Sometimes it pays to play a full 60 minutes. Overall, the Canucks played well enough to get the win tonight, but a flat start and a late goal from Tomas Tatar conspired to keep this one out of reach for the home team. That goal gave the slumping Tatar his 200th point, and wouldn’t you know it, anytime a player has a milestone to reach, the Canucks are happy to oblige.
The Canucks clawed back in the third to make a game of it, but it wasn’t enough as they fell 3-2 to the Wings to end a five-game home stand.

Stats

Highlights

Quick Hits

  • Shortly after Jacob Markstrom credited Chris Tanev for eliminating his early-game gaffes, Tanev decided to repay him by potting the Red Wings’ second goal of the night. It looked as though Henrik Zetterberg may have interfered with Markstrom on the play, but after a Travis Green challenge it was ruled a good goal. This sequence of events generated some good responses, as you’d imagine.
  • That goal ended up being credited to Martin Frk, who has no vowels in his last name. Don’t you find that unnerving?
  • The Gudbranson-Del Zotto pairing had a rough night tonight, with both players hovering around the 30% mark in even-strength corsi. To Green’s credit, he realized it wasn’t working and switched the pairings up late in the game. Del Zotto ended up scoring the game-tying goal shortly thereafter.
  • The calls did not go the Canucks’ way tonight. The goalie interference challenge could have gone either way but a pair of infractions on Canucks players were missed at a crucial point late in the game and fans were rightfully upset. Someone should make sure the memo about Alex Burrows getting traded last season circulates among NHL officials so they know they can lay off now.
  • The Sedins accounted for one of the goals tonight, but that line easily could have had another two or three. Travis Green must have noticed, because their minutes tonight were much closer to their career averages than they’ve been for much of the season. The goals haven’t come as much for the twins this season, but if they generate chances like they did tonight, that will change soon.
  • The Granlund-Sutter-Dorsett line has been useful at times this season, but that was not the case tonight, which made tonight’s second intermission segment all the more entertaining. Apparently somebody thinks Brandon Sutter’s plus-minus is an indication he’s been “impressive” this season. More on that at a later date.