VANCOUVER – Vancouver CanucksThe game got a lot better on Thursday, but their record got a little worse.
With their season already inconsistent and their need for points increasingly desperate, no one took victory laps as the Canucks played one of their best games of the National Hockey League season, outlasting the powerful Dallas Stars in two periods but still losing 4-2 after a pair of late visiting goals.
With their speed, forecheck, defensive zone and connectivity significantly better than in Vancouver's just-concluded three-game trip to the East against Stanley Cup contenders, which the Canucks lost 109-50, the team deserved better against the Stars.
But the Canucks probably deserved worse than the three of six points they scored against Carolina, Tampa and Florida. So this is hockey.
TARGET Kevin Lankinen stole a couple of points from them on the road, and on Thursday at home he was beaten by Jake Ettinger from Dallas. And this is also hockey.
Overall, there was nothing “wrong” with the Canucks' performance, although they will rue for a while their inability to capitalize on an 80-second five-on-three power play midway through the period as Vancouver sought to break a 2-2 tie.
But if the Canucks had managed to pull off a few more games like this, despite massive injuries, in the first quarter of the season, nothing to come from Thursday's superb effort wouldn't have hurt as much.
As it stands, the Canucks are 9-11-2, two games under .500 for the first time this season, and have just one win in their last six home games (1-4-1) and three wins in 10 games at Rogers Arena this season.
“I thought we deserved better tonight,” defenseman Tyler Myers said after one of his best games in recent memory. “The guys tried their best. I thought we were creating (chances). I thought we were playing fast and our breaks were better because of it. So we just have to stick with it, go into the next game with the same attitude and keep moving forward. A lot of good things can come out of this and that's what we have to focus on. It's just never nice to lose.”
Especially for a handful of attackers – Brock BoserConor Garland, Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk, who had outstanding opportunities to give the Canucks the lead after the teams exited the first period tied 2-2.
“This is a game we could have won,” DeBrusk said. “We put ourselves in a good position. We played the right way. But personally I probably won't think about it. I'll think more about the result because the situation is getting desperate.”
The Canucks had one of their best periods at home this season in the middle frame, but were unable to score even with a two-man lead that started at 4:50.
DeBrusk failed to get enough wood to get Boeser's pass into the net under Oettinger, and on another play, Boeser made a wild pass through the slot when Pettersson's diagonal pass appeared to leave him with the net half-open.
After the power play, Boeser was robbed by Oettinger on a pass from Garland, who also hit the goalie with a shot that hit the crossbar on an open shot from the left wing.
“The puck was on my stick, I need to play better,” DeBrusk lamented his miss on the power play. “We're looking to close out these games now, but we had a five-on-three game… we've got to have a killer instinct. And I was a big reason. I had three backdoor (chances) that I could have had. Obviously, you have to give credit to the other goalie, but I have to bury them and that's a different game.”
“Obviously a lot of positives. But that's what happens when you have a good team. They'll make you pay.”
Captain Canuck Quinn Hughes' difficult pass and defender Tom WillanderA poor read opened up enough ice for Stars checker Colin Blackwell to get a look at Lankinen on a breakaway and fire a shot into the top corner for the lead at 10:47 of the third period.
“I haven’t really looked back on it,” Willander, who rarely found himself in bad situations as a rookie, said when asked about the breakaway. “I saw our striker get into the zone, so I just tried to keep an eye on the play, but then I got stuck on that side.”
Stars superstar Mikko Rantanen, who had used his stick to more brutal ends a couple of times earlier in the game, brilliantly dodged Boeser in a one-on-one situation and sent a backhand shot under the crossbar to make it 4-2 and earn the point with 1:31 left.
The Canucks responded with first-period goals from Mavrik Bourque and Jason Robertson with goals from Linus Karlsson and Elias Pettersson.
“I had no problem with our third period today,” Canucks coach Adam Foote said. “We had a mistake. The pass came off one of our defenders (Willander) and we have to make it deep there. And then we all went for an interception and then we didn't play two-on-one. I mean, these things happen. You give a lead to a guy just because of a mistake, it doesn't mean we had a bad third period. I really liked our game. I didn't like that game, but it happened.
“It's about consistency. We play this game more often than not and we'll have good results.”
Two games under .500 and four points out of the playoffs. The Canucks take on the Calgary Flames on Sunday before embarking on another tough four-game road trip.
ICE CHIPS — Garland returned to the lineup after missing one game, and forward Lukas Reichel, who has zero shots in his last six games and one assist in 13 since being traded from the Chicago Blackhawks, was scratched healthy by Foote. . . Center Teddy Blueger, sidelined since Oct. 19 with a lower-body injury, skated with teammates Thursday morning wearing a non-contact jersey.
