CANUCKS BANTER By Andrew Chernoff January 4, 2016
VANCOUVER 4-2-1 IN LAST SEVEN GAMES
Vancouver (15-16-9) could not make their comeback complete in the 3rd period and lose 3-2 to the Arizona Coyotes (19-16-4), in the 4rth game of four straight against Pacific division opponents on their 7-game home stand.
Bo Horvat and Daniel Sedin scored for Vancouver. For Horvat, it was his first goal in 28 games; for Sedin, it was his 17th goal of the season, to lead all Canucks.
VANCOUVER, BC – JANUARY 4: Bo Horvat #53 of the Vancouver Canucks scores on Louis Domingue #35 of the Arizona Coyotes during their NHL game at Rogers Arena January 4, 2016 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
Jacob Markstrom stopped 26 of 29 shots in his 5th straight start, for a Sv% of .897. He is now, 3-2-0 in his last five games, with a GAA of 2.14 and a Sv% of .929. In his last eight games, he is 3-4-1, with a GAA of 2.02 and Sv% of .932.
Canucks out shot Arizona in the game, 37 to 29.
Vancouver was 32 for 68 in the face-off circle, for 47.1 percent, above their seasonal average of 45.2 percent. Jared McCann was 7 for 11; Bo Horvat, 10 for 20; Henrik Sedin, 10 for 24; and Linden Vey, 5 for 13.
For Arizona, Shane Doan scored twice for the Coyotes. He now has 15 goals on the season, and 9 goals in his last 7 games.Rookie Laurent Dauphin scored his first NHL goal in his third NHL game. Louis Domingue stopped 35 of 37 shots for the Coyotes, and has played eight of the last nine games for Arizona.
The opening period was scoreless, with both teams having some scoring chances, with starting goaltenders Jacob Markstrom and Louis Domingue, rising to the challange.
The Coyotes dominated face-offs, winning 14 of 21. At one point in the period, Vancouver was 5 for 10 on face-offs.
Canucks out shot Arizona, 12 to 10; out hit Arizona, 8 to 5; had no giveaways to the Coyotes 3. Vancouver had 6 blocked shots.
Ronalds Kenins led Vancouver in shots in the first period, with three shots;four Canucks had two shots each: Alex Burrows, Derek Dorsett, Chris Higgins and Ben Hutton.
Chris Tanev had two blocked shots, and Jared McCann was 3 for 4 in the face-off circle to lead Vancouver.
Antonine Vermette led Arizona in face-offs, going 6 for 7 in the opening period. Canucks penalty kill was 1 for 1, making it 19 for 21 on the home stand; and 25 for 30 in the last 8 games (including tonight).
In the middle frame, Arizona slowly began taking control of the game, with the Canucks having a few scoring chances, but the Canucks would surrender the opening goal of the game once again.
Arizona opened the scoring on a tip-in by Shane Doan, his 14th goal of the season at 6:55, assisted by Connor Murphy (6) and Brand Richardson (13). Doan’s 8th goal in his last 7 games.
Half way through the period, the Coyotes were out shooting the Canucks 10-5 and were 8 for 14 in face-offs.
The Canucks would respond with a goal of their own, on their first power play of the game, with Bo Horvat ending his scoring drought at 27 games, tying up the game at 1-1, with his 3rd of the season, at 13:411, on a wrist shot, unassisted. It was their first power play goal on the home stand after going 0 for 9 the previous three games. The Canucks were 0 for 20 in their last 9 games on the power play.
With the celebration of the goal still happening, the Coyotes answered right back, retaking the lead in the game 2-1, on a goal by Laurent Dauphin his first NHL goal, at 14:00, on a wrist shot, assisted by Tobias Rieder (14) and Louis Domingue (1).
With less than two minutes left, Vancouver received their second power play of the game, but at the second period buzzer, Bo Horvat was assessed a minor penalty for hooking, ending the Canuck power play.
Vancouver continued to have the edge in shots, out shooting the Coyotes 15 to 12 in the middle frame, and 27 to 22 at the end of two periods.
Vancouver was 13 for 26 in the face-off circle in the second period, with Arizona having the edge after two periods, 27 for 47.
Henrik Sedin led the Canucks in shots after two periods with 4 shots; Alex Burrows, Ben Hutton, and Ronalds Kenins had 3 each.
Vancouver came out in the 3rd period, looking for their second straight win when entering the final period of a game behind after two periods.
With just over a minute into the period, with the Canucks unable to move the puck out of their own end on multiple chances, the Coyotes captain, Shane Doan struck for his second goal of the game, and 15th goal of the season, on a power play, at 1:13, assisted by Tobias Rieder (15) and Anotine Vermette (11). Doan’s 9th goal in his last 7 games.
The Coyotes made it 4-1 at 4:35, but the goal was successfully challenged by the Canucks for being offside.
Vancouver took advantage of the successful challenge six seconds later, as Daniel Sedin beat Louis Domingue cleanly on a wrist shot, to get his 17th goal of the season, assisted by Henrik Sedin (25) and Chris Tanev (5) at 4:41, to move the Canucks within a goal of the Coyotes.
Within a goal of the Coyotes was all the Canucks could muster, as Vancouver droped the game, 3-2, to even their record on their home stand at two wins and two losses.
Vancouver drops into 4rth place in the Pacific division with 39 points, tied with Anaheim for 3rd place. They continue to be 13 points behind Los Angeles; are 3 points behind the Coyotes. They are a single point in front of San Jose and Calgary; and two points ahead of Edmonton.
GAME REVIEW
CANUCKS PLAYERS STATS
WESTERN CONFERENCE WILD CARD STANDINGS
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE STANDINGS
STATISTICS COURTESY OF THE NHL AND VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Andrew Phillip Chernoff 