Thatcher DemkoSaturday's stellar performance wasn't enough to save the Canucks, who were outscored 37-15 and lost 3-1 to the Edmonton Oilers.
It was a shot adjusted for the goalkeeper's goal. Without Demko as Canucks forward Brock Boser It is noted that the score could be 5-1 or 6-1.
But if the Canucks had done better in the first two periods, when they were outplayed, outplayed and scored 2-0, the game might have actually ended in their favor. That's how good Demko was.
Two games is not a trend, especially when there are 80 left.
But in Thursday's National Hockey League opener, the Canucks' sloppy first half on home ice against the Calgary Flames looked like jitters and jitters on opening night for a team desperate for a strong start after an encouraging preseason. But they also didn't miss many shots or scoring chances and dominated the final period, winning 5-1.
Against the Oilers on Saturday, Vancouver was outscored 13-4 in the first period, and frankly, the biggest scoring chance was when Oiler Andrew Mangianpain nearly put the puck in his own net with no one around except for alert Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard.
Demko, meanwhile, faced a barrage of Grade A chances. The goalkeeper made point-blank saves from Matt Savoie, Trent Frederic and twice from David Tomasek.
The Canucks' game plan, like every team visiting Edmonton, was built around stopping Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. And with Demko's help, they kept the world's two best players off the scoresheet until Draisaitl scored an empty net with 1:13 left.
But the Canucks needed to do better. Forechecking and some time in the offensive zone would help.
“Obviously these guys (McDavid and Draisaitl) are good, but we have to play our game and we have to initiate more,” Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood said. “Our checking is part of our identity, and when we don't establish that, it kind of trickles down. It probably starts with our passing. I don't think we were making clear passes and getting too many pucks, and we just didn't maintain possession when we had the puck. And then we kind of start on the back foot, chasing it from the beginning.”
Sherwood said starting better is “something we're going to have to do.”
“I don't know, I think it's a little different game plan when you're playing against those two guys,” forward Brock Boeser said. “You have to be aware of them at all times. (But) I think we didn't take advantage when they weren't on the ice. Obviously, that's something we're going to talk about and strive to get better at.”
“I thought we sat back too long in the first two periods and I thought when we tried to pick up the momentum in the third we gave away a couple of penalties and that forced us to take a step back. I thought we spent a lot of time in the box. We need to be a little more disciplined and press a little harder.”
The Canucks were short-handed five times (9:33 total) but still canceled out McDavid-Draisaitl's power play. But playing in a five-on-four format did not help them even out the game.
Tyler Myers with a missed penalty on the puck and Philip is caughtTrips to the offensive zone twice left the Canucks shorthanded as they attempted to attack in the third period.
Bozer knocking down Quinn Hughes'' went straight in, turned and fired a low shot past Pickard with 47 seconds left in the final frame to give the Canucks a chance to steal something from the game.
Demko stopped the first 20 shots he faced but was beaten by Noah Philp at 12:21 of the second period on a pass from Kasperi Kapanen. A 27-year-old undrafted player out of the University of Alberta who sat out an entire season of hockey two years ago, Philp scored his first NHL goal with a shot that appeared to clip Myers' stick and divert the shot toward Demko.
With the score 21-8 in Edmonton's favor, Vancouver simply had to survive the rest of the period. But Chytil gave the puck to Mangiapana in Vancouver's slot, and the Oiler had time to set its foothold on Demko with 49.8 seconds left in the middle frame.
“It was a bad pass,” Chytil said. “That goal goes to my back. But yeah, these things happen. It's a shame we didn't get the win for Demmer because he was great. He was incredible. We just didn't score enough goals to win the game. We have to get a win for him in a game like this because, like I said, he was incredible.”
Boeser said: “It doesn't surprise me, he's a world class goalkeeper.”
But the way the Canucks played, especially by giving up territory and creating scoring chances early, a world-class performance still wasn't enough.
“I think we just need to stay out of the box,” coach Adam Foote said. “We didn't really have a bad start. It didn't go too bad in the beginning. We almost had four or five two-on-ones in the first; we scored on one of them. We're doing okay, and then we get a penalty in the offensive zone. These things happen. But, you know, on a team like this, you have to stay out of the box.”
“You know, we were right there (in the third period). And when you have a goalie like that killing five power plays… you just have to be a little more patient.”
ICE CHIPS — Foote changed his offensive line in Edmonton, starting as an ex-Oiler. Evander Kane lineup on par with Chytil and Conor Garland. Kane, whose hit on Alec Regula late in the third period resulted in a penalty return that gave Vancouver a power play, was one of the Canucks' best… Top center. Elias Pettersson ended with 16:38 of ice time, but 3:30 of that came on one chunk late in the game. He went 3-15 in faceoffs. Center Aatu Rathi led the circle 9-2.
