CanucksArmy Postgame: Two Late
5 years ago
The Canucks lost a heartbreaker this afternoon in Buffalo. They got a solid performance from Jacob Markstrom and goals from Virtanen, Eriksson, and Gudbranson, but gave up two late tallies and failed to capitalize on two four-on-three powerplays as they fell to the Sabres 4-3 in the shootout.
HIGHLIGHTS
STATS
Courtesy of NaturalStatTrick.com
The Canucks controlled play for most of the game, and generally outplayed the Sabres by the eye test, too. Unfortunately, some sloppy play in the final minutes let the Sabres back into the game and the Canucks couldn’t get it done in OT. That’s just the way it goes sometimes, especially with a young team. Hopefully this is a learning experience for everyone involved.
GAME NOTES
- Jacob Markstrom had a strong game tonight, making 34 saves on 37 shots for .919 save percentage on the night. He made a couple of impressive stops, including a sprawling save on Jeff Skinner. He’s a big part of the reason the Canucks came away with a point tonight. It’s unfortunate he couldn’t get the win, especially because he wasn’t the least bit at fault for either of the Sabres’ late goals.
- Fans have been clamouring to see Jake Virtanen get an audition on the team’s de facto top line with Elias Pettersson and Nikolay Goldobin. Fans got their wish this afternoon, as he spent much of the game alongside the pair of European forwards. Jake had an impressive stat line today, registering six shots and a goal in over 20 minutes of ice time. I’m not convinced he has the hockey sense to stick on that line, which may be why Antoine Roussel ended up registering the lone assist on his goal, but he had himself a game today and he deserved to be rewarded for his strong play so far this season.
- It’s no coincidence Jake’s goal came on a play where he carried the puck out from the defensive zone and drove hard to the net. It was a lucky bounce, but that’s when Jake is at his best. My biggest gripe with his game has been that he’s far too willing to shoot from low-percentage areas. In spite of his seven goals this season, that hasn’t really changed a lot. Here’s hoping this is the start of a trend.
- Markus Granlund’s quietly had an excellent start to his season, scoring three goals and registering 6 assists thus far. He looked good tonight and put up the primary helper on Eriksson’s game-tying goal. Kudos to him for proving he deserves a spot on this team after many, including myself, had a labelled him as a possible waiver candidate in the preseason.
- Speaking of Eriksson, it’s been great to see him have some success again scoring goals from the dirty areas. He’s struggled over the past few seasons, but he’s also been ridiculously snakebitten over the course of his time in Vancouver. Injuries have allowed for him to get a chance to play alongside Bo Horvat and he looked comfortable in that role today. Here’s hoping he can use the elevated role as a springboard to find some consistency.
- Sure, the Canucks lost tonight, but how long has it been since the team has looked this fun? A 4-3 loss in the shootout certainly beats the plethora of offensively anemic performances we saw last season.
