Last night’s Vancouver Canucks overtime loss to the Dallas Stars by a score of 4-3 presented fans with a mixed bag of highs, lows, and missed opportunities. Canucks fans had to leave the game with a sense of both excitement and frustration.
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The Canucks Competed Well with the Stars All Game Long
During the first two periods, the Stars and the Canucks traded goals and entered the third period tied 2-2. With the score deadlocked at 2-2, Vancouver showed commendable gameplay against the Stars. The Canucks appeared to be in control, disrupting Dallas, and exerting significant pressure in the offensive zone. Despite this, the Canucks found themselves outshot two to one. Thankfully, their goalie Thatcher Demko’s play was stellar. He played a key role in keeping the game tied.
The Canucks Third-Period Goal Was a Thing of Beauty
During the third period, Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua teamed up on the goal of the night. It was a seamlessly executed passing play that culminated in a perfect tip-in. Notably, the entire line, with special mention to Joshua, displayed exceptional effort and synergy, contributing to the team’s offensive prowess.
Both Garland and Joshua each had a goal and an assist and Brock Boeser also scored. The Canucks are 6-0-2 in their last eight games and have 47 points matching the league high. Demko is the NHL leader with 16 wins. He stopped 32 shots of the 36 he faced and took his first career loss to Dallas (his record is 7-0-1 against the team from Texas).
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The Canucks Were the Cause of Their Own Demise
An untimely turn of events (eventually) cost the Canucks the game. The game-tying goal by Dallas revealed a lapse in anticipation by Vancouver. After winning a crucial faceoff, J.T. Miller and his other winger anticipated a breakout pass that never materialized. Instead, the Stars intercepted the puck along the left boards resulting in a quick counter-attack. Dallas completely caught the Canucks off guard and scored the game-tying goal.
The overtime period heavily favoured Dallas, with the Canucks seemingly employing a rope-a-dope strategy that didn’t pan out. However, the Canucks had their biggest chance when they caused a turnover and had a two-on-nobody breakaway. The opportunity was messed up by Elias Pettersson and Joshua.
In what could have turned out to be a picture-perfect ending got a bit too cutesy in their play. Instead of getting off a good shot, the duo failed to convert. They opted to execute an intricate passing sequence instead of a decisive shot. A lesson learned, perhaps, in the art of seizing opportunities during the overtime session.
The Game’s Silver Lining
Despite the mixed performance, the Canucks salvaged a point from the game. That point further solidified their position in the Pacific Division. The Canucks are now tied with the Vegas Golden Knights sitting at the summit of the Pacific Division and, in fact, the entire NHL with 47 points. Given where the team was supposed to land this season, that’s a promising position.
As the season progresses, the Canucks will come to learn more lessons as they try to build on the positives, learn from their missed chances, and maintain their competitive edge in a tight divisional race. This was a game they could have won but didn’t.
There is a lesson here about being more aggressive with shooting in the overtime period. It’s a good one to learn now instead of later.
[Note: I want to thank my friend Greg for our ongoing Canucks hockey conversations.]
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