I was going to call this post the Vancouver Canucks’ first-period woes, Head Coach Tocchet’s impact, DeSmith’s heroics, and a triumphant comeback. However, I decided to go with the more mundane title of quick hits. It just seemed more to the point.
First, let me give a bit of a game overview.
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Quick Hit One: Head Coach Rick Tocchet Had to Have Said Something
This was a game marred by an abysmal first period that saw the Canucks completely outplayed by the Minnesota Wild. As my friend Greg, who talks Canucks hockey with me almost daily, noted that he can’t even imagine Head Coach Rick Tocchet’s locker room “conversation” after the first period? It had to have played a crucial role in reshaping the team’s game in the second and third periods.
The team certainly picked up its play. Despite the challenging start, Tocchet’s coaching leadership (I am trying to be specifically vague here) likely took center stage during that critical intermission. It had to have motivated the team’s solid play afterward.
Details of Tocchet’s speech remain behind closed doors, leaving fans like me curious about the words of wisdom or motivation shared with the team. Whatever, as a coach, Tocchet can inspire and refocus his players. That’s been obvious all season (starting after the team’s poor performance against the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this season). Once again, the Canucks turned it around.
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Quick Hit Two: Casey DeSmith Was Not Going to Be Beaten
Casey DeSmith emerged as the hero of the night, making 26 saves and getting his first shutout of the season. With the shutout, the Canucks halted the Wild’s four-game winning streak. Nils Hoglander and Teddy Blueger contributed to Vancouver’s 17-9-1 record, and DeSmith’s unbeaten record against Minnesota remained intact.
After the game, DeSmith noted, “I’ve always been somebody who can have a long layoff and hop back in and do my job.” Coach Tocchet commended DeSmith’s flawless performance, especially given the two-week hiatus.
“Was it two weeks since he’s played?” Tocchet said. “That’s what Casey does. He’s done that in his career when he’s had inactivity. He was solid for us.”
Despite a challenging first period, DeSmith’s shutout and the team’s overall performance in the subsequent periods allowed the team to take home a much-needed win. DeSmith’s goaltending masterpiece saved the day for the Canucks. Despite a tough start, the Canucks emerged with the win. By doing so, they turn a bad start into a strong comeback.
Quick Hit Three: Hoglander and Garland Were All Over the Ice
Both Nils Hoglander and Conor Garland made significant contributions to the victory. Hoglander, recently promoted to the second line, capitalized to score the game-winning goal late in the first period. Hoglander’s game has been impressive recently, and he’s put up six goals and an assist in his last 11 games. Overall, Hoglander has now scored nine goals and added three assists, with a plus-12 rating, in 25 games.
Conor Garland was noticeable in his third-line work. He added an assist and was a pest all night. When you look at Garland’s numbers for the season, it’s surprising how few points he’s put up. In 27 games, he has only two goals and seven assists (for nine points). If he can increase his shooting percentage back to his more normal average, he’d have more points for sure.
In last night’s game, both Hoglander and Garland were pivotal in helping the team win.
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