CANUCKS POSTGAME #22: MARKSTROM, HORVAT LEAD CANUCKS TO 3-2 SHOOTOUT WIN

Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing

For the second consecutive Saturday, the Vancouver Canucks found themselves playing beyond 60 minutes. But unlike last week, the club managed to emerge as 3-2 shootout victors. Playing its second game in as many nights, the Canucks got out to a great start against the Colorado Avalanche and kept the game close the rest of the way – relying on goaltender Jacob Markstrom for some overtime heroics and Bo Horvat for some timely offence.

The victory may have come at a cost, however. The Canucks lost defenceman Alex Edler after only five shifts after he blocked a shot in the first period. Playing the remainder of the game with only five defenseman – at altitude, no less – the Canucks battled hard and found a way to leave Denver with two points.

After the opening shift of the game, the Canucks controlled the majority of play early on. Vancouver forechecked relentlessly and Loui Eriksson drew an early tripping penalty against Nikita Zadorov. With the Avalanche defenceman serving his time in the penalty box, Eriksson finished off the power play he started with a neat stick side shot off the rush.

Eriksson’s goal continued his hot play of late, after what could only be described as a slow start to his Canuck career.

But the biggest first period developments for the Canucks weren’t the results on the scoreboard. The club would finish the frame with only four defensemen. Alex Edler blocked a shot and left the game, and Luca Sbsia was felled by a Blake Comeau crosscheck to the back. Whlie Sbisa would return for the second period, Edler would not come back.

Down a defenceman to start the second, Vancouver began to surrender some of its early territorial advantage to the Avalanche. Midway through the frame, after a Ben Hutton turnover in the neutral zone, Carl Soderberg drove down the right wing and generated a rebound that fluttered in the air briefly before Mikhail Grigorenko batted the puck in to the gaping cage.

Knotted at one to begin the third, the Canucks’ current resident driver of offence Bo Horvat made a brilliant individual play to put his team back on top. Driving down the left wing (and making Francois Beachemin look rather slow in the process), Horvat found a trailing Alex Burrows with a great pass for a one-timer that beat Calvin Pickard low. The assist was Horvat’s team-leading 15th point of the season (and Burrows’ fourth goal).

Jarome Iginla would get the Avalanche even with a point shot that went off the leg of Brandon Sutter. Sutter attempted to block the shot but only succeeded in deflected it past a committed Jacob Markstrom.

Tied at two after sixty minutes, the teams headed to 3-on-3 overtime. The Canucks lack of team speed was exposed early and often by the young legs of the Avalanche. The Avs registered five attempts on goal in the first 2:22 of the extra frame. The Canucks would get a late man-advantage (including on an extended delayed penalty), but would fail to score – sending the game to a shootout.

MacKinnon (COL) – No goal

Granlund (VAN) – GOAL

Rantanen (COL) – No goal

Erikkson (VAN) – No goal

Duchene (COL) – No goal

-Jacob Markstrom had himself a fairly strong night. He wasn’t called upon to make any particularly “big” saves in regulation, but he regularly used his size and positioning to his advantage. He also had a few trips outside his crease.

The Canuck netminder also had a scare early in the second when Nathan MacKinnon lost his footing and slid under an unsuspecting Markstrom. Both players emerged from the encounter none the worse for wear, however, which was good news for Vancouver as Markstrom made two incredible saves off the sticks of MacKinnon and Matt Duchene, respectively, in overtime.

Did I mention that Markstrom didn’t make any big saves in regulation? He was simply saving them for overtime. He also stopped all three attempts in the shootout

-The Sedins, by possession metrics, were the Canucks best line on the night. Daniel was tied with Horvat as the top Canuck possession player at 50% CF. But the twins hardly seemed threatening tonight, a disturbing trend of late. They had plenty of zone time, but few solid chances. Perhaps they miss playing with Jannik Hansen, or maybe it’s the effects of age (or some combination of both), but the Sedins need to find a way to produce offensively. In the dying seconds of overtime, Henrik kept waiting for the perfect pass instead of just putting a puck on net. That play seemed to sum of up the twins’ night.

-Bo Horvat continued his ascendancy towards becoming the Canucks’ top offensive centre. The speed he displayed on the rush and then the vision to find Alex Burrows trailing behind the play at the end of it was sublime. When we discuss the future of the franchise, we throw around names like Hutton, Boeser, Stecher, and Tryamkin. But the player who engenders the most hope is Horvat.

-Aside from the first ten minutes of the game, the Avalanche carried the majority of the play. Credit to the Canucks, however, for limiting the Avs’ scoring chances until overtime with only five skaters on the blueline. 

Tuesday, November 29 vs Minnesota. TV: SNET; Radio: TSN 1040