Friday October 25 Vancouver Canucks 3 - St. Louis Blues 2 (OT)
On Friday night, the Vancouver Canucks grabbed their most impressive win of the young season when they beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 with 15 seconds remaining in overtime.
The win gave Vancouver a 5-1-1 record on their long road trip. They grabbed 11 of a possible 14 points and lost just one game in regulation.
I Tip My Hat To Torts
When Mike Gillis announced John Tortortella's hiring last summer, I was worried. I couldn't see how such a blustery character, who had clearly lost the plot with his New York Rangers players, would be a good fit in Vancouver.
One month in, he has me buying into his systems just like his players are doing. Other than the blowout with Keith Acton at the first home game, we haven't seen the short-tempered hothead. Instead, we've seen a coach who is bringing out the best in players throughout his lineup, from Ryan Kesler (now leading the team with seven goals) to Mike Santorelli (fourth in scoring with nine points and delivering the best value in the league at $550,000).
The list goes on—Henrik Sedin is sandwiched between two guys named Crosby and Ovechkin in the scoring race, Jason Garrison has found his big shot, Luongo and Lack are getting it done in net.
Tortorella is inspiring confidence in his players while executing an aggressive playing style that's fun to watch. He has also managed to instill a never-say-die mentality that has the Canucks playing a full 60 minutes—and more, when necessary. In the red-hot Pacific Division, every point will count come playoff time. Getting games to overtime is a bonus; winning them is hitting the jackpot.
It defies logic that a team that's relying so much on big minutes from its top forwards has been able to save its best for last, with a 4-0 record in overtime and 1-1 in shootouts. I'd say those results are about better commitment and self-confidence from the players—and those five extra points are the difference between success and failure so far this season.
I'm a little worried about the heavy reliance on the top players, but with the team's success so far, I'll trust that Tortorella knows what he's doing. Even though this is an Olympic year, the schedule's still more spaced-out than last season, so there should be enough time to rest. I think winning also adds a little adrenaline to any player's energy stores.
Words of Caution:
- Special teams are still an issue. The game-winning power play goal provided a boost, but the Canucks weren't able to capitalize on a first period double-minor to Ryan Reaves. Vancouver remains 26th in the league with the man advantage, with a conversation rate of 11.8 percent. They have to be better when they get their chances.
- No matter what you think about the validity of the second period penalties on Zack Kassian and Kevin Bieksa, a lackadaisical Blues team woke up on Friday when it saw an opportunity to get back in the game, and capitalized. After starting the year with perfect penalty killing, the Canucks have now given up power play goals in three straight games. They've fallen to 11th in the league, with an 84.1 percent success rate.
- St. Louis is a top-tier hockey team, which makes Friday's win that much sweeter, but the Canucks have faced a lot of weak teams in the early going. In the first half of November, competition heats up. They'll see the Ducks, the Kings and the Sharks—twice. That stretch will go a long way towards determining the final rankings in the Pacific Division.
For now, the team deserves a hearty pat on the back just like the ones that Torts gives his players after they score.
The next game is Monday against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. I'll be back then with a preview and a look at some individual player performances so far this season. Enjoy the weekend.
What do you think? Are you starting to believe too?
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