O’Connor-Pettersson-DeBrusk.
Öhgren-Rossi-Boeser.
Sasson-Blueger-Karlsson.
Höglander-Räty-Kane.

E. Pettersson-Hronek.
M. Pettersson-Willander.
Buium-Mancini.

The game nearly started with a disaster, as Elias Junior Pettersson tried to keep a puck in at the blue line but ended up kicking the puck right to Brandon Hagel, who moved in on a 2-on-1. Pettersson took the passing lane, and Kevin Lankinen made a sharp stop to get his night started off on the right foot.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/2034815710246182976

Not long after, Elias forward Pettersson — who scored two goals in the Canucks’ last game — moved in off the rush and feathered a pass to Jake DeBrusk, who beat Andrei Vasilevskiy but couldn’t beat the post.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/2034817181704433749

Lankinen stayed busy, and made a great save off a Nikita Kucherov one-timer that came from what should have been a pretty impossible angle. Since it was Kucherov shooting it, though, Lankinen needed to be sharp. After that, the Lightning poured on some serious pressure on the home side, and the Canucks were certainly relying on their goaltender early.

Before the end of the opening frame, Linus Karlsson drew the game’s first penalty, and the Canucks found themselves with a late power play chance. Of course, the Canucks’ power play was absolutely dynamite on Tuesday night, and had some big expectations to live up to.

Marco Rossi has started to find a home on the left half wall, and even got a couple of passes across the ice to Pettersson. The Canucks haven’t had a great left-handed distributor on the left wall for PP1. Can Rossi become that for the Canucks? That’s an interesting thing to watch over the rest of the season.

Before the end of the first period, the Lightning broke through and opened the scoring with under three minutes to go.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/2034822150985851374

So, the first period was pretty fun, all things considered, right?

Kevin Lankinen had to make some remarkable saves because of some brutal defensive breakdowns in front of him, but at least he was making remarkable saves. That was fun!

Well, the fun was over.

Less than a minute into the second frame, Darren Raddysh ripped home a 94 mph slapper past Lankinen to make it 2-0. 

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/2034828711007330685

Lankinen did make one more sweet save after that goal, though. A save so sweet that Hagel put his hands on his head in disbelief after Lankinen flashed his glove out to absolutely rob him.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/2034829850297737490

After the fourth goal, Adam Foote used his timeout in an attempt to settle his team down. That seemed to work, as the Canucks began to defend better, and eventually, they got a goal of their own.

After Zeev Buium stepped up to break up a play at the Vancouver blue line, the BRÖ line got to work, as Marco Rossi found Brock Boeser, who dished to Liam Öhgren, who ripped a shot past Vasilevskiy to cut the deficit to three.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/2034834145839575139

The chemistry is starting to build between these three, and the points are starting to come for Boeser and Rossi, in particular.

The Canucks got a late power play opportunity with a minute left in the period,

Some takeaways from the second:
-Nils Höglander was one of few Canucks creating chances in the second. Will he log over 12 minutes tonight?
-This is the Marco Rossi the Canucks thought they were getting in the Quinn Hughes trade. 11 points in his last eight games.
-Felt like Kevin Lankinen was probably one more goal away from a mercy pull in this period. The play in front of him was absolutely dreadful.

Liam Öhgren nearly scored his second goal of the game after Elias Pettersson broke into the Tampa zone, drew two defenders onto him, and swept the puck back into the high slot, where Öhgren was waiting. Unfortuantely, he hit the post.

That didn’t slow down the Canucks, however, who came into the third with some solid jump.

Darren Raddysh bobbled a pass behind the net, leading to the puck bouncing right out in front to Marco Rossi, whose original chance was stopped by Vasilevskiy. Linus Karlsson was ready for his chance though, as he batted the puck out of the air and behind the Tampa goaltender to bring the Canucks within two.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/2034845369037627767

Unfortunately, the Lightning restored their lead on the very next shift.

The goals kept coming, as Brandon Hagel let go of a perfect shot to finally beat Kevin Lankinen, who had his number to this point.

Some takeaways from the third:
-The line blender came out in the third, and it was nice to see Nils Höglander get rewarded for what was a pretty strong game. He took some turns with the Pettersson line.
-Amid the line blending, the BRÖ line stayed together. And for good reason, too.
-Which team is going to give Darren Raddysh his big pay day this offseason? He might be the top free agent on July 1st.

What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below!