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. Feel free to leave your own stick-taps and glove-drops in the comments.
I’m dropping the gloves because I fell asleep watching this game. The gloves just kind of fell off on their own.
The Canucks as a whole get the gloves dropped for managing just 17 shots on goal, tying their season-low against the Calgary Flames back in mid-December. It’s a disappointing step back after a series of entertaining games during this homestand.
Dropping the gloves with the Sedins, who got worked over in this game. At 5-on-5, the Sedins were out-shot 9-1. Neither Sedin had a shot on goal and both ended up with a minor penalty for hooking
A tap of the stick to Alex Edler and Brandon Sutter, who combined to create some excitement while shorthanded. After 17 solid minutes of mostly nothing in the first period, Edler blocked a shot on a 5-on-3, then sprung Sutter on a breakaway. It looked like he had scored, but video review show the puck hit the crossbar, then bounce just in front of the goal line. It was a nice move to the backhand by Sutter, at least.
Stick-tap to Jacob Markstrom, who made 32 saves on 34 shots. His biggest save of the game led directly to the opening goal. Still shorthanded, Markstrom lunged across on a rebound to rob Brendan Perlini with his glove on the goal line, but couldn’t hang on to the puck. Markstrom thought he had it, but it slid under Edler instead, and Clayton Keller jarred it loose and slid it over the goal line.
A tap of the stick to every member of the Canucks who played a part in maintaining possession on a delayed penalty at the end of the first. The Canucks hung on to the puck for 55 seconds in the final minute, keeping it clear of the Coyotes to set up one final scoring chance, tying the game with six seconds left in the period.
Sam Gagner gets a stick-tap. He ended up with the second assist on the goal and was one of the Canucks’ best players in this game. Gagner had five of the Canucks’ 17 shots and was one of just two Canucks who saw their team out-shoot the Coyotes when they were on the ice at even-strength.
Stick-tap to Brendan Leipsic, whose primary assist on the Canucks’ one goal was wonderful. Gagner looked off Leipsic down low, convincing the Coyotes’ defenders he might shoot, before firing the pass to Leipsic, who one-timed the puck out front to Jussi Jokinen out front, who fired the puck into the top corner.
Let’s give a tap of the stick to Jokinen as well, for his first goal as a Canuck. He got himself into position to shoot and placed the puck perfectly, going down on one knee to one-time Leipsic’s pass. He had three shots on goal and six attempts in his 13:44 of ice time.
I have to drop the gloves with Jake Virtanen for missing a wide open net on a rebound created by Leipsic. That was one of the Canucks’ few legitimate scoring chances and he lofted it high and wide. He didn’t have a terrible game overall and had a few solid hits, but when your team is struggling to create offence, you have to bury your chances.
I would have liked to see Virtanen get a chance in Brock Boeser’s spot on the power play, so I’ll drop the gloves with Newell Brown for putting Sam Gagner there instead. At this point, we know what Gagner can do; why not give Virtanen a try with Boeser out, if only to see what he’s got? Even with Gagner playing well in this game, the Canucks need to use these games to get a better picture for the future.
Stick-tap to Ben Hutton and Erik Gudbranson, who looked like the Canucks’ best defence pairing in this game, though that might be because they played the least, so were on the ice for less of the mess. Gudbranson was firing the puck from the point more frequently than usual, though none of his shots made it to the net. Overall, the pair did spend a lot more time in the offensive zone than the rest of the Canucks, so some minor kudos are in order.
Michael Del Zotto gets the gloves dropped on the game-winning goal. In the final minute of the game, Derek Stepan won a faceoff, then drifted over to between the hashmarks. Instead of closing the gap, Del Zotto left Stepan alone in one of the most dangerous areas of the ice, so when Stepan got a pass from Clayton Keller, he was able to corral the puck, turn, and fire it over Markstrom, who went down early, expecting a shot instead of a pass from Keller.
