Canucks Army Postgame #6: The Walking Dead

The scoring came early in this one, as Andrew Cogliano took advantage of some shoddy defensive coverage to put the Ducks up 1-0 with just 33 seconds into the game:

From then on, it was all Ducks. The Canucks failed to register a shot on net for almost 15 minutes of play, and Anaheim had the lion’s share of the scoring chances and hits. In spite of it all, the Canucks were able to come out of the first period tied 1-1, thanks to a fantastic shorthanded effort by Bo Horvat that came, oddly enough, with just 33 seconds left in the first frame:

Once again, the beginning of the period was not kind to the Canucks, as Cam Fowler was able to get the puck through a maze of players and into the back of the net just 18 seconds into the second: 

The next 19 and a half minutes didn’t go any better for the Canucks. They struggled to create offence and were porous defensively. The score remained 2-1, thanks mostly to Ryan Miller, who’d faced 30 shots by that point.  

The Canucks were able to mount pressure early, resulting in the Ducks taking a penalty. The Sedins weren’t able to capitalize on the ensuing powerplay, but after a trademark shift by the Twins, they were able to tie the game.

Unfortunately, that was as close as the Canucks came to a comeback. Goals by Nick Ritchie and Corey Perry sealed the win for the Ducks, and the first regulation loss of the season for the Canucks.

– I think it’s about time we addressed this once and for all: We were wrong about Bo Horvat. No, not just Canucks Army. Everyone. Horvat’s goal-scoring ability was clearly underestimated in the blogosphere, but his defensive ability has likely been greatly exaggerated by the mainstream hockey media. Horvat was rocking an ugly 31% Corsi for, but he also scored a beautiful goal and created a couple of chances tonight. I think it’s high time Willie Desjardins takes a good hard look at putting Bo in more offensive situations. 

– Loui Eriksson had himself a pretty strong game tonight, getting assists on both of the Canucks’ goals tonight. The coaching staff seems to be having trouble figuring out just where he fits into the lineup, and after seeing the shift he played with Bo Horvat on the PK, I’d like to see a bit more of that combination. Horvat and Baertschi are both young players looking to create offence in an increased role while keeping their heads above water defensively, so I’d think a veteran two-way forward like Eriksson would be a natural fit on that line. 

– Nick Ritchie had himself a great game riding shotgun with Getzlaf and Perry. Their line controlled just under 90% of the shot-attempts at even-strength, and Ritchie also scored the game winner. It was a dominant performance for the 2014 first round pick. Word around the time of the Ryan Kesler trade was that the Canucks desperately wanted the Ducks’ 10th overall pick as part of the return, but Ducks GM Bob Murray steadfastly refused. That’s looking like a wise decision. 

-Now seems like as good a time as any to note that the only tangible piece that remains on the Canucks from that deal is Luca Sbisa. Oh well. 

-Kevin Bieksa may not be the player he once was, but he’s still the same old jokester, and he provided us with a great line during the second intermission: 

Rogers’ Hometown Hockey was in Val D’Or this week, so they ran a wonderful feature on departed Canuck Luc Bourdon. It’s a great piece that features interviews with some former teammates including Alex Burrows and Chris Letang. We still miss you, Luc.