Tuesday October 8 Vancouver 3 - New Jersey 2 (OT)
Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks got the last laugh in a somewhat uninspired contest against Cory Schneider and the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night.
Going into the game, all eyes were on the goaltenders—former teammates who faced off for the first time as rivals.
Schneider got a well-deserved standing ovation from the crowd as Rogers Arena just before the opening puck drop. He helped to keep his team in the game in the early going. Vancouver came out strong but spotted the Devils a 2-0 lead before coming from behind for the second straight game to grab a victory in overtime.
Veteran superstar Jaromir Jagr showed his skill on the Devils' first goal, but Luongo got unlucky on the second as the puck took a strange bounce off referee Greg Kimmerly's skate on its way to the net.
Much like in Calgary on Sunday, the two-goal deficit seemed to be a wakeup call for the Canucks. Daniel Sedin answered back just over a minute later with a long shot from inside the blue line to narrow the margin to 2-1. Alex Edler tied the game five minutes after that as he cruised into the slot like he was Bobby Orr, firing home a gorgeous shot. With assists from the twins, the all-Swedish goal was the prettiest of the night.
The third period was lackluster, filled with stops and starts. Shots were 8-6 in favour of the Devils, who may have been fatiguing towards the end of back-to-back games.
In the end, it seemed fair that both goalies should earn a point for their teams and the game should be decided in extra time.
As in Calgary, the Canucks dominated overtime and did not give up a shot on goal. With Mike Santorelli screening, Jason Garrison took a David Booth pass out at the blue line and fired a wrist shot that was labeled, giving the Canucks the 3-2 win at 2:18 of the extra frame. It may have grazed Santorelli on its way to the net but for now, the goal stands as Garrison's third of the season.
It wasn't the prettiest game and it wasn't a very physical affair. But once again, Vancouver showed some determination when they fell behind and were able to secure two points.
Shots on Goal: Vancouver 32 - New Jersey 23
Blocked Shots: Vancouver 5 - New Jersey 16
Penalty Minutes: Vancouver 2 - New Jersey 4
Quick Hits:
- Cory Schneider did receive some ribbing from the crowd, who chanted his name sporadically in the later stages of the game. Some think it was inappropriate; I think it was done with good-natured respect.
- Ryan Kesler was virtually invisible on Tuesday night. Despite over 21 minutes of icetime, he registered just one shot and one giveaway—and was on the ice for the Devils' second goal. Kesler was Vancouver's best faceoff man, going 12-7, and his interest level seemed to pick up in the third period, but it was a surprisingly uninspired performance from a player who showed great intensity against Edmonton last weekend.
- Jaromir Jagr might be getting close to retirement age, but he was the Devils' best skater by a mile on Tuesday. His big body makes him an ox on the ice and definitely earns him a little extra space. In addition to a goal and an assist, Jagr steamrolled over Kevin Bieksa next to the Vancouver net in the third period as if he was a rag doll. Jagr hasn't played much in Vancouver during his career: it was a treat to see a strong performance from one of the biggest stars of the last 20 years.
- The Canucks are making some noise in the league statistics. After Tuesday's game, Daniel and Henrik Sedin are tied for second place in league scoring with six points each and Jason Garrison leads all NHL defensemen with 3 goals and 5 points. Despite the concerns about John Tortorella imposing a stifling defensive system, Vancouver is second in NHL scoring with 15 goals after 4 games. So far, the team's newfound aggression on the forecheck seems to be paying off.
After three feel-good games, the Canucks face a tough test on Thursday when they face the San Jose Sharks once again. The Sharks remain undefeated through three games and wiped the floor with Alain Vigneault's New York Rangers on Tuesday night, winning 9-2.
Tomorrow, I'll preview the Sharks and their explosive rookie Tomas Hertl before the big game.
In the meantime, follow me on Twitter
@pool88 for more links and news. I posted a story for Bleacher Report late last night, looking at the 10 best NHL offenses of all time.
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