Canucks Eliminated From Playoffs In 4-0 Loss To St. Louis

Posted on March 25, 2016 by CanucksBanter

CANUCKS BANTER By Andrew Chernoff MARCH 25, 2016

CANUCKS LOSING STREAK AT 7 GAMES

VANCOUVER SHUTOUT FOR FOURTH TIME IN 5 GAMES

ELLIOTT GETS 3RD CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUT FOR THE BLUES

The Vancouver Canucks came into the state of Missouri tonight to take on the St. Louis Blues on a 6 game losing streak, facing possible elimination from the playoffs, in the final game of their three game road trip.

The Canucks were looking for Lady Luck to smile upon them, along with divine intervention to bless them with a much needed win, in the first of seven straight games against playoff teams.

The Blues were looking for a victory to punch their ticket for the NHL playoffs, their 40th postseason appearance in franchise history and the sixth appearance in the last 11 seasons, and fifth season in a row.

Who would make it a really “Good Friday” with a win tonight?

Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who stopped 47 of 49 shots against the Winnipeg Jets on March 22 and was named the first star of the game, in a 2-0 loss, was making his 7th start of the month, entering the game with a 2-4-0 record, including a .923 Sv% and 2.53 GAA in March.
Markstrom in his previous two starts faced 70 shots, and responded with a .959 Sv% and 1.53 GAA.
Goalie Brian Elliott made his third consecutive start tonight for the Blues, earning two consecutive shutouts, after returning from a lower-body injury that kept him sidelined for 10 games.

Markstrom did his best, stopping 32 of 36 shots, but Vancouver could not get a puck past the Blues goalie and lost 4-0, ending their playoff hopes and extending their losing streak to 7 consecutive games, in the final game of their 3 game road trip.

ST. LOUIS, MO – MARCH 25: Brian Elliott #1 and Robert Bortuzzo #41 of the St. Louis Blues defend the goal against Alex Burrows #14 of the Vancouver Canucks at the Scottrade Center on March 25, 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/NHLI via Getty Images)

GAME REVIEW

St. Louis would open the scoring on a Canucks turnover on the Blues blue line, resulting on a St. Louis 3-on-1 on Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom, eventually scoring, to make it 1-0 with a shorthanded goal, at 10:51. Kyle Brodziak, his 4rth goal, on a tip-in, assisted by Scottie Upshall (5), with Vancouver on the power play.

The Blues would continue to dominate the period, and would use their well executed puck possession in the Canucks ends to go up by two goals at 15:25, on a wrist shot by Robby Fabbri, his 18 goal, assisted by Paul Stastny (31) and Troy Brouwer (17).

The Canucks would come close in the last minutes of the period to cutting the Blues lead by a goal when Chris Higgins had a great opportunity going in on Blues goalie Brian Elliott all alone but Elliott responded with a superb save.

In the first period:

Canucks out were out shot by the Blues 11-7 and won 10 of 18 face-offs.
Canucks were out hit 8 to 5 by the Blues.
Vancouver power play was 0 for 1, and penalty kill was 1 for 1.
Corsi For:
- Even Strength: St. Louis-16; Vancouver-12
- All Strengths: Canucks-13; Blues-22
- Top Canucks:
  - All Situations: Jake Virtanen +6; Sven Baertschi +4
  - Even Strength: Sven Baertschi +5; Jake Virtanen +5

Vancouver had the edge in play in the first five minutes of the second period, establishing time and shots in the Blues end, but were unable to generate any serious scoring chances.

Similar to the Nashville game, shots not plenty in the second period. With 8:53 left in the period, the Blues were out shooting the Canucks 5 to 3, with the Canucks 2 for 7 on face-offs.

With 4:28 left in the period, and the Canucks unable to get the puck out of their end, the Blues took advantage of the flustered Vancouver team, scoring to make it 3-0. Carl Gunnarsson, his 3rd goal of the season, on a slap shot, assisted by Paul Stastny (32) and Robby Fabbri (20) at 15:32.

Period ends with St. Louis up 3-0.

In the second period:

Canucks were out shot by Blues 10 to 6 and won 8 of 16 face-offs.
Canucks were out hit by the Blues 21 to 6.
Corsi For:
- Even Strength: St. Louis-16; Vancouver-14
- All Strengths: St. Louis-16; Canucks-14
- Top Canucks After Two Periods:
  - All Situations: Daniel Sedin +6; Jake Virtanen +6
  - Even Strength: Dan Hamhuis +8; Sven Baertschi +6

Vancouver would go into the 3rd period with an uphill battle, with a supposed insurmountable three goal deficit pretty much sealing the end of their playoff hopes, and their losing streak going to seven straight.

The Canucks did not make things easy early in the final period as they would receive two penalties resulting in a two-man advantage for the Blues, giving St. Louis a great opportunity to extend their lead.

Jannick Hansen at eighteen seconds for high sticking and Dan Hamhuis at twenty-three seconds for delay of game, gave the Blues a 5-on-3 for 1:55. The Canucks would end up killing off both penalties, going 3 for 3 in the game on the penalty kill

St. Louis had a 10 to 1 edge in shots going into the last half of the period, with Vancouver unable to generate any offense at all, to cut the Blues lead. Canucks had the edge with face-off wins though, 7 to 6.

The Blues would add another goal to pad their lead at 4-0 at 12:15 when Joel Edmundson would score his first NHL goal, on a slap shot, assisted by Vladimir Tarasenko (30) and Colton Parayko (23.

That is all she wrote, as the Blues clinched a berth in the playoffs and Elliott registered his third consecutive shutout, by a 4-0 score, eliminating Vancouver from the playoff picture.

In the THIRD period:

Canucks out shot by St. Louis 16 to 2 and but won14 of 23 face-offs.
Canucks out hit by St. Louis 4 to 1.
Vancouver penalty kill was 2 for 2 in the period.
Corsi For:
- Even Strength: Vancouver-5; St. Louis-25
- All Strengths: St. Louis-27; Canucks-5

END OF THE GAME:

Canucks finished with 15 shots, Nashville 37 shots, and won 32 of 57 face-offs.
Canucks had 12 hits to the Blues 33 hits.
Vancouver penalty kill was 3 for 3; power play was 0 for 1.
Corsi For:
- Even Strength: Blues-56; Canucks-31
- All Strengths: Blues-65; Canucks-32
- Top Canucks in game:
  - All Situations: Daniel Sedin +2; Jake Virtanen +1
  - Even Strength: Jannick Hansen +2; Daniel Sedin +1; Sven Baertschi +1

Nashville Storms Back, Hand Canucks Their 6th Straight Loss 3-2 In Shootout

Posted on March 25, 2016 by CanucksBanter

CANUCKS BANTER By Andrew Chernoff MARCH 24, 2016

CANUCKS END SCORING DROUGHT

SCORE FIRST POWER PLAY GOAL IN NINE GAMES

The Vancouver Canucks (27-33-13) continued their late season meltdown, losing their 6th consecutive game to the Nashville Predators (38-23-13), 3-2 in a shootout, after the Predators stormed back in the final period in one minute and twelve seconds, forcing an overtime and eventual shootout.

Bo Horvat and Daniel Sedin scored for the Canucks, while Henrik Sedin, Sven Baertschi and Alex Burrows had helpers.

Bo Horvat’s goal ended the Canucks scoring drought that came into the game at 228 minutes without a goal.
Daniel Sedin’s goal was on the power play and ended a 0 for 26 man advantage slump.
Ryan Miller stopped 30 of 32 shots for a .938 Sv%.

Vancouver are now 1-5-1 in their last 7 games and during that stretch, have been shutout three times; lost 6 straight games; have scored only 5 goals, surrendered 17 goals against. They are 1 for 18 on the power play but are 17 for 18 on the penalty kill for 94.4 percent efficiency, good for 5th best in the NHL during that stretch.

Their face-off winning percentage is 46.8 percent in the last 7 games good for 25th in the NHL since March 10, above their season average of 45.2 percent, worst in the NHL.

NASHVILLE, TN – MARCH 24: Ryan Miller #30 of the Vancouver Canucks deflects a shot wide of the net against the Nashville Predators during an NHL game at Bridgestone Arena on March 24, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)

GAME REVIEW

The Canucks first goal in 234 minutes and 52 seconds opened up the scoring as Bo Horvat scored his 12 goal of the season at 6:52 of the first period, to give Vancouver a 1-0 lead, assisted by Sven Baertschi (13).

Vancouver took the momentum of the opening goal of the game, and continued to press the Predators out-shooting them in the period, 9 to 3, at one point.

The Canucks drew a penalty in front of the Predator net, when Jannick Hansen was hooked by Shea Weber at 14:24, and ended up going up by two goals in the game, 2-0. It was their first power play goal in their last 27 opportunities.

Daniel Sedin, his 27th goal, at 14:39, assisted by Henrik Sedin (40) and Alex Burrows (12), and it only took 15 seconds.

The period would end 2-0 Vancouver.

In the first period:

Canucks out shot Nashville 11-9 and won 14 of 24 face-offs.
Canucks edged the Predators with the physical play, out hitting Nashville 12 to 11.
Vancouver power play was 1 for 2.
Corsi For:
- Even Strength: Nashville-20; Vancouver-18
- All Strengths: Canucks-22; Predators-20
- Top Canucks:
  - All Situations: Daniel Sedin +6; Henrik Sedin +6
  - Even Strength: Daniel Sedin +3; Henrik Sedin +3

The Canucks went into the second period having killed 14 of their last 15 penalties in the last 6-games, and need to thank Mike Fisher for increasing it to 15, when Fisher knocked the puck away from entering the Canucks net on Nashville’s first power play of the game, to keep it 2-0 early in the period.

Shots were few entering the last 9:24 of the second frame, with the Predators having 3-shots to 1-shot for the Canucks.

The period would have momentum shifts and the Canucks had a few opportunities to go up by three goals but the period would end, as the first did, 2-0 Vancouver.

In the second period:

Canucks tied Nashville for shots with 6 and won 4 of 15 face-offs.
Canucks matched the Predators with the physical play, with 8 hits each.
Vancouver penalty kill was 1 for 1 in the period.
Corsi For:
- Even Strength: Vancouver-16; Nashville-14
- All Strengths: Predators-17; Canucks-16
- Top Canucks After Two Periods:
  - All Situations: Daniel Sedin +12; Henrik Sedin +8
  - Even Strength: Daniel Sedin +9; Henrik Sedin +5

Canucks would try to end a 5-game losing streak entering the 3rd period, and they carried the play in the first five minutes of the period, attempting to increase their lead by three goals.

As the period moved along, the Predators would push back, finally breaking Ryan Miller’s shutout opportunity, scoring two quick goals in a minute and twelve seconds, tying the game at 2-2.

James Neal at 11:56 with his 29 goal, assisted by Colin Wilson (17); and then, Filip Forsberg, his 31 goal, at 13:08, assisted by Mattias Ekholm (25) and Ryan Ellis (21).

What seemed like a sure win, would result in the Canucks continuing to struggle to regain the lead, as Nashville continued to buzz around the Canucks, looking for the go ahead goal.

With time running out, Vancouver was unable to get shots on net, as the Predators forced them to take perimeter shots or dump the puck in the Nashville end.

The third period would end tied 2-2.

In the third period:

Canucks had 8 shots; Nashville 11shots, and won 7 of 12 face-offs.
Canucks edged the Predators with the physical play, 9 to 8 in hits.
Corsi For:
- Even Strength: Vancouver-17; Nashville-24
- All Strengths: Predators-17; Canucks-24

The overtime period would be exciting as Nashville would press hard, especially when they went into the final two minutes with a power play when Brendan Gaunce received a penalty for holding Shea Weber but the game would be decided by a shootout. Nashville out shot Vancouver 5 to 0 in the OT.

Predators would complete the comeback in the shootout, winning 3-2.

END OF GAME:

Canucks finished with 25 shots, Nashville 32 shots, and won 27 of 55 face-offs.
Canucks edged the Predators with 29 hits to 26 for Nashville.
Vancouver penalty kill was 1 for 1; power play was 1 for 2.
Corsi For:
- Even Strength: Nashville-61; Canucks-53
- All Strengths: Predators-70; Canucks-57
- Top Canucks in game:
  - All Situations: Daniel Sedin +10; Henrik Sedin +6
  - Even Strength: Daniel Sedin +7; Brendan Gaunce +5

The Canucks were without D Alex Edler (broken fibula), D Chris Tanev (back), D Luca Sbisa (shoulder), C Brandon Sutter (broken jaw), C Markus Granlund (upper body), RW Radim Vrbata (knee) and LW Derek Dorsett (upper body).