The Canucks took a two-goal lead into the third period of Friday night's contest with the Arizona Coyotes of Phoenix in Glendale near Peoria, so you can imagine my utter confusion when they won this game. That's not how events have been unfolding of late.
But I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, and not because the team leading by two is supposed to win. But earlier this week I hopped on my soapbox and declared that the team never does the predictable thing. (This was back when I predicted the upset of the Canadiens, like a sexy genius.) Another blown lead would have been the most predictable thing ever. I was pleasantly surprised when I watched this game.
- This was Jared McCann's ninth NHL game, which means the Canucks have to decide, before he plays another, what they have in him. I'd suggest they have a pretty decent player, since he's not only their leading goalscorer, but also tied for the rookie scoring lead with five. McCann's fifth of the year came early in this one, as the 19-year-old took a centring pass from Adam Cracknell, dragged it deftly into the middle of the ice, then went over Mike Smith's head like an early Cronenberg film. It really was an incredible play from McCann. The only way it could have been a better drag move is if McCann had celebrated by sissying that walk.
- Granted, McCann was feeling pretty fierce after the game. Asked about what the goal meant, he answered, "It leaves no doubts." Cocky. I like that. And he's got a point. At this point, they're the Vancouver McCannucks. But there are always doubts. It doesn't matter that McCann has as many goals as Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid. Did he backcheck with aplomb? And are his shifts short? This, not goal-scoring, is the most important thing in the game of Shiftey, where players jump on and off the ice as fast as they can, and the team with the shortest average shift time wins.
- The Canucks doubled their lead before the five-minute mark, when Alex Burrows entered the Arizona end and released what looked to be a relatively harmless slapper. Somehow, the puck found its way past Mike Smith, who looked as generic as his name tonight. With that, Smith was given the hook, delighting fans all over Vancouver, who were not excited to watch Smith dump out the Canucks' dump-ins all night. It was a perfect hook, like the dolphin part Skrillex put in that new Justin Bieber song.
- Speaking of Canadian music icons, the Canucks' goalie tonight was a guy named Bachman, as Ryan Miller took his first seat of the season (seriously, he's been standing since September). Bachman was fine in his debut, stopping 28 of 31 for the win, although at times I found myself wishing for Ryan Miller, which, I have to admit, is a brand new feeling. You've got to hand it to the Canucks. By quietly disappearing the backups we liked, they've turned Miller into an endearing character. It's like how Star Wars made Jar Jar Binks really popular by putting him in nearly every scene of The Phantom Menace.
- Meanwhile, Jake Virtanen must be freaking out, because his decision day is coming up fast as well, he hasn't scored a single goal yet, and even Brendan freaking Gaunce has one now. Gaunce only has two NHL shots! And the goal he scored wasn't even one of them! It's crazy, man. Gaunce's goal came later in the first period, when a Chris Tanev point shot deflected off his skate and past Anders Lindback. But Gaunce will take it, and when he tells his kids, it'll be a snipe from the top of the circle. Then he'll just have to quietly hope his kids never found out about Youtube. ("Dad, we watched the goal online and it was lame." "Uhhhh that must have been your uncle Cameron. He sucks.")
- More Virtanen: he was hitting everyone he could again tonight, but something different happened this time around: the Coyotes pushed back. He took a couple of really nasty shots. Good. He needs that. Twice he headed to the bench looking like he might be done for the night, but he stuck it out, either because he really is tough enough for this league, or because he knew he figured he'd be sitting for most of the third period anyway. But he didn't sit! Virtanen actually played more in the third than the first. The same cannot be said for McCann, who saw the ice for just 90 seconds in the final frame. It might have helped him to win a faceoff. He went 0-for-6 in this game. Either way, I think it's clear which teenager has earned a larger slice of Willie's trust.
- Radim Vrbata had nearly a third of the Canucks' shots tonight, with 7 of their 22 shots on goal credited to him, and while he didn't score, he did set up Daniel Sedin for a goal in the third. We'll get to that. For now, though, let's just take a moment to appreciate Vrbata's improved play. After going pointless in his first six, he's been producing at a point per game over the last six. He's looked like a much more dangerous player of late, although part of that could be his new face tattoo.
- Daniel's goal came in the second, and I cannot stress how necessary it was -- not just because it stood up as the game-winner, but because it helped push the Canucks' lead back to two after the Coyotes had whittled it down to one. It was a pretty stoppable shot. Daniel's never been known to rifle it, and when the goaltender is 6'6", there probably shouldn't even be room for this puck to sail across his body and into the net. But I'm not complaining. Anyway, the thing to note here: this goal was made possible by your favourite Canuck event -- the Alex Edler drop-pass. Watch the way it freezes the Coyotes and allows the Sedins and Vrbata to maneuver around them. Point, Alex Edler. Except not literally -- Henrik and Vrbata got the assists.
- The third period was scary. I'm planning to watch It Follows, The Babadook, and The Shining this weekend, and I'm pretty confident that the third period will be the scariest thing I see. I mean, Willie Desjardins had Luca Sbisa and Matt Bartkowski out there with a one-goal lead and minute left to play! That's some John Carpenter-level suspense-building right there. I heard Willie composed his own score, too.
- Finally, Luca Sbisa was named the first star in this game, which seemed odd to me, since he did a pretty crummy job clearing the net on goals one and two for the Coyotes, and he finished a team-worst minus-17 in corsi. (Although his minus-11 at even-strength was second to Alex Edler.) But I don't want to take away Sbisa's big moment, especially since, if I'm patient, he's bound to give it to me accidentally.
