CANUCKS BANTER By Andrew Chernoff January 23, 2016
The Vancouver Canucks (20-18-11) played the final game of their 6-game road trip today against the Pittsburgh Penguins (23-17-7) at Consol Energy Center in a matinee game.
The Canucks were going for their fourth win of the road trip, after losing in Washington in regulation and the Rangers in overtime; defeating Carolina in overtime, the Islanders in a shoot out; and Boston in regulation.
The Penguins were trying to extend their current streak, 4-0-2 at home, to seven games with a fifth win.
The Canucks looked in complete control of their own destiny for forty-seven minutes and sixteen seconds (47:16), until Vancouver seemed completely disheveled by Linden Vey scoring on his own net, and in 5:44 of game time, the Canucks went from having a two goal, 3-1 lead, to falling behind by a goal, 4-3, to the Penguins.
“There were a lot of opportunities, so we only have ourselves to blame that we didn’t get the 2 points.”-Jannick Hansen after 5-4 loss
Source: Canucks Twitter
The two teams would exchange goals after Pittsburgh got their first lead of the game, with the Penguins winning 5 to 4.
With the win, the Penguins extended their current streak at home to 5-0-2. The Canucks would finish their road trip with a record of 3-2-1.
PITTSBURGH, PA – JANUARY 23: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins moves the puck between the defense of Ryan Miller #30 and Emerson Etem #26 of the Vancouver Canucks at Consol Energy Center on January 23, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)
Evgeni Malkin had a hat trick, for 23 goals on the season, for the Penguins; Sidney Crosby scored his 16th goal of the season; Bryan Rust scored his 2nd of the season; Kris Letang had two assists.
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 28 of 32 shots for a .875Sv%.
“After I scored my goal, everything seemed just like a blur after that. It was really disappointing.”-BoHorvat after the game, trying to understand what happened
Source: Canucks Twitter
Jannick Hansen chipped in with a hat trick, for 15 goals on the season; Bo Horvat, scored his 9th of the season (7th goal in his last 12 games); Ben Hutton had two assists (1-3=4 in 8 last 8 games played); Alex Edler and Derek Dorsett had helpers in consecutive games; Chris Tanev had an assist (1-6=7 in last 14 games played); Luca Sbisa got his first point since his return to the line up; Mike Zalewski, got his first assist as a Canuck.
PITTSBURGH, PA – JANUARY 23: Jannik Hansen #36 of the Vancouver Canucks moves the puck up ice in front of Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center on January 23, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)
Ryan Miller stopped 25 of 29 shots for a .862 Sv%.
Miller heads home with a record of 1-2-1 on the road trip, with a 2.75 GAA and a .941 Sv%. In his last 14 games, Miller is 5-6-3, with a 2.98 and a .916 Sv%.
Jannick Hansen scored the opening goal of the game at twenty seven seconds, as the Canucks wasted little time taking advantage of their first shot of the game. Hansen, his 13th of the season, assisted by Alex Edler (14).
That goal made it the second straight game Vancouver scored the opening goal on their first shot of the game.
It was also the 5th straight game (and 5th straight road game), that the Canucks scored the opening goal of a game after going 8 consecutive games with their opponents scoring the first goal of the game.
Halfway through the period, Canucks not only had the lead but were 4 for 6 on face-offs; out hitting the Penguins 8 to 2; Horvat, 3 for 4 on face-offs; Vey, 2 for 2. Edler and Zalewski 2 hits each.
Penguin defense had problems with Canuck speed and size as McCann and Hansen had great attempts to add to the Vancouver lead.
Pittsburgh would get the first power play of the game at 15:51 when Daniel Sedin would get caught for hooking on Kevin Porter.
It would be the Canucks who would score though, a shorthanded goal, with Derek Dorsett and Jannick Hansen teaming up on a 2 on 1, with Hansen scoring his second goal of the period after Dorsett’s shot hit the crossbar and Hansen popped in the loose puck. Hansen, his 14th of the season, on a backhand shot, assisted by Derek Dorsett (6) and Chris Tanev (9) at 16:35.
After one period:
- Canucks leading 2-0
- Canucks were 7 for 13 on faceoffs; Vey, 3 for 5; Horvat, 4 for 6.
- Canucks out hit Penguins 12 to 10.
- Vancouver out shot Pittsburgh 10 to 9
- Canucks had 4 takeaways; 1 giveaway; 5 blocked shots.
- Jannick Hansen had 3 shots; Edler had 3 hits
- Canucks shorthanded goal was the 3rd of the season.
In the second period, Vancouver continued to utilize their speed and play making skills to get scoring opportunities, but the momentum they were developing would soon come to an end.
Canucks would get penalized for the second time in the game for tripping as Mike Zalewski would go off at 2:56.
Pittsburgh would get a 1:08 two man advantage when Alex Burrows would get a penalty for hooking at 3:48. Pittsburgh would score with the 5 on 3, as Evgeni Malkin would get his 21rst of the season,on a slap shot, assisted by Kris Letang (25) and Sidney Crosby (25) at 3:54.
Vancouver would continue to get into penalty trouble in the period, as Matt Bartkowski would go off at 6:43 for cross checking, giving the Penguins their third straight power play of the period.
Daniel Sedin would have a great opportunity to put Vancouver up by two again but Marc-Andre Fleury would make a great save on his shot, to keep it a one goal game.
As the period neared an end, Pittsburgh increased its shot lead over Vancouver, 8 to 4, as Miller was getting more action in his end.
Jannick Hansen broke in on Fleury with a chance for a hat trick goal in the final minute of the period but he would be denied his third goal to put Vancouver up by two goals.
After two periods:
- Canucks leading 2-1,
- Canucks out shooting Penguins 19-18.
- Vancouver 16 for 29 of faceoffs (10 for 17 in defensive zone). Vey, 5 for 9; Horvat, 8 for 13; McCann, 2 for 4.
- Pittsburgh out hitting Canucks 29 to 22.
- Vancouver with 2 giveaways; 4 takeaways; 12 blocked shots.
- Jannick Hansen 4 shots; 6 other Canucks with 2 shots each.
- Alex Edler, 6 hits; 6 other Canucks with 2 hits each.
The Penguins came out motivated to even up the game, taking their game to the Canucks right off the third period face-off.
Penguins pressure would lead to a Pittsburgh power play as Luca Sbisa would get two minutes for tripping at 1:30.
Jannick Hansen and Bo Horvat would go in on Fleury while shorthanded, for a great opportunity to score, as Hansen would set up Horvat but Fleury would stop Horvat cold.
Miller would stop Patric Hornqvist on a great scoring attempt on a set up by Sidney Crosby, after not producing on their man advantage, to once again, keep it a one goal game.
Bo Horvat, over the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury, would make it 3-1 Vancouver at the six minute mark, with his 9th goal of the season, assisted by Ben Hutton (11) and Luca Sbisa (4).
The Penguins would respond with a goal of their own, as Linden Vey would score on his own net, putting Pittsburgh within a goal at 3-2 Canucks.
Evgeni Malkin got credit for the goal, his 22nd of the season, unassisted, at 7:16
Evgeni Malkin would get his hat trick goal, on a sloppy line change by Vancouver, as he would pick up a loose puck that no Canuck would touch, to even up the game at 3-3, as Vancouver continued their third period implosion.
Malkin, his 23rd of the season, at 10:22, assisted by Phil Kessel (16) and Trevor Daley (9).
The Penguins would make their comeback complete and finally get their first lead of the game, 4-3, at the thirteen minute mark, from Bryan Rust, his 2nd goal of the season, who would sweep the puck in on net, assisted by Tom Kuhnhackl (1).
The Canucks seemed completely disheveled by Linden Vey scoring on his own net, and in less than five minutes of game time, went from a two goal lead, to falling behind by a goal.
The Canucks would receive their first power play in two games, at 16:24, when Brian Dumoulin would go off for tripping.
With twenty seconds left in the power play, the Canucks would pull Ryan Miller for a two man advantage but the extra man would not benefit Vancouver, but it would Pittsburgh.
Sidney Crosby would score an empty netter to make it 5-3 Penguins, putting an exclamation on their victory………or would it. Crosby, his 16th, at 18:37 , assisted by Carl Hagelin (11) and Kris Letang (26).
Jannick Hansen, would get his hat trick goal before the final buzzer, at 19:43 , assisted by Mike Zalewski (1) and Ben Hutton (12) but time would run out insuring a Penguins victory, as Pittsburgh defeated Vancouver 5-4.
CANUCKS JOTTINGS
- Canucks were 27 for 48 on face-offs. Vey, 8 for 15; Horvat, 13 for 21; McCann, 4 for 8.
- Vancouver out shot Pittsburgh 32-30.
- Canucks were out hit, 35 to 26.
- Vancouver had, 5 giveaways; 8 takeaways; 15 blocked shots.
- Canucks were 0 for 1 on the power play; 4 for 5 on the penalty kill.
- Jannick Hansen led the Canucks in shots with 7; Bo Horvat had 4.
- Alex Edler led Vancouver with 6 hits; Mike Zalewski and Alex Burrows had 3 each.
- The Canucks are 6-3-2=14 points in 11 games in 2016.
- Canucks had four goals for the second consecutive game. Prior to the last two games, the last time Vancouver had scored four goals in a game was on December 20 in an OT loss to Florida, 5-4: a total of 13 games.
- Canucks have scored the opening goal in five straight games:
- Jannick Hansen, January 23rd against Pittsburgh
- Sven Baertschi, January 21rst against Boston
- Sven Baertschi, January 19th against New York Rangers
- Ben Hutton, January 17th against New York Islanders
- Linden Vey, January 15th against Carolina Hurricanes
The standings below as of 1:45 pm PST.
The Canucks at this time are in 3rd in the Pacific division awaiting results from other action today involving other Pacific division teams.
GAME REVIEW
CANUCKS PLAYERS STATS
WESTERN CONFERENCE WILD CARD STANDINGS
As of 1:45 pm PST
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE STANDINGS
As of 1:45 pm PST
STATISTICS COURTESY OF THE NHL AND VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Andrew Phillip Chernoff 