In a game that had intense playoff implications written all over it, it’s perhaps fitting that the final result felt like you got to experience the entire Vancouver Canucks regular season in a single night.
You had the high levels of tedious dump-and-chase hockey, where the chasing part felt optional.
You had the gritty GOTI effort of a team defending their ice and doing their best to play low-event hockey.
You want wishful point shots into traffic? Well, put on your fancy shirt because this game has you covered.
You had the thrills of scoring a few goals, only to turn around and watch the lead slip away.
Then you had the last-second goal to tie the game up, putting the Canucks into a position to win, something that they had no business doing.
But then you had your old friend overtime sliding its dagger into the heart of Canucks fans everywhere, bleeding away points as it has all year long, dragging Vancouver closer and closer to missing the playoffs.
At another time, in a different month, the Canucks salvaging a point in a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues would have been met with…well, not excitement, but at least a solid conversation based around the idea that “it could have been worse.” Nothing says “Canucks hockey” quite like explaining away crippling losses with “it could have been worse” while you do your best to forget you ever heard your buddy talk about the Canucks losing one on the road in the 2011 Finals so they could win the Cup on home ice.
At the very least, there would have been a healthy debate about where Brock Boeser’s clutch goal stands amongst wind-up piss missile goals in Canucks history. Still slightly behind “bar down” because Game 8 had more on the line, but it feels like a healthy top-five discussion.
None of that ultimately matters for the team, of course, because the Canucks wound up losing to the Blues. As much as we all enjoyed Matt Cooke’s heroics in 2004, let’s not pretend you’re not always afraid of someone asking, “and then what happened?” when you bring it up.
For Brock Boeser, it’s a huge goal, of course. It’s another clutch moment on his resume as he walks towards free agency, freshly anointed with the banner of “being the Canucks own UFA deadline acquisition”, perhaps the worst PR branding from a team in recent memory. I thought a player coming back from injury being “like trading for a player at the deadline” was the lowest form of branding, yet here we find ourselves at a new low.
But for Brock, there is something to be said about how laughable it all seems that a market couldn’t be created for him at the deadline. That teams didn’t see his almost (at the time) 200 career goals and not think he could add some scoring juice to a team looking to go on a run. I think we can all admit Brock was certainly playing on a cold streak for a while there, but his career resume speaks for itself. It feels silly that during the Great Trade Deadline Wars of 2025 that a) the Canucks couldn’t frame Brock as an elite piece of a puzzle to another team, or b) another team wouldn’t roll the dice on him, or if you’re feeling frisky c) that the Canucks wouldn’t lock up Brock and keep him for themselves.
But while Pius Suter and Brock Boeser continue to raise their asking price in the off-season, it still hasn’t been enough for the Canucks to play consistent hockey. It’s why when the Canucks won two in a row only to fall flat against Utah, only to beat the absolute sh!t out of Winnipeg, only to turn around and scratch and claw out an overtime loss to St. Louis, I don’t think anybody was that surprised.
Sure, part of you wonders if that infamous light switch will ever go off, and maybe the Canucks will go on a bit of a hot streak. I don’t think anyone is silly enough to want to go to Camelot or think the Canucks will bust out a magical march to the Cup Finals, but I do think there was some fun in thinking the Canucks could secure a playoff spot going on a bit of a heater.
Instead, we get to dissect another loss and find ourselves wondering which team will show up Saturday morning against another team fighting for its playoff lives in the form of the New York Rangers. I think a former Canuck plays for them now as well, but I can’t remember.
The point is, I think we’ve all given up on trying to figure this team out. It is what it is at this point: an inconsistent roster that can’t seem to stop the roller coaster it’s on.
Whether that can give us a round or two of playoff fun, well, that’s about the only thing we have left to find out.
CARSON SOUCY! That was the ex-Canuck.
Big revenge game for Carson on Saturday.
I knew there was someone.
Best Lil John tactics
Much like that sobering talk you have with yourself when you hit your 30s, the Canucks came face to face with failing to live up to expectations in the first period. The Canucks were outshot 12-3 in the opening frame, were handily outplayed, and were also routinely beaten by the Blues physically, completing the hat trick of thoughts of “why is this my life”, “how can I make this stop” and “but seriously, we beat the Jets 6-2, what happened?”
That beautiful zone entry game the Canucks used against the Jets on Tuesday? Nowhere to be seen. Most likely in witness protection. Possibly afraid Rick Tocchet was going to murder it for attempting an east/west pass.
In its place was a team that was seemingly afraid of any and all body contact, rushing passes and making it look like just getting to the red line to dump the puck in without icing it was the most heroic sh!t you’ve ever seen. That dramatic friend of yours that can make someone pronounce their name wrong seems like a life-altering moment in their life, one in which life and death were in a precarious battle of chicken in front of them; that’s what the Canucks felt like in the first period. You almost expected one of them to turn around grinning proudly, expecting a trophy because they dumped the puck into the corner for an efficient line change.
What I am saying is it hurt my soul to watch the first twenty minutes of hockey in this game. Not sure if you picked up on that.
The Blues, on the other hand, found ways to enter the zone with possession and shock of shocks and were able to generate scoring chances. I am not sure of the science behind it, but apparently, that helps in hockey.
The only silver lining for Vancouver? Kevin Lankinen. He was the only reason this game remained 0-0 through one period.
But the Blues had their looks on net. First you had Alexey Toropchenko throwing a puck on net that led to Nathan Walker almost cashing in the rebound:
Then you had Jake Neighbors going full Mr. Rogers and walking in and teaching Elias Pettersson a lesson in puck possession, stealing it from the Canucks centre and feeding a smooth pass out to Rob Thomas that Lankinen had to make a big save on:
Then you had Pavel Buchnevich work a give-and-go with Rob Thomas, leading to Lankinen having to make a quick Santana riff of a pad save on a one-timer:
At one point, the Canucks went over 10 minutes without getting a shot on net. Which isn’t that bad I guess, if you consider the quality of shots the Canucks sometimes take. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise that we didn’t have to witness them scrambling to try and get a wrist shot on net from the point.
Best Tim Horton’s special
Despite getting their heads caved in, the Canucks did manage to get a power play against St. Louis.
That was the good news.
The bad news is they only generated one solid look at the net, which was immediately followed up by Hronek taking a penalty to get them off the power play:
This play was notable because it was maybe one of a handful of times the Canucks had a chance at a shot on net that close to Jordan Binnington. In a game where everything was on the line, the Canucks only managed three high-danger chances the entire game, which feels kind of depressing in a game in which they scored three goals.
Best earning his contract
Kevin Lankinen continued to hold his team in this game, for those of you who enjoy silver linings, and even got Jordan Kyrou to celebrate a fake goal:
The Blues basically moved the puck around until they could find the guy Jake DeBrusk was covering so they could get a good look on net.
Look, I enjoy Jake. I think he is a good player, but defensively, sometimes he makes me look out my window and wish for rain. He essentially set up shop in the middle of the ice and was like, “Whatever happens happens I guess,” which, on the one hand, I find bold and admirable, but on the other hand, why can’t you defend someone, why do you hate us so much?
Derek Forbort, on the other hand, did a good job securing the stick of Brayden Schenn, Lankinen did a good job making the initial save, and Fil Hronek did a good job of poking the poke away from the empty net.
It’s just, Jake, you could have skated a stride or two. That’s all I’m saying.
Best visual representation of futility
If this was the measles, we’d be delighted at the lack of an outbreak. Alas.
Best statistical representation of futility
The Canucks were .02 away from me legally being allowed to round them down to 0.00 xGF at 5 v 5.
Best we go together like
If Corsi was a heartbeat, then the second period was the only time the Canucks showed signs of life. They scored goals in the third period, mind you, but the second period was the only time it felt like they hemmed St. Louis in their own end for solid stretches of time.
That being said, this game only had three high danger chances. So while getting nine shots in the middle frame was a positive in this game, it’s also a really low bar? It’s kind of like congratulating yourself for making it inside your lobby before you puked? Like yeah, good job, I guess? Maybe it would have been better to throw up outside? I don’t know.
The point is, Hronek passing the puck over to Marcus Pettersson and hoping for the Jake DeBrusk tip was clearly streets ahead of the first period, it’s still not exactly thrilling hockey:
Hey, I like Jake. I think he is the best guy on the team in terms of his blue paint game and being able to get deflections. And that was a great tip! It might have actually scored!
But when you only get 18 shots on net on the night and the majority of your offense is based on grease and luck, well, then you’re one flying car away from being really confused about that the plan was here, exactly.
But at least getting shots on net is better than not, so here’s Hronek firing at the net and missing, and then MP3 taking a shot on net with no traffic:
The Canucks best chance in the second period was probably Drew O’Connor and Linus Karlsson, who, with their power combined become Captain Forecheck. The chance ended up with Linus getting the puck across the crease to Teddy Blueger for what was almost a tap-in:
It did represent a much better effort from Vancouver; I will give them that. They got the shots to 15-11, still in the Blues favour, but at least they were pushing back and earning some offensive zone time. It just didn’t end up generating any goals, which has been a constant for them the last year or so.
Best the other Nearly Nils
It’s when you forget about Nils Aman that’s when he almost kills you:
Again, the offence was generated by Hronek throwing it on net, and this time, Joshua won the puck battle, which resulted in Aman having time to swoop in and get the shot off the crossbar.
Yes, it’s very delightful to see Conor Garland setting a screen.
Best sticking up for MP3
At one point, the Canucks were stuck in their zone for what felt like several hours, with Mp3 ending up taking a 2:56-minute shift. And you bet your ass I made sure I didn’t miss the “f” in shift.
The one good thing about an exhausted MP3? As Grady points out, his stick range allows him to make plays even when exhausted:
Again, I think the Canucks are generally trying their hardest out there. I think they can clearly overthink the game at times, and I think they don’t have enough skill in the lineup, but very rarely do I question their efforts. It feels like their hearts are in the right places.
It’s just, yeah, that whole “can’t generate offence” thing keeps getting in the way.
Best jinx
While I refuse to acknowledge any Bolduc that isn’t Alexandre, I do respect Zac scoring a very Canucks looking goal, aka “taking a shot from the point and praying it goes in”:
It appeared the puck deflected in off of Quinn Hughes, which continues the Canucks tenuous relationship with the Hockey Gods as of late.
I should also note that this was a game in which Quinn Hughes looked exhausted and a shell of his normal self, yet he still played over 30 minutes and was still clearly the Canucks best defenceman. We are spoiled by Quinn Hughes’s normal God Mode, but I do have to point out that, yeah, this was one of those games where he looked mortal. I just wanted to tell him to take a nap at one point and not to worry about us for a bit.
Which again, isn’t an insult, I am not bagging on this man. I am just pointing out the uphill battle this team was facing, as they rely an awful lot on God Mode Hughes to carry them to victory in games like these.
Best shooting your shot
The Canucks tied the game up early into the third period when Kiefer Sherwood took off a well-placed shot from what didn’t feel like a dangerous area but was very much helped by Jake DeBrusk’s blue paint game:
In this case, Jake placed a perfect screen, and Kiefer put his shot in the perfect spot to beat Jordan Binnington. It was also a goal created by quick puck movement, as they zipped the puck around to the point that the Blues were caught chasing, which allowed Sherwood enough time to get the shot off in the first place.
Best Chaotic roller coaster
Strap in for the Tyler Myers ride because it’s a bit of a journey.
First, we had the ups of the Chaos Giraffe, like this shot on a pass from Quinn Hughes that almost beat Binnington but ultimately dribbled wide, aka the blueprint for the later Boeser goal:
Then you had Tyler Myers defending his crease, rushing out to block a Rob Thomas shot attempt on an empty net:
It felt like the stock was rising on the Chaotic Giraffe Bitcoin, and you could feel yourself wondering what magic he had in those hands of his. Only to turn around and watch questionable defensive zone coverage and aim-assisted scoring later in the game.
We shall get to that shortly.
Best betting on yourself
Brock Boeser gave the Canucks their only lead of the night when he scored his third goal in two games, this time off of a beauty of a wrist shot off the rush:
Things to note about this goal:
  • It doesn’t happen without the elite defensive instincts of Elias Pettersson. His positioning on the back check allows him to intercept the puck that starts the counterattack.
  • Nils Höglander continues to play like a top-six forward. His ability to push the puck with pace has helped this line feel faster than it has any right to be. He also sets up a good screen on the shot from Brock.
  • And, of course, the shot itself. Brock is a lethal boy; we all know this. It just felt like he forgot that the last couple of months. Always be shooting, Brock. That was an important comma.
Best well that was fun
Alas, it was but a mere few moments later when Tyler Tucker took a shot off of Brayden Schenn’s faceoff win that led to the Blues second goal:
It also looks like the puck deflected off of Jake DeBrusk here, and to be fair, he can’t help himself. Dude just loves tipping pucks.
Ultimately, it’s hard to criticize this goal past “shoulda won that faceoff,” but at least it wasn’t some generational defensive breakdown that led to the goal? That’s a silver lining, right?
Best Irish Whiskey shot of the game
Tyler Tucker would then conspire with Dylan Holloway and Jordan Kyrou to score the Blues third goal of the game:
Things to note about THIS goal:
  • Yes, that’s Jake DeBrusk having his shot blocked by Tyler Tucker, leading to the counterattack. Yes, that’s Jake DeBrusk randomly cross-checking Tyler Tucker and falling over him, conveniently leaving him off of “back-checking duty.”
  • Yes, that’s Tyler Myers randomly floating away from his coverage for reasons I cannot begin to understand. Maybe his heart hurt seeing his tired son playing through injuries, so he came over to offer up emotional support to him.
  • Yes, that’s Pius Suter sitting back to cover the middle of the ice and stop Brayden Schenn from being a factor, which he did. He just didn’t expect Myers to release Holloway like that, so he has no way to help out.
  • Yes, I’m still not sure why the chaos giraffe constantly floats away from coverage. I mean, I do. He’s a chaos giraffe. It’s in his name. It just felt like really poor timing here. If Myers defends the GOTI here, then Rick Tocchet is happy, and that goal probably isn’t going in.
  • Yes, that was an American crowd chanting “USA, USA, USA” in front of the Canadian goalie who took their gold away from them.
Best Madonna almost wrote a song about this
Despite looking like a man who had been fighting in the White Mountains of Middle-Earth for months on end, Quinn Hughes was still giving every single inch of his heart and soul to this game. So while he wasn’t able to dance around the ice at will, breaking ankles left and right, he was still out there emptying his fuel tank until it was well past empty.
At one point, he had a three-minute shift where Hronek was on the ice, left for a change, then came back on the ice, and Hughes was still there. It’s like that time you left work and came back the next day, and you were pretty sure your manager never left.
And again, he wasn’t generating lethal chances (nobody was), but he was still generating shots on net and giving them a chance at a greasy goal:
Again, I know this team tries. I just don’t think it has the juice to stay with the top teams.
Best Rounders into form
With the game almost over and the puck being kicked out of the Blues zone with under 10 seconds left, I was sure this game was over. I was so sure I stood up and said out loud, “I am so sure this game is over.” I even went for my customary sip of post-game water, so sure was I in my assessment.
Except I forgot the cardinal rule.
Somehow, I forgot that Brock Boeser is an absolute filthy animal:
Things to note about THIS goal:
  • Boeser beat him blocker side earlier in the game, so I am convinced he was in Jordan’s head. You can see Binnington lean to his right and then staring up at the skies as he knew he got got.
  • That shot is just a god damn wonderful thing. Look, I know wrist shots are cool, and nice dangles are better. But tell me there is nothing more empowering than watching a hockey player wind up and overpower the goalie with the ultimate piss missile. I know that Nashville goal Brock got was ultimately better because it led to a win and an eventual playoff series victory, but taking context out of it, this goal is a million times more badass. Brock straight up said, “not today,” and blew it by Binnington.
  • Despite being a corpse on ice, Quinn Hughes still busts out a little shake and bake, which allows him to get the puck up to Elias Pettersson. There is no single other player on this team that could have made that play. Well, Tyler Myers might have. But he also runs the risk of turning around and shooting the puck into his own net. But consistently, there are very few players on this planet who would not only have the confidence to hold onto that puck and dangle around Buchnevich like that but even fewer who would have the skill to pull it off. And then on top of that, find the open player in the Blues zone.
  • Elias Pettersson makes the perfect pass to set this goal up. 10/10, no notes.
Best elite beast
Best delaying the inevitable
Moments after Justin Faulk hit the post in overtime, Kevin Lankinen made another save on Kyrou that Jordan once again pre-celebrated:
You cannot ask much more from your goaltender than what Lankinen gave them on this night. Barring him turning into Dom Hasek, he gave the Canucks every opportunity to win the game.
It’s just, when you don’t have the puck in overtime, you tend to lose.
Best had the puck briefly
Elias Pettersson is going to get a lot of flack on the overtime goal because, admittedly, it’s objectively funny how the puck bobbles away from him in the seconds leading up to the goal:
Now, let’s do our final things to note about a goal on this night:
  • Yeah, didn’t love Quinn Hughes sending a pass over to Elias in that spot. He’s basically sending a puck into a stagnant Elias, who has three guys on him; it doesn’t leave him with a lot of options. I think in a perfect world EP40 realizes he’s hooped so he sends it back into Vancouver’s zone, but it’s overtime and people are tired, this is when mistakes often happen.
  • Yeah, didn’t love Jake DeBrusk casually going for that line change in overtime. There’s so much time and space in overtime that you have to make sure you get on and off the ice as quickly as possible. You should never be making a line change like you’re there to pick up your mobile order from Starbucks; you should always be flying in like you don’t own a phone, and you need to make sure you get in line in time to get a breakfast sandwich. The end result of this is Brock Boeser having to jump on the ice and try and play catch up from a standstill.
  • I’m ok with Kevin making the lunge on that save. He’s thinking Philip Broberg is going to be trying to get that shot off as quick as possible, but this is where you have to give full credit to the skill and patience shown by Bro. Dude takes his time and lets Lankinen beat himself; that’s a dope goal that I can’t help but tip my hat to.
Best what could have been
Again, end of the day, this team lost another one in overtime. Not only that, they lost in a game that they can’t really afford to be losing in.
Time is running out on the clock, and we can’t keep going “Well they still have a chance” before the playoff scenarios end up sounding more and more grim.
Spirited effort? Sure.
Iconic moment to tie the game up? Of course. You know when you need a pick me up, you’re going to watch that Boeser last-second goal.
Ultimately a failure? Unfortunately yes. It was another game in which even when they had players step up in key moments, they still couldn’t seal the victory.
I guess what it comes down to is if Saturday’s game can finally be a turning point for this team. Will THAT be the game that gets them going consistently?
If a win over Carson Soucy can’t make that happen, then I don’t think anything else will.
See you Saturday.
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