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Canucks end Flames series with a full-team effort and a 5-1 win |
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Lesson learned.
The Vancouver Canucks let a 2-0 lead slip away on Monday night. When they wrapped up their four-game series against the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome on Wednesday, they made sure that history didn't repeat itself.
The Canucks got goals from five different players and chased Calgary goalie Jacob Markstrom from his net as they cruised to a 5-1 win. They finished the series with a 2-1-1 record for five of a possible eight points, while Calgary went 2-2-0 for four points.
Yes, Vancouver has made up a little ground in the Scotia North Division. At 8-11-1, the Canucks have nudged their points percentage up to .425. They still sit sixth in the division, and they've still played at least two more games than every other team. But in terms of real points, they're level with Calgary at 17. And just three points separate Montreal and Edmonton in the 2 and 3 slots from the Flames and Canucks in 5 and 6.
Wednesday's win was also just the third on the road so far this season for Vancouver, to go along with that season opener in Edmonton and their terrific outing against Winnipeg on Jan. 30. Of their 20 games to date, just nine so far have been at Rogers Arena, where the team is a solid 5-3-1.
They now return to Vancouver for a pair of two-game sets against the Jets and Oilers. Then, they'll kick off March with back-to-backs in Winnipeg before coming home for five more games.
The last week of March is when the games played should finally balance out. After hosting Winnipeg on March 24, Vancouver has a full week off at home before getting back on the ice against Calgary on the 31st.
Anyway, back to Wednesday night...
Much like Monday, the Canucks got off to a good start, taking a lead on the first shot of the game by either team.
I was a little surprised to see Jordie Benn hanging out in the slot like that — especially when his offensively minded partner, Quinn Hughes, isn't even in the picture.
Quinn didn't figure in the scoring on that play, but he did earn a plus-one. He picked up his point for the night with the primary assist on Bo Horvat's crazy tally in the second period — when Horvat got the better of Markstrom when the goalie went for one of his charges up the ice for the puck.
I always found those plays terrifying when Markstrom was wearing Canucks colours. He also had a big collision with Tanner Pearson on a similar foray, earlier in the second.
Unlike Monday, the Canucks hung onto that 2-0 lead until late in the second period, when Andrew Mangiapane squeezed his fifth of the year past Braden Holtby on a down-low play.
But instead of seeing the mistake compound on itself, on Wednesday the Canucks quickly answered back. J.T. Miller won the draw at centre ice against Sean Monahan, and it took just 15 seconds for the Lotto Line to combine for the kind of goal they seemed to score at will last season, but have been in short supply in the early going this year.
And they weren't done. "It's just nice to put one into their net for once," said Nate Schmidt of his second of the year, scored 37 seconds after Miller and with 55 seconds left in the middle frame.
Brock Boeser rounded out the scoring with his 12th of the year in the third — keeping pace with Auston Matthews, who scored his league-leading 14th on Wednesday. Boeser also put a bit more room between himself and Toffoli, Ehlers and Draisaitl, who are tied for third in the Rocket Richard race with 10 goals each.
It's crazy that eight of the top 10 spots in the goal-scoring race are held by players in the North Division — although I guess some of that is due to the fact that the North Division hasn't had to deal with any game postponements (knock on wood). Brad Marchand and Joe Pavelski are the only players on the list from American teams, with nine goals each. And Alex Ovechkin currently isn't even in the Top 50 — or leading his team. He has just five goals in 10 games so far, but I'll never count him out. He always seems to go on a tear as the season moves along.
In other statistical fun, Quinn Hughes' 20th point in his 20th game maintains his five-point cushion atop the points race for defensemen. And with a plus-two for the night, he surrenders sole possession of first place in the Green Jacket race, joining Erik Gudbranson, Tim Stützle and Rasmus Dahlin at minus-12.
Also — a shoutout to Nils Hoglander, who I may not write about enough. I'm already taking for granted that he's going to bring his relentless work ethic to the ice every night, and pick up some points along the way.
The 20-year-old assisted on the Canucks' first two goals on Wednesday, his first career multi-point NHL game. That gives him nine points in 20 games, one point behind the leaders in the rookie points race.
I never thought I'd see the day when Canucks fans would expect to have a Calder finalist on their team every year. But after Boeser, Pettersson and Hughes, here we are.
As a second-round pick, Hoglander is going to have a much higher hill to climb in terms of getting name recognition among voters — especially stateside. He doesn't have the profile of a Kirill Kaprizov in Minnesota (also 9 points) or a Stützle (7 points).
And Hoglander also has plenty of competition from lower-profile players who have shone this year. Chicago is winning off the incredible play of rookie goaltender Kevin Lankinen, but their offense is also being driven by a couple of out-of-nowhere Swiss rookie forwards — 24-year-old Pius Suter, who was signed as a free agent last july, and 21-year-old Philipp Kurashev, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Blackhawks in 2018.
Working in his favour? Hoglander's flair for the dramatic. If he can generate enough GIF-worthy moments with his hard work and sick stick skills — and keep putting up points — he could find himself in the Calder mix when it's time for the ballots to be cast.
Finally — a quick shoutout to Braden Holtby, who delivered a very solid 35-save performance for his first win since Jan. 28.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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