CANUCKS BANTER  By Andrew Chernoff  December 26, 2015

Updated: December 27, 2015  10:52 am PST

HOCKEY GODS SMILE ON VANCOUVER AS THEY WIN FIRST OVERTIME GAME OF SEASON

The Vancouver Canucks (14-14-9) won their 3rd consecutive home game, and are undefeated in their last 4 games, as they beat Pacific division opponent Edmonton Oilers (15-18-3) by a score of 2-1 in overtime.

It was the Canucks first overtime win of the season, and the first overtime goal by Jannick Hansen, who scored the winner with less than a minute left in overtime. It was his second goal of the game, and 12th of the season.

Hansen’s goal was that more amazing as he left the game with a minute left in the final period with a facial laceration when his forehead violently hit the crossbar of the Edmonton net on a scoring attempt.

Jacob Markstrom stopped 32 of 33 shots, and had a .970 Sv%.

Markstrom is now 3-5-3 in his last 11 games, with a 2.33 GAA and .924 Sv%.

FIRST PERIOD REVIEW

Vancouver came out in the opening period a little rusty from the Christmas break, giving the puck up a few times and Edmonton had some good scoring chances.

And a giveaway would hurt the Canucks, as Vancouver gave up the puck on their blue line, leading to Edmonton opening up the scoring early in the last half of the opening period.

Mark Letestu, his 4rth goal of the season, made it 1-0 Edmonton, on a wrist shot, assisted by Lauri Korpikoski (3) and Matt Hendricks (4) at 12:55. Letestu came in on Markstrom off the Vancouver blue line, took his time, and buried the puck, to give the Oilers the lead.

There was no further scoring after one period.

• Vancouver was 12 for 22 in the face-off circle: Linden Vey, 4 for 4; Bo Horvat, 3 for 5; Henrik Sedin, 4 for 9; Jared McCann, 1 for 4.
• Canucks continue to be out shot by opposing teams, as Edmonton out shot the Canucks, 13-6. Radim Vrbata had 4 shots for Vancouver. Defensemen Yannick Weber and Alex Biega the other two shots.
• Vancouver had 4 giveaways, one leading to the Edmonton goal. Canucks out hit the Oilers, 8-2 with Adam Cracknell and Andrey Pedan having 2 each.

SECOND PERIOD REVIEW

Canucks came out better in the middle frame, as Bo Horvat caused some excitement in the first minute as he came down the left wing with a burst of speed on Cam Talbot in the Edmonton net, and the Canucks swarmed the Oiler net looking for that tying goal.

Vancouver would eventually score a few minutes later, on an Edmonton turnover, as Jannick Hansen, on a pass from Henrik Sedin (24), would score his 11th goal of the season, on a wrist shot past Talbot, with Daniel Sedin (21) getting the other assist, at 3:37.

A few minutes later the Oilers would make Markstrom come up with some great saves as the Canucks were trapped in their end. At the seven minute mark of the period, shots were 5-4 Edmonton. Edmonton 5 for 7 in the face-off circle.

At the 8 minute mark of the period, it was discovered that Henrik Sedin was favoring his lower body. His brother would have to to take a face-off for him in their end, after which he was replaced by Bo Horvat.

Vancouver pressed Edmonton for nearly two minutes to start the last half of the middle frame, including getting a goal post, as Edmonton unable to get the puck out of their own end. At the end of it all, the Oilers did get the puck out of their end, and  Ryan Nugent Hopkins broke away in the netural zone, and came in on Markstrom, on a great scoring chance, that was thwarted by a slash from Yannick Weber.

The first penalty of the game resulted in an Oiler power play at 11:44, which Vancouver would kill with no shots on Markstrom.

Edmonton would continue to have problems breaking out of their own end as Vancouver continued to put pressure on the Oilers in the offensive zone.

Vancouver would get their first power play at 16:55 when Leon Draisaitl would trip Sven Baertschi. Thirty-seven seconds after that penalty ended, Edmonton would receive another penalty, at 19:32 to Darnell Nurse for holding Linden Vey.

Both teams finished the period tied 1-1.

• Vancouver out shot Edmonton 11-9; but still were being out shot after two full periods, 22-17.
• Radim Vrbata led the Canucks with 5 shots after two periods.
• Vancouver was 20 for 41 in the face-off circle after two; 8 for 19 in the middle frame. Henrik Sedin was 0 for 2; Bo Horvat, 6 for 7; Daniel Sedin, 0 for 4; Linden Vey, 0 for 2; Jannick Hansen, 2 for 2; Jared McCann and Derek Dorsett were both, 0 for 1, in that period.
• Canucks out hit Edmonton, 10-5.

THIRD PERIOD REVIEW

Vancouver started the final frame with the power play for 1:28, but once again, the Canucks were fruitless, and their power play became 0-2 for in the game; 2 for 29 in their last 11 games (including tonight’s game).

Canucks continued to get chances but kept missing the net with their attempts. By the 6:33 mark of the period, the Canucks would register one official shot on net, many attempts going everywhere else but on net.

With Vancouver carrying most of the play, Henrik Sedin would take a penalty at 8:04, giving Edmonton another power play opportunity, as he hooked Leon Draisaitl. Canucks would kill the penalty.

With just less than 10 minutes left, the Oilers were out shooting the Canucks 26-20 but Vancouver was definitely out chancing Edmonton, as they continued to make a habit of missing the net.

Vancouver would take a careless power play with just over seven and a half minutes left in the game, as rookie Jared McCann would hook Taylor Hall behind the Canuck net.

On the penalty kill, Adam Cracknell grabbed an errant puck at the Vancouver blue line and went in on the Edmonton goalie on a two on one and passed it off to Brandon Prust who was unable to bury the puck on the shorthanded attempt.

Edmonton would be 0 for 3 with the man advantage as Vancouver would make it 36 for 43 (84 per cent) on their penalty kill in their last 11 games (including tonight’s game).

Henrik Sedin continued to play at less than 100%, unable to take face-offs, staying out of the physical play.

With a few minutes left in the game, the Oilers tested the Canucks with a flurry of scoring attempts in their own end, coming close to getting the tie breaking goal.

Jannick Hansen had a scary moment when he hit his forehead on the crossbar of the Edmonton net with just over a minute left in regulation play, on a scoring play that was unsuccessful. Hansen would leave the game to get medical treatment for a facial laceration.

Regulation play would end, with both teams tied at 1-1, needing overtime to attempt decide a winner.

OVERTIME REVIEW

The speed of the Oilers was obvious as the 3 on 3 overtime started, and they soon began pressing for the overtime winner, with the Canucks having difficulty in gaining the puck and moving it out of their own end.

Vancouver would finally make it into the Edmonton end, and move the puck around. Yannick Weber had a great opportunity to win the game but was stopped cold by Cam Talbot in close

But it would take the return of injured Jannick Hansen for Vancouver to win the game in overtime, as he came down the right side, over the Edmonton blue line, and let a slap shot go that Talbot could not stop, giving the Vancouver Canucks a 2-1 overtime win at 4:01.

It was Hansen’s 12 goal of the season, second of the game, assisted by Matt Bartkowski (7) and Canuck goalie Jacob Markstrom (1).

CANUCKS JOTTINGS:

• Edmonton out shot Canucks in both the 3rd and overtime periods: 8-5 and 3-2 respectively. And overall, 33-24.
• Canucks were 32 for 66 in the face-off circle; 12 for 25 in the final period and overtime.
• Vancouver out hit Edmonton, 25-9; had more giveaways than the Oilers, 11 to 6.
• Edmonton had more blocked shots, 10 to 9 against Vancouver.
• Radim Vrbata finished with 7 shots; Jannick Hansen had 4; Daniel Sedin, 3; Yannick Weber, 3.
• Adam Cracknell led all Canucks with 8 hits.
• Bo Horvat led Vancouver with 3 blocked shots; Alex Edler had 2.

GAME REVIEW

CANUCKS PLAYER STATS

Statistics courtesy of the NHL and Vancouver Canucks, with thanks.