Stick-taps and glove-drops is a recurring feature after every Canucks game giving some quick kudos and criticism before the longer I Watched This Game feature. That’s right: two post-game articles for the price of one! That price is still zero dollars.
Anders Nilsson gets the gloves dropped for giving up an ugly goal on the first shot of the game. He left a little too much room at the post and Tanner Pearson beat him from a bad angle. It evoked a distinct, “Here we go again” feeling across Canucks nation.
I’ll drop the gloves with Brendan Gaunce for taking a tripping penalty less than a minute after the opening goal, which heightened the “Here we go again” feelings. It didn’t help that Anze Kopitar increased the lead to 2-0 on the power play.
I’m dropping the gloves with Bo Horvat for leaving Anze Kopitar open in front of the net on the Kings’ second goal. Horvat had Kopitar going to the net, but left him to attempt to take away a non-existent pass to the point. Nilsson had no chance to make the save.
Kopitar scores on the PP to put the Kings up 2-0#Canucks pic.twitter.com/RUjngNfJQO
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) November 15, 2017
Big stick-tap to Derrick Pouliot for another monster of a game on the right-side with Alex Edler. With so many penalties to kill, his ice time was limited, but when he was on the ice at 5-on-5, the Canucks out-shot the Kings 11-to-1. He was efficient in the defensive zone and moved the puck well in transition, picking up two secondary assists.
Loui Eriksson gets a tap of the stick for picking up his second point of the season, assisting on the Canucks’ first goal. His initial shot forced a nice blocker save by Jonathan Quick, then he took the rebound and passed to Henrik Sedin, whose centring pass from a tight angle, deflected in off Nick Shore’s leg.
A tap of the stick for Henrik Sedin, who posted his second two-point night of the season. He and his brother combined with Loui Eriksson for one of their best games of the season, bringing the cycle game back with a vengeance. They were dominant in puck possession.
Stick-tap for Brock Boeser, whose bullet of a wrist shot was too much for Quick to handle. The rebound popped up into the air and landed in the crease for Bo Horvat to shove into the net. WIth the assist, Boeser maintained his point-per-game pace for the season.
Bowie Horvat pokes home the Boeser rebound to tie the game at 2#Canucks pic.twitter.com/R0xo7JJAtH
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) November 15, 2017
A tap of the stick for Newell Brown for finally giving a simple power play idea a chance: Boeser at the left faceoff circle and Horvat as the net-front presence. That combination, along with Alex Edler and the Sedins, created the Canucks’ first power play goal.
Yes, first power play goal, because they got two. Stick-tap to both Thomas Vanek and Sven Baertschi for that one: Vanek made a fantastic cross-ice pass to Baertschi, who sniped the top corner against the grain on Quick.
Nice pass by Vanek - picks the corner#Canucks now up 3-2 pic.twitter.com/AK3s0Jyqog
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) November 15, 2017
Anders Nilsson gets multiple stick-taps for how he rebounded from the initial soft goal. He was unreal throughout the rest of the game, finishing with 30 saves. His save on Pearson’s shorthanded breakaway in the third period was huge, keeping the game tied at 2-2.
