I love my job. In many ways, it’s a dream job, one that I wouldn’t have thought possible even a few years ago. It is awesome to be able to combine my love for sports and writing, and I am incredibly grateful to all the people — readers, former co-writers, and the Vancouver Courier — that have made this job possible.
Sorry for the self-indulgence there, but sometimes I have to remind myself of a few things to psych myself up before writing about yet another ugly loss through a haze of bleary eyes, a stuffed-up nose, and copious cold medication. Any cold cures or tips you can think of, feel free to leave them in the comments.
I swear, the man cold is real. I also swear that I watched this game.
- I also swore when I watched this game.
- If you believe that Ben Hutton is the biggest issue with the Canucks’ defence, the three recent games that he has been a healthy scratch, including this one, provide a pretty compelling counter-argument. In those three games, the Canucks have given up a whopping 17 goals against. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but maybe Hutton isn’t the problem? Maybe?
- With eight healthy defencemen, someone has to sit — someone other than Alex Biega — so it’s at least somewhat understandable seeing Hutton hit the press box, but Michael Del Zotto sure made it easy to get Hutton back in the lineup. Del Zotto was on the ice for four of the Ducks’ five goals and was at least partly to blame on two of them, maybe three if you’re feeling uncharitable. If he’s not careful, someone might notice that he allows the highest rate of shot attempts, shots on goal, and goals against of any Canucks defenceman.
- Del Zotto was on a pairing with Chris Tanev, which Travis Green deployed like a shutdown pairing. It really, really didn’t work. It feels like it might be worth mentioning that when you compare Chris Tanev’s different defence partners this season, Ben Hutton leads the way in shots on goal, scoring chances, and goals against.
- Earlier this season, it looked like Anders Nilsson was poised to steal the number one role from Jacob Markstrom. Now it seems like neither one of them wants the job. Nilsson let in yet another early goal, as Adam Henrique banked the puck in off his stick and in from below the goal line. It’s the seventh time in 13 starts this season that Nilsson has allowed a goal in the first three shots of the game. More than half the time, Nilsson gives up a goal in the first three shots! Most people start to get messed up after three shots.
- With Jake Virtanen out of the lineup, the Canucks’ lack of team speed was extremely noticeable all game. It was like I had inhaled a dose of Slo-Mo (NSFW) but the Ducks were somehow still at regular speed. It’s yet another reason why the Canucks badly need Bo Horvat back.
- The Ducks’ 2-0 goal is astounding to me, not because it was a pretty goal, but because they set up the exact same shot for Rickard Rakell two times in a row. The first time, Rakell fanned on the shot. The second time, Sam Gagner, Derrick Pouliot, and Michael Del Zotto all failed to pick him up. As George Bush once said, “Fool me once, shame on...shame on you. You fool me, you can’t get fooled again.”
- Erik Gudbranson was the only Canucks’ defenceman who wasn’t on the ice for a goal against, but he didn’t exactly have a great game. At one point in the third period, he was on the ice for a three-minute long shift. It did have a TV timeout in the middle, but that just means he was stuck on the ice for two long shifts in the defensive zone, with two icings in each one to keep him from getting off for a line change. I know the Canucks are trying to showcase Gudbranson, but that doesn’t mean keeping him on the ice at all times.
- There were flashes of offensive decency (which sounds like an oxymoron) in this game, largely from the Brock Boeser line and the power play. Alex Edler ended up with eight shots on goal and Boeser had six shot attempts, but Ryan Miller was fantastic for the Ducks, stopping all 31 shots he faced. At least this time the backup that the Canucks made look good is a former Vezina winner.
- This was probably Nic Dowd’s best game as a Canuck, as he played largely against the Ducks top line and the Canucks actually out-shot the Ducks when he was on the ice at 5-on-5. He even looked somewhat dangerous in the offensive zone, setting up Loui Eriksson for a first period chance. Unfortunately, every time he was able to create some separation from his defender in the offensive zone, he never really knew what to do with it, like he was too gobsmacked to suddenly have room with the puck. Act like you’ve been there before, Dowd. You’ll get it.
- I take no responsibility for Chris Wagner hitting Michael Chaput away from the puck, nor for him fighting Chaput later in the game. I am no relation to that particular Wagner, as far as I know.
- I kind of liked Nikolay Goldobin with the Sedins when it came to the offensive zone. He made some smart passes and created a couple scoring chances. He needs to be a bit more active in front of the net to create some room for the Sedins to find him, much like Alex Burrows was constantly in motion to make space for himself, but other than that, no real criticisms in the offensive zone. The only issue is that, just like last season, Goldobin seemed to have a negative impact on the Sedins’ puck possession game, as they gave up a lot of chances to the Ducks.
- The Canucks’ defensive zone coverage was appalling in this game. It was like the entire team was missing Tab A, as they left the slot wide open all night.
- It boggles my mind that Sam Gagner isn’t better defensively. A couple games ago, it seemed like Gagner had eyes in the back of his head in the offensive zone, whipping a blind, backhand pass right onto the tape of Thomas Vanek in front of the net. In the defensive zone, those eyes in the back of his head completely disappear. As Romany Malco would say, use your peripherals!
- On the 4-0 goal, pretty much everyone screwed up, but it didn’t help that Gagner had no clue that Antoine Vermette was behind him. Nilsson should have covered up the puck or passed it to Tanev behind the net. Del Zotto should have beaten Rakell to the puck. Tanev should have made it more clear that he had Ryan Getzlaf, so Gagner wouldn’t try to check him. And Vermette should have shot the puck harder, so it would have gone into Nilsson’s glove as he dove across, making it an incredible save instead of a lame-looking goal. Way to go Vermette. Way to screw it up for everybody.
- Jacob Markstrom came into the game after the 4-0 goal, but he got about the same level of defensive support in front of him as Nilsson did. Del Zotto got beaten wide by Josh Manson, then vaguely waved his stick at the puck and Derek Grant in front when Tanev covered for him, giving Grant an opportunity to score the 5-0 goal with a one-timer. Henrik Sedin could have also pressured Grant on the backcheck, but Del Zotto’s the one with “defence” in the name of his position.
