Let's face the facts on this one: simply, the Canucks didn't deserve to win this game. Which is what makes it so delightfully surprising that they did!
Don't call it a bounceback game, either. The Canucks may have managed a far better outcome than the night prior in Washington, but they were still far too flat to be accused of any bouncing whatsoever. . I couldn't help but think the Canucks were that basketball I watched this game.
- While the Canucks may not have deserved a win tonight, their goaltender sure did, and you could argue that's the only reason they got the win. Jacob Markstrom was excellent again, making 38 saves in a game that saw the Canucks outshot 40 to 22. It took a perfect shot and screen on the first Carolina goal and an unfortunate bounce of Matt Bartkowski's skate on the second for the Hurricanes to get anything past him. Now, undoubtedly, Markstrom's strong play of late is going to stoke the fires (or at least the fears) of a goaltending controversy, but I'm not too worried about it. Sure, Markstrom seems the superior goalie these days. But considering most of us can't decide whether we want the Canucks to win or not, doesn't it make sense to stick with the goalie who occasionally plays like he's not sure either?
- This was the second consecutive night that the Canucks surrendered 40 shots. It made some sense versus the Washington Capitals, who are very good, and employ Alex Ovechkin, who delivers more shots than a pediatrician. It makes less sense versus the Carolina Hurricanes, who are, to put it mildly, less good. On the bright side, now we know how much less good. If both teams get 40 shots, the Capitals will score twice more. That's how analytics works, right?
- Henrik Sedin took 18 faceoffs in this game. He won just three. Now, there are two ways to look at this: on the one hand, that's a brutal number. But on the other hand, Henrik is clearly too injured to be taking faceoffs -- he falls to his knees on every draw, because he can't bend over -- so maybe we should be celebrating the three he won? Either way, he's about as intimidating in the circle these days as a smiley face.
- Speaking of faceoffs, Jared McCann returned to the lineup tonight, and he had a rare, decent evening in the faceoff circle. McCann went 4-for 6, which might be one of the best showings of his NHL career. But let's not go too far. One of his won faceoffs came against Justin Faulk in overtime. Justin Faulk is a defenceman. McCann may not be the best faceoff man in the NHL, but he's definitely better than a defenceman. That said, I bet Faulk could have beaten Henrik Sedin.
- Here's something you don't hear very often: the Canucks scored first tonight. And here's something you hear even less often: Linden Vey scored the goal. After snagging an errant Carolina pass in the neutral zone, Vey walked in two-on-one with Emerson Etem, kept, . It was a nice shot from Vey, although it helped that Ward lost his post. It's frustrating to lose a post. I know from experience, as this is the second bloody time I've written this recap tonight. The second. Bloody. Time.
- The Hurricanes evened things up before the end of the first period, and pushed hard in the second for the lead. But Jacob Markstrom wasn't having it, and neither was Bo Horvat, who has found his scoring touch. I don't know where it was, but I've heard enough cliches and seen enough movies to know that it was a) in the last place he looked, and b) inside him all along. Or maybe he got ahold of . Whatever happened, Horvat's scoring like Wilt Chamberlain all of a sudden. His first of the night came on a wrister from the top of the dot, which beat Cam Ward to the glove side. Now I know what you're thinking: why didn't Cam Ward catch that shot in his glove? I don't know. it definitely looks like he should have. Maybe he had a tuna sandwich in there, or something. No one wants to eat a smushed up tuna sandwich.
- Horvat struck again in overtime, , and again, one wonders why Cam Ward didn't catch it in his glove. That is, after all, what those things are for. Again, I wonder if he's hiding a sandwich in there. Maybe not tuna. Pastrami on rye? I hope it's that, just so we can call his sandwich the rye in the catcher.
- The Canucks are getting better at this overtime thing. Rumour has it they've got a new stategy, which is working wonders for them, which is to score first. Prior to this, they've been focused on scoring best, and unfortunately, overtime doesn't work that way.
- I'm not sure what else to talk about. (I think I had more before I lost the draft. But it might have sucked, so it's possible we should be celebrating its disappearance.) Bo Horvat was great. Jacob Markstrom was great. Also, other players were there. Daniel Sedin was pretty good, I guess. He had six of the Canucks' 22 shots. Jake Virtanen had his moments. But otherwise, this wasn't the sort of hockey that wins games. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be when your goaltender is playing that sort of hockey and the other one isn't.
