Maybe the team is going for a record number of OT losses this season, because the Canucks are just piling them up. The record is 18, and the Canucks currently have 10 not even halfway through the season! At least last night’s game against the Caps was close, and the Canucks didn’t blow a big third period lead. We’ll see as the year winds down if all those dropped points come back to haunt them.

There isn’t a video for highlights today, because no one has put one out. Maybe the team that does them is in LA?

Anywho, the Canucks lost, but it was a moral victory kind of loss. They were much better in their effort over the last 40 minutes of the game, and held the top team in the East (and the East’s highest scoring team) to just one goal. You hope one of these days one of the moral victories will be their turning point moment. Until then, you get some “good job” quotes.

“We played a good game,” said Tocchet. “That’s a top team and we did a nice job and the guys worked hard. We were connected. We spent a couple of days really evaluating our team and everybody bought in to our identity.

“There were a lot of guys doing a lot of good things. They’re a gritty team and our guys hung in there and we have to build off this.”

“These are the ones we're okay with,” Miller said. “It sucks being on the wrong side of overtime a lot, but if I score on my slapshot (earlier in OT), it's a happy group in here. But it's a long road trip, and we can live with performances like that. That's a really good hockey team we just outplayed.”

The Caps are a good team, and the Canucks kept pace after they turned a corner in the second period. Maybe it wasn’t the best effort from the Capitals, but they’re still a heavy fast team and the Canucks showed some backbone. Hughes was targeted all night, and despite him playing with a hand brace he led the team in ice time and had an assist on the only goal. He’s amazing, and his teammates see that as well.

“He's pretty remarkable,” Sherwood said. “He continues to elevate his game and our team's game, and you see how important he is. You can make a case that he should be up there for the Norris and the Hart because he's so valuable for us. He makes us a really dangerous team every single time he steps out on the ice. And he's able to keep his cool when guys are going after him. He didn't get wrapped up in that (tonight); that's more for us to defend his back.”

Unfortunately, for all the good the team did in regulation, they let themselves down in OT. An iffy pass by Myers, and some shoddy defending let Dubois waltz in alone and beat Lankinen with a nifty move for the winner.

Even with the loss the Canucks are saying the right things. There doesn’t seem to be quit in the room, and though it’s been a disappointing campaign so far they’re still clinging to the final playoff spot at the moment.

“That's just the way things are going right now,” Sherwood said of the loss. “I know I keep saying it, but if we play like that, we're going to come out on the right side of a lot more games. We're going to trend in the right direction.”

“They're a good team, but we're a good team, too,” Hughes said. “We've battled through a lot of adversity this year. I don't think we've had our full lineup yet this year, but guys are playing really hard right now. Yeah, we're a good team, too, so we expect to get two points against a team — any team.”

They Canucks will look to get back on track with back-to-back games Friday and Saturday against the Hurricans and Leafs. Hopefully Petey will be back and ready to go, as the team could use some more firepower up front.

Til then, you know what to do:


Quotes from the Province, and Sportsnet.

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