The Stanchies: Canucks\u2019 4-2 loss to Golden Knights means we are one game closer to ending this season<\/p>\n
John Tortorella\u2019s debut for the Vegas Knights was a successful one, as he led his team to a 4-2 victory over his former clients in the Vancouver Canucks. Alas, Kellen Lain wasn\u2019t on hand to raise the banner for such an accomplishment, reminding us that life is rarely fair.<\/p>\n
Speaking of fair, unethical tanking was on the minds of Flames Nation, as they debated how the Canucks have been losing games this season. As someone who has watched every single game, let me assure you that they are simply a bad hockey team to the point that if they tried to unethically tank, they\u2019d fumble that as well somehow.<\/p>\n
This team is simply good at sticking to the script they\u2019ve followed for the majority of the season:<\/p>\n
Have a semi-competent first period in which you think to yourself, \u201chey that resembles competent hockey.\u201dHave a second period so horrid that you\u2019d question if they had changed the rules of hockey since the last time you checked, where losing was now the point of the game.Have a third period where both teams sort of settle into a defensive state until Adam Foote asks his Magic 8 Ball on when to pull the goalie so the other team can practice what it must have felt like to shoot on Dan Cloutier in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
This is sort of how every game goes now. Sure, the vibes are better, and the team seems to be standing up for itself more. But ultimately, this is a team of mentally exhausted players who are praying for the sweet release of death the offseason. And you can hardly blame them because simply watching these games is exhausting. I cannot imagine the discipline it takes to end a shift with a solid dump-in from centre, knowing that this might be the highlight of your game, and still going out for your next shift.<\/p>\n
The good news, as always, is that the clock continues to tick forward, and the games continue to dwindle. We inch closer and closer to a draft lottery that you have a sneaking suspicion still holds a grudge against you for something you did to it in high school.<\/p>\n
The bad news is the Canucks need one more loss, or a Chicago Blackhawks win, to mathematically secure last place in the NHL. Push that bag of peas that you bought back in 2023 to the side, and keep that Baby Duck on ice for at least a few more days, because you can\u2019t quite celebrate the best lottery odds yet.<\/p>\n
Either way, this nightmare of a season is coming to a close soon. And much like the Canucks, we are going to keep going out there. Shift after shift. Until it\u2019s over.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s do this.<\/p>\n
Best talking point<\/p>\n
A look around the league from @RealKyper at some potential front office changes, who might be looking for a job and in what role. <\/p>\n
Plus, what he’s hearing on what’s next for Alex Ovechkin, and Gary Bettman. sportsnet.ca\/nhl\/article\/re\u2026<\/p>\n
Nick Kypreos is not the most accurate of pundits at the best of times, but you truly have to wonder what this front office will look like next season.<\/p>\n
A total overhaul feels like the most obvious move in this situation, but making the right call hasn\u2019t been a specialty of ownership for many a moon, so we shall see.<\/p>\n
Best magical moment<\/p>\n
The #Canucks<\/a> are in Vegas to take on the Golden Knights, and it\u2019s game number 1000 for Evander Kane.<\/p>\n 1,000 games played is a tremendous accomplishment, no matter which team you end up celebrating it with, even if the vibe is a bit like Mom\u2019s new boyfriend of just under a month jumping into the Christmas photos with the family. Jennifer? Jessica? Whatever your name is, scootch over so I can get my arm around Mom.<\/p>\n Best it\u2019s all downhill from here<\/p>\n We have puck drop! Vancouver Canucks at Vegas Golden Knights are underway from the fortress! \ud83c\udff0<\/p>\n #Canucks<\/a>| #VegasBorn<\/a><\/p>\n The first big chance of the game was from the hands of the BRO line, not to be confused with the BR\u00d6 line, when Brock Boeser found Drew O\u2019Connor with a stretch pass, which quickly turned into a scoring chance for Marco Rossi:<\/p>\n I enjoy how post-trade deadline Brock Boeser has turned into a board play savant. If he\u2019s not making the deftest tip pass along the boards you ever did see, he\u2019s out here lining up and acquiring a target and launching the kind of accurate pass only a man who has to sweep the bangs constantly out of his eyes can make.<\/p>\n Best accidentally on purpose<\/p>\n After last game getting smoked in the face and getting stitches. Nic Dowd gets elbowed 5 minutes into this one and heads back to the room.<\/p>\n Slammed his stick against the boards in disgust of the refs.<\/p>\n Former Canucks legend Nic Dowd looked like he might have gotten his bell rung when he collided with Aatu R\u00e4ty\u2019s elbow in the first period:<\/p>\n The debate was whether Aatu R\u00e4ty threw his elbow into the face of Dowd, or whether Dowd ran his face into the elbow of R\u00e4ty, and after thinking about it and analyzing all the angles, I have to say I just don\u2019t care. Please let this season end.<\/p>\n Best finding an emotional investment angle<\/p>\n Canucks need to win tonight to help knock the knights out of the playoffs.<\/p>\n One of the ways Vancouver ran into trouble this game was when their young d-men would jump up to make a play. A good example of this was early in the first period when defensively oriented Elias Pettersson jumped up to make a hit in the offensive zone, which forced the Canucks to enjoy the thrill ride that is forwards on defence:<\/p>\n Vegas didn\u2019t score on that particular play, but it did feel like Elias Pettersson and Vittorio Mancini were the worst culprits on the night for this kind of play. Which to be fair, it\u2019s hard to get mad at it at this stage. It feels like a young guy going out there trying to make a big play is at least entertaining, and maybe it gives the kid some confidence, versus playing in a shell and praying to only lose 2-1 on the night.<\/p>\n Plus, I don\u2019t think there is much learning going on with this coaching staff and the roster at the moment, so you\u2019re just kind of waiting to see when Manny Malholtra rides over the mountain on his horse to try and change the tides of battle at Helms Deep. If the kids want to explore some caves to kill some orcs, have at it at this point.<\/p>\n Vegas would go on the power play as a result of that odd-man rush; however, it was Vancouver\u2019s Jake DeBrusk who would get the best scoring chance when he pressured Mitch \u201cCoach Killer\u201d Marner into turning over the puck in his own zone, nearly converting it into a goal:<\/p>\n Vegas would then bounce back from their failed power play by trying to storm the net with the puck, forcing Kevin Lankinen to stand his ground in the crease:<\/p>\n And then Lankinen was called upon to make a big save once more when Jack Eichel shimmy shimmy ya\u2019d Fil Hronek and Zeev Buium off of him behind the net, allowing him to run a give-and-go with Ivan Barbashev that led to a shot in the slot for the former Sabre:<\/p>\n One of the signature moves of the Adam Foote system is having multiple players collapse on one player, then both Canucks releasing said player, which then allows that player to skate to the net unheeded. Eichel basically has a free lane to the net after his pass as both Hronek and Buium instantly forget he exists the second he\u2019s handed off the puck.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an odd system, but one I have grown to love.<\/p>\n And by grown to love, I mean live in constant fear of.<\/p>\n Best exclamation mark<\/p>\n Ah what the hell. Good on Kane for getting a goal in his 1000th game. #canucks<\/a><\/p>\n Jeremy Lauzon, who my brain refuses to believe isn\u2019t former MMA fighter Joe Lauzon, was caught on a pinch by the Vancouver Canucks, leading to an Evander Kane breakaway goal:<\/p>\n Not since Michael Bubl\u00e9 dangled around the pylons in the rink in his basement have we seen such a clean finish, as Evander Kane absolutely ethers Adin Hill on this goal. There was not a single brain cell in Hill\u2019s body that believed Kane was going to cut to his left, so he went full bore on sliding to his right, leading to a delightful 360 spin of regret and lamentation from the Vegas goalie.<\/p>\n It was also a nice setup by Jake DeBrusk, who is probably still wondering whether seven-year NHL contracts can be terminated while still being paid out.<\/p>\n Best waiting for the collapse<\/p>\n marner bodying o’connor ?? in this economy?!<\/p>\n With the lead firmly in their hand, Mitch Marner began the push back for Vegas, first by setting up Rasmus Andersson after dangling through the slot, before ultimately crushing Drew O\u2019Connor with a body check:<\/p>\n I feel like Drew O\u2019Connor is going to need a moment to adjust to his new life of being on the highlight reel of Mitch Marner\u2019s Greatest Hits, somewhere I don\u2019t think anyone ever expects to find themselves. You really have to get ahead of that one and warn your family about it.<\/p>\n Marner then pulled off a slick little passing play with Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev, leading to a high danger chance from the Knights captain:<\/p>\n Luckily, no Drew O\u2019Connors were harmed in the making of that scoring chance.<\/p>\n Best making saves and attending raves, forcing rhymes and committing crimes<\/p>\n last year Lanki has shown up for the #Canucks<\/a> tonight<\/p>\n With the Canucks\u2019 defence very much a work in progress, it was no surprise to see the Knights force the young Canucks into turnovers.<\/p>\n A Zeev Buium pizza into the slot led to Shea Theodore unloading a wrist shot from the slot, forcing Lankinen into making a hard save:<\/p>\n Later in the same period, the Canucks would sort of take turns missing defensive assignments, as three players closed in on one guy, only for them to break off one by one so they could then chase down the puck, only to watch it get passed to a new open guy:<\/p>\n And getting back to the turnovers, Barbashev would later strip Vitorrio of the puck in the corner, leading to a Tomas Hertl scoring chance:<\/p>\n All of which is to say Kevin Lankinen had himself a solid game of hockey. He wasn\u2019t being forced into making any egregious saves, but for what he faced, he did a reasonably good job.<\/p>\n Which, as my job review tells me, is enough that I won\u2019t get fired. Remember kids, find that bar of competence and stick to it. Do too little? You run the risk of being fired. Do too much? You run the risk of being relied upon.<\/p>\n Find the sweet spot.<\/p>\n Best all good things<\/p>\n Andersson starting to look like the player Vegas traded for.<\/p>\n The Knights would finally solve Kevin Lankinen after Noah Hanifin did a little dance and made a little love and got down tonight at the blue line, leading to Tomas Hertl 100% accidentally passing the puck over to Rasmus Andersson for the goal:<\/p>\n I have played far too much Rocket League to not recognize when a dude is trying to score but accidentally punts the puck to a teammate by accident. Hertl pulls the puck to his right and tries to flick it in on the backhand, but there\u2019s too much momentum on it, so it rolls over to a very well-timed, albeit lucky, pinch from Andersson.<\/p>\n Was it an ethical pinch? We might never know.<\/p>\n But the point is, Vegas had tied the game up.<\/p>\n Vancouver almost responded right away off of a tip from Linus Karlsson on a Liam \u00d6hgren pass to the front of the net, but instead all he found was the cruel, harsh reality that Catan has taught all of us: iron wins games:<\/p>\n Of all the players we will watch next season, I am unreasonably intrigued to see how \u00d6hgren fares. It just feels like with a bit more talent around him, he might take a giant step next season.<\/p>\n Or he retires from hockey and opens up a competing cat cafe in International Village called The Purr Factory.<\/p>\n Coin toss, really.<\/p>\n Best staking his claim<\/p>\n NOW someone has passed Kiefer Sherwood on the #Canucks<\/a> scoring list. For real this time<\/p>\n After almost two months since being traded away, the Canucks finally have a new leading goal scorer in Brock Boeser:<\/p>\n It was a clinical power play, with fast puck movement leading to a point shot\/pass toward Boeser in the bumper spot, leading to a deft tip for the goal. No messing about, just moving the puck with purpose as they looked for a point shot into traffic.<\/p>\n Certainly nothing exciting about the goal, but the efficiency with which they went about it was worth a titter and a tip of the hat. Maybe at the market, you both go for the same cucumber and briefly touch hands, before pulling back and blushing shyly, neither one of you daring to put to words anything about the spark that the barest of touches just lit within you.<\/p>\n That kind of a goal, you know?<\/p>\n Best angry boys do angry things<\/p>\n fights in three straight games for #Canucks<\/a> Perhaps embarrassed by being scored upon in the second period by this Vancouver Canucks team, Vegas tried to make things physical when Linus Karlsson stood his ground on an exchange of thoughts near the benches, leading to a fight of sorts from Teddy Blueger:<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to get too fired up when a team that is in dead last in the league is throwing down. However, it still feels important to see the team stick up for themselves if for no other reason than they can avoid having to enter a blood pact like Toronto did after they let the Ducks murder Auston Matthews.<\/p>\n I will say there is truly nothing more disheartening than seeing a team fully disengaged when losing games, so kudos to the new culture carriers for showing some spirit in these losses.<\/p>\n Best what is happening<\/p>\n Wow what do you know. Goalies can save high danger shots (lankinen) but hill gets unlimited passes for giving up every save on every high danger chance<\/p>\n I never thought we\u2019d see another team\u2019s fan base use 2026 Kevin Lankinen as an example of a goalie who stops high danger chances, but here we are:<\/p>\n Best house of cards<\/p>\n Mancini caught on O-zone pinch, D-Petey goes for wall hit in D-zone and Theodore easily pulls the trigger. 2-2. #Canucks<\/a><\/p>\n And with that being said, Vegas began to solve Lankinen through sheer force of will and shot volume.<\/p>\n Sure, he stopped a semi-breakaway, but can he stop another semi-breakaway? Where does it end?<\/p>\n This goal is a perfect example of young defencemen trying to make a big play, only for it to blow up in their faces.<\/p>\n First you have Vittorio jumping up to make a play\/hit on Mark Stone, and I have to say if you were to pick three players in the NHL you should never attempt that on, Stone would be one of them. The dude is the slowest kid alive, but has the most elite body positioning and stick work around, he\u2019s basically Magneto if his power commanded rubber instead of metal.<\/p>\n So once Vittorio jumps up and Mark Stone teaches him a lesson, Elias Pettersson then overplays his hand by trying to make a play on Ivan Barbashev along the boards, but then loses containment on the middle of the ice when Ivan boxes him out and finds a now wide-open Shea Theodore.<\/p>\n If there was a new coach next season, this is the kind of video I would send them in the middle of the night with the eyes emoji.<\/p>\n Best doing the best it can<\/p>\n
\nBuium vs Clarke
\nDouglas vs Klapka
\nBlueger vs Sissons<\/p>\n