Canucks Beat 5-2 by the Calgary Flames in Homestand Finale

The Canucks finished their season opening four-game homestand with a 5-2 loss to the visiting Calgary Flames.
Lopsided as the score reads, the Canucks came out of the gates strong and had every opportunity to take the lead and full control of this hockey game. The only thing in their way was the power play — their own, I might add.
Vancouver went goalless on seven power play opportunities and surrendered a shorthanded goal for the second game in a row to an opposition defenceman in transition as Mark Giordano picked the puck up at the Flames blue line and took it all the way to the Canucks goal for a 1-0 lead. A Derek Dorsett goal near the end of the first frame drew the game to a tie.
From the second onward, though, it was all Flames. Calgary scored three unanswered goals in a row in the second period, and when the Canucks responded with one of their own in the third, they turned right around and regained the three-goal lead. That’s where the game would finish, as the Flames held their lead right to the final horn.
Canucks netminder Jacob Markstrom stopped 22 of 27 shots in tonight’s contest, his fourth in a row in the Canucks net. Opposite Markstrom, Mike Smith stopped 27 of the Canucks 29 tries for the Flames.

Stats

Quick Hits

  • This was not Jacob Markstrom’s night. Speaking to reporters after the Canucks 5-2 loss, Markstrom admitted that he gave up way too many goals tonight and that he has to be better for the Canucks. There were at least two goals tonight that Markstrom has to have to give the Canucks a chance to win. The Canucks are four games into the season, and Markstrom’s given up a least one ugly goal a game. That trend has to stop if he wants to take the Canucks net as the starter and keep it.
  • Loui Eriksson left today’s game after ending his first shift by crashing into the Flames’ net courtesy a questionable play by Tanner Glass. Canucks head coach Travis Green didn’t have any updates after the game, but considering he didn’t return to tonight’s contest, I’d say it’s safe to expect he could miss some time.
  • Green shortened his bench near the end of the game to spark his club, again, and this time it was Bo Horvat who was a casualty. Speaking to reporters after the game, Green admitted that he wasn’t crazy about Horvat’s game and thought he was “average” tonight. Horvat wasn’t visibly good or bad tonight, in my estimation, leaving tonight’s contest with a plus-three shot attempt differential and an even rating.
  • In Horvat’s stead stepped Alexander Burmistrov, returning from his one-game exile. Burmistrov played a significant role in the Canucks first goal, smartly covering for a Derrick Pouliot pinch before taking the puck himself into the corner, outmuscling Dougie Hamilton and feeding Dorsett high in the slot. In just his second shift with Sven Baertschi and Brock Boeser, that line scored, as Boeser converted on a breakaway opportunity to get the Canucks back into tonight’s game, if only for a moment. Burmistrov left tonight’s game with a plus-three shot attempt differential and a plus-one rating while playing a big role in the Canucks’ first goal. Something tells me he’s earned another game. Green was fairly complimentary of Burmistrov after tonight’s game, too.
  • Michael Del Zotto led the Canucks in ice-time. Again. This, after a year spent in and out of the Philadelphia Flyers press box. Green seems to be a fan.
  • I’m starting to wonder if the Canucks did any pre-scouting of Sam Gagner before signing him this summer. They seem to have no idea how best to use their big-ticket forward acquisition of the off-season. They’ve used him on the power play as a trigger-man, to no effect; they’ve used him with the Sedins, to no effect. Hell, they even used him on the penalty kill in the third period. Gagner admitted after the game that he hadn’t killed penalties since playing with the Oilers. There’s probably a reason for that. Gagner is a playmaker, but that seems to be the role the Canucks are least open to playing him in. I don’t get it.