Frustrating Loss to Canucks Ends Streak

photo from cbc.ca

Last night's game felt a lot like the Detroit game last week. Everyone was just a couple of steps off, and a late Vancouver goal in the third period pretty much put the game out of reach, forcing an empty net with over two minutes left, and what felt like the inevitable empty netter.


One of the good things about this game was the second line. Versteeg, Richards and Kane were held pointless at even strength (like the rest of the team), but I thought they created the best chances against a very strong Ryan Miller. Versteeg continues to settle into his spot on that line, and has temporarily replaced Andrew Shaw in his spot on the powerplay (in which he ends up scoring Chicago's lone goal, deflecting a shot from the point). He now has thirteen points in his last twelve games, and fourteen on the season, after missing the first four games of the regular season with a lower body injury. I also thought the third line had some excellent chances, with Bryan Bickell crashing the net and using his size to create turnovers and takeaways, and Daniel Carcillo has good speed and a knack for drawing penalties. When Shaw returns to take that third line centre spot, that line is going to be impressive.

This was not Jonathan Toews' best game. He ended it a minus four, and didn't record a shot on goal in almost twenty minutes of ice time. He was 38% in the faceoff dot, a season low. He caused a turnover that led to the second Vancouver goal, and it wasn't the only one. There were dozens of missed pass attempts. It's not surprising that the Blackhawks lost, looking at how Toews played. When he has a good game, Chicago profits. When he has a bad game (which, granted, happens once in a blue moon) Chicago, surprisingly, tends to lose out on a lot of things. In Toews' defence, not many people were having a good game. It was their third game in four nights, they were tired, and probably still riding the high of the Edmonton rout. They came into the game not expecting to have to fight as hard as they did, and I think Vancouver surprised them (as they've likely surprised many teams this season.)

The power play is slowly but surely improving; Versteeg's goal marks the fifth straight game a power play goal has been scored, and they went two for two on the penalty kill, putting us back in first place in the league with 90.3% (six powerplay goals allowed on sixty two attempts).

Corey Crawford was also a good thing about this game. He may have worse game stats than Miller, but he made half a dozen highlight reel saves, and this is only the fifth time this season he's allowed more than two goals in a game, and he's currently fifth in the league for sv% (.928), and tied second for GAA (1.90). The worry for Crawford is fatigue. With backup Antti Raanta ill, Crawford started his eleventh straight game last night, and will probably get the start in Colorado on Wednesday. Hopefully these three days without a game will give him a chance to rest, and he'll be back on normal form by then.

My Three Stars of the Game

3. Ryan Miller. This was Ryan Miller's first regular season win against the Blackhawks in seven years, and it was a decisive one, with one goal allowed on 24 shots, and a .958 save percentage. I questioned the Miller signing when it happened, but it looks like he might have been the final piece in making the Canucks a contending team again.

2. Bo Horvat. Horvat had the hat trick of assists last night, scoring his first, second and third career assists in a single game. He was also over 80% at the faceoff dot. An impressive game for a nineteen year old playing only his eighth game of the season.

1. Jannick Hansen. Hansen is the first Canuck to score a hat trick since 2011, scoring twice in the third period, including the empty netter, to put the Blackhawks away for good. His second goal makes him only the fourth player to score a third period goal on Crawford so far this season.

Next game: November 26, vs. Avalanche.