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The Vancouver Canucks squandered a golden chance to secure a playoff spot, losing 3–1 to Utah Hockey Club on Sunday night. Quinn Hughes scored the opening goal for the Canucks, while Kevin Stenlund, Logan Cooley, and Clayton Keller scored for Utah. Kevin Lankinen started tonight, saving 20 of 22 shots on goal.
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Vancouver came into this game riding the high of a 6–2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks the night before. Despite entering the match holding the second wild card spot in the Western Conference, tonight’s game was still much more important, as it was played against a team currently chasing them in the standings. The St. Louis Blues, who were tied with the Calgary Flames with 71 points heading into their match tonight, also played tonight. They put a 7–2 beating on the Anaheim Ducks to tie the Canucks in the standings.
Filip Chytil was ruled out of tonight’s game after being on the receiving end of a bad hit by Jason Dickinson. Earlier today, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet noted that Chytil is currently in concussion protocol. Jonathan Lekkerimäki took his place in the lineup, while Nils Åman moved to centre. Because of this change, Teddy Blueger started the game alongside Brock Boeser and Kiefer Sherwood, while Åman centred Lekkerimäki and Drew O’Connor.
The physicality was prevalent early on against Utah. There were two instances during the first period in which the Canucks had to clear any late Utah shooters from Lankinen’s crease, and one where a scrum developed after Dakota Joshua was called for interference. Two of these instances resulted in stretches of 4-on-4 play. By the end of the first period, Vancouver nearly doubled Utah in hits, making 14 compared to Utah’s nine. On the flip side, Utah lapped the Canucks in shots with 10–4.
Elias Pettersson has seemingly found his form as of late, as prior to tonight’s matchup, he scored four goals in his last five games. He led the team in hits by the end of the first period with three, as well as tallied an assist on the opening goal in the second period. In tonight’s effort, he put up six hits, three blocked shots, and a 52.9 win percentage on faceoffs in 21:50 minutes played.
Shot-blocking was a point of conversation in tonight’s game. 11 different players registered at least one shot block, while Marcus Pettersson and Derek Forbort led the team in blocked shots with four. Conor Garland ended up getting in the way of a particularly painful shot that came off the side of his knee, leading Canucks forwards in blocks with three by the end of the game. As a whole, the team finished the game with 20 blocked shots.
A notable part of tonight’s game was the power play. Vancouver’s first goal came off a man-advantage, and in total, they were rewarded four opportunities throughout the game. The Canucks got another chance at the start of the third period after Cooley was called for hooking, but they were unable to capitalize despite their looks, leaving the score at 1–1. Only minutes after the power play expired, after a defensive breakdown in Vancouver’s zone, Cooley scored to give his team a 2–1 lead. They were given a four-minute power play nearly halfway through the third period after Keller caught Boeser with a high-stick, but throughout this entire opportunity, Vacouver only came up with four shots.
“We’ve got to execute, and we’ve got to get the momentum or create more chances. That’s a prime opportunity for us to take advantage of the game,” Sherwood said postgame of the unproductive power play time the Canucks had tonight. “We’ve got to learn from it.”
With this loss, the Canucks fail to gain any ground in the race for the final wild card spot. Utah gains two points to tie Calgary with 71, while St. Louis ties Vancouver with 73. Currently, Vancouver holds the last spot due to their single game in hand on the Blues.
Stats and Facts:
- Vancouver losses all three games against Utah this season
- Vancouver surpasses the 30-hit mark for the 20th game this season
- With an assist tonight, Elias Pettersson extends his point streak to three straight games
- Quinn Hughes scores a goal on two straight nights
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
No scoring.
2nd Period:
2:37 - VAN: Quinn Hughes (16) Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk (PPG)
12:06 - UTA: Kevin Stenlund (10) from Nick Bjugstad and Michael Carcone
3rd Period:
5:07 - UTA: Logan Cooley (18) from Sean Durzi and Nick Schmaltz
19:29 - UTA: Clayton Keller (24) from Nick Schmaltz (ENG)
Up Next:
Vancouver plays their final home game in the month of March on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets. If the Canucks manage to make the playoffs in the second wild card spot, the Jets will most likely be their opponent in the first round. Puck drop for Tuesday is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
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