CANUCKS STAR-STRUCK IN OVERTIME
Green’s squad puts on a good road show, but Radulov stops visitors’ win streak
The Vancouver Canucks were better than the Dallas Stars. They outshot them. They outplayed them. They couldn’t, however, outscore them.
Alexander Radulov prevented the Canucks from winning their fifth in a row, scoring two minutes and 32 seconds into overtime for a Stars victory.
In the end, it was a 2-1 loss. But Vancouver deserved a much better outcome as they outshot Dallas 39-29.
Here are the things we learned:
MARKSTROM IS A GOOD GOALIE
At least, he was Monday.
Jacob Markstrom is all limbs and sprawling leg pads. He is as aggressive a goalie as we’ve seen in Vancouver, maybe since Roberto Luongo’s early years.
There are moments he takes your breath away. Sometimes, those are for good reasons. Other times, not so much.
There is a theory he is best against teams like Dallas. It was backed up Monday.
Markstrom came charging out of his crease to challenge Tyler Seguin on a first-period shot. He made the save, but was wildly out of position. This was not good.
He had the athleticism to return to his crease. He quickly went post-to-post and made another big stop in the blue.
His wildest and best save came late in the second. It wasn’t on a shot. He hurled himself at a pass Jamie Benn was trying to make to Seguin.
But the play everyone will be talking about came during a thirdperiod power play.
His team down, reeling, Markstrom skated himself into the boards to break up an Antoine Roussel drive. The play uncorked the puck and set the Canucks on a goal-scoring opportunity.
IT WAS CRAZY, IT WAS BEAUTIFUL
Sam Gagner got something he desperately needed, a goal.
Nothing has been easy for Gagner since coming to Vancouver. He’s played left wing, and the right side. He’s been on the point on the power play and on the half wall.
Through it all he’s looked a little lost and been held scoreless. That changed against Dallas.
With his team in need of a powerplay goal, he punched in a Thomas Vanek rebound to tie the game at one. That sound you heard after he scored was relief.
GREEN PREDICTED SPECIAL TEAMS WOULD BE HUGE AND HE WAS RIGHT
The Dallas Stars are a top-heavy team and the top is highly skilled.
Their leading duo of Benn and Seguin is among the best duos in the NHL. They are especially dangerous when they have the time and space created in man-advantage situations.
“Our penalty kill has to be ready to go,” coach Travis Green said before the game.
Unfortunately, it was not. Somehow in keeping track of Benn, the Canucks’ penalty killers left Seguin by himself, as though he was squatting in a vacant Shaughnessy mansion.
To no one’s surprise, when Dallas finally got the puck to him, he scored and it looked painfully easy.
BOESER BETTER THAN YOU THINK, AND YOU ALREADY THINK HE’S BEEN GREAT
The Canucks went into Monday’s game trying to win their fifth straight, but all the city’s hockey fans wanted to talk about was Boeser, Boeser and, you guessed it, more Boeser. It’s understandable. Did you see that game?
The Canucks missed Brock Boeser like Vancouver misses summer.
The team’s points leader was forced out of the lineup because of a foot contusion, which meant Jayson Megna played instead.
It goes without saying, that was a significant drop-off. Boeser came into the season billed as the goalscoring stud with the pretty great wrist shot.
He’s been so much more. He’s proving to be one of the Canucks’ best play drivers. He was 10th among all NHL forwards in individual shot attempts per hour played at even strength. The four players directly ahead of him, and not by much, were Patrice Bergeron, Patrik Laine, Alex Ovechkin and Tyler Toffoli. That’s good company.
THE SEDINS’ LACK OF PRODUCTION IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE
When the Canucks win, no one cares whether the Sedins produce or not.
In fact, it’s more fun when they don’t. The Canucks went into the Dallas game having won five of six. They scored 21 goals in the six games. The Sedins were on the ice for two of them. That’s not a lot.
But it was actually a good sign for the team. Finally, the Canucks aren’t dependent on the Sedins to win games or even score goals. When the Canucks lose, however, the spotlight will be on that lack of production and it won’t be fun. The Sedins are paid a combined $14 million.
MEGNA WAS RECALLED BECAUSE OF HIS PLAY IN PRE-SEASON
In Utica, Megna wasn’t all that good. He played four games. He had one assist.
Compare that to Nikolay Goldobin who has 10 points in seven games or Reid Boucher who has nine. For a team missing its top points producer, it was certainly surprising to go with Megna, a player who historically does not produce points.
“It was the Calgary (pre-season) game,” said Green when asked what stood out about Megna. “He’s very responsible. He’s a good 200-foot player. I’d like to see him use his shot a little more with his speed. But speed is hard to find.”