burrows has always been strong defensively even as his overall game has eroded, but the offense appears to have returned since being placed on a line with Bo Horvat. He had a game-high four shots on goal tonight, and he’s added another dimension to a line that had previously struggled to generate zone time and created the lion’s share of it’s chances off the rush. 

-Is there a hockey stats site that tracks broken sticks/60? Because Alex Edler must lead the league. He looked as though he might have a chance to tie the game midway through the third, only to see his stick explode. So it goes. 

– Erik Gudbranson had a rough night. He came out ahead in terms of shot shares, but he looked flat-footed on a couple of occasions, in particular when he threw the puck out directly in front of Ryan Miller and nearly cost the Canucks a goal. He did redeem himself a little when Hutton made a bad play upon entering the Star’s zone at the blue line with the goalie pulled. Gudbranson picked up the turnover and quickly got the puck moving the other way, but overall it wasn’t a memorable night for either member of the pairing. You have to wonder if that situation is benefiting either party. 

– Troy Stecher continues to be a shot-generating machine. He had four tonight, and he continues to look like a seasoned pro at the ripe old age of 22. He’s looked astoundingly mistake-free for a rookie, and he currently leads all Canucks defensemen in shot-attempt differential. I don’t know how you could justify taking him out of the lineup when Chris Tanev returns.

-When a former Canuck moves on, it’s always a little strange. Guess we’ll just have to get used to it.