Canucks lose to Blues, or when dominating 70 percent of the game doesn’t work

Oh pooey. Wait, that’s Keith Tkachuk. And Luongo’s mask is all wrong. What. Is. Going. On. (Photo: Jeff Vinnick/NHLi)

Pretty straightforward analysis here – take your chances, don’t give up many to the other team, and who the hell knows what will happen in the shootout.

And maybe buy an iPad. Studying does actually help. Those of us who have been to school know that paying attention before the test usually leads to better results; of course most of still didn’t do that. Then again, most of us weren’t playing professional sport.

Hmmm.

The Canucks and Blues played a pretty tepid game through two periods, keeping each other to the outside – a chess game, Henrik is said to have described it as, post-game – before the Canucks exploded in the third. That explosion was on-going even before the Blues surprisingly banged home the go-ahead goal and the home team was forced to chase down the game and force overtime.

You know about the rest, but for some chance data and some analysis, click past ye ol’ jumpe.

– Don’t really want to read? Here’s someone you know’s concise summary:

– The first two periods sucked. I would rather been playing pretty much any game on my iPhone rather than have had to watch this, but you know, dear readers, I care for all of you. With Drance out of the country (yes, really) and Charron, Filipovic AND Angus wandering somewhere between downtown Vancouver and the deepest parts of the Westside, it fell to me to pick up the slack.

– The first period was manageable on its own. Two goals for the Canucks – firsts of the year for Henrik and Kesler – both off fantastic scoring chances, both involving outrageous passes. It was looking good. 

– And then you realize that the Canucks managed two goals on four, yes, FOUR, chances. Two of those were on the same powerplay, the second being Kesler’s strong finish, set up from the slot by Daniel.

– Please tell me you were impressed by the Burrows and Henrik give-and-go (even if the captain did whiff on the puck). It was, to coin a phrase, nifty.

– The babble about Burrows being back with the Sedins is mostly spot-on. He was electric tonight. Apologies to Trent Klatt, Burrows is the best-attuned winger they’ve ever had. 

– The second period was all Blues. The Canucks just couldn’t get anywhere near the net. The Blues managed five chances, though Andy McDonald’s goal wasn’t.

– After the stink-a-thon that was the first two periods (Yes, I know 2-2. But aesthetics, people, aesthetics.), did you expect the third period that we got? It was a thrashing. Take ’em out behind the woodshed. That kind of thing. The Canucks had six chances inside the first six minutes, including three on what seemed like an endless sequence from Raymond, Kesler and Kassian. Those were spread out about a minute-and-a-half.

– It’s also slightly noteworthy that Kesler and Schroeder were flipped going into the third; Schroeder ended up skating with Chris Higgins and Zack Kassian, while Kesler was with Raymond and Hansen. The results are there, anyway.

– The Blues goal with eight minutes left wasn’t even their lone chance in the period – that was by TJ Oshie, on a rush and it was actually blocked by Chris "Cam Charron" Tanev.

– After the goal, I guess the narrative would be "the Canucks pressed even harder!" Of course, they managed six chances in another six minute span, but this time that stretch ended with Mason Raymond’s goal. That’s was his fourth chance of the period. 

– My dad, who is actually on twitter, believe it or not, commented, "boy, Raymond sure looks better this year, doesn’t he?"

– Four of those six chnces were on the powerplay. Two goals on the PP tonight and a shutout of the Blues’ vaunted man advantage attack? Those are clear keys to victory, no? Oh boy.

– The overtime was more of the same. Canucks took the chance count there 3-to-1. Maybe Alex Burrows needs a new breakaway move, though there was no visual that Jake Allen consulted an iPad before Burrows hit the blue line.

– I watched the shootout as fast as possible and then stopped watching, but how can anyone mock the use of an iPad to prep for a shootout. Soccer teams have been looking for shootout edges forever. Why should hockey be different?

 

 

– At least Sunday night generally means dinner at the parents. We had roast pork. It was lovely.

SCORING CHANCE DATA