Wednesday November 27 - Pittsburgh Penguins 8 - Vancouver Canucks 6
Hoo-boy.
Last week, the NHL sent out a quarter-pole press release that highlighted how no lead is safe this year. As of November 19, we'd seen 21 multi-goal third-period comeback wins — the most ever at that stage of the season.
The Vancouver Canucks had already been on the wrong side of that stat once this season — one of three teams that had given up a four-goal lead in the third period in that wild loss to Washington back on October 25.
On Wednesday in Pittsburgh, Vancouver got up 6-3 before giving up five straight goals on their way to an 8-6 loss to the Penguins. Here are your highlights:
If you'd turned off the TV in disgust late in the first period, when the Canucks got down 2-0 before recording their first shot on goal, I'm sure you wouldn't have blinked when you heard later that Vancouver had lost — until you heard *how* they lost.
Looking as flat as they were in the last two periods against Philadelphia on Monday, the Canucks didn't get any traction at all against the Penguins early on. They were outshot 14-3 in the opening frame, but J.T Miller's 11th goal of the season with 3:18 left in the first meant they were down by just one at the break.
In the second, they looked like a different team. Elias Pettersson, Jake Virtanen and Adam Gaudette all scored to lift the Canucks into a 4-2 lead — and chase Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray, who gave up four goals on 14 shots over 39 minutes.
The Pens answered back to cut the lead to one early in the third, but the Canucks responded when Miller and Gaudette scored on Vancouver's first two shots on replacement netminder Tristan Jarry, building the lead to 6-3 with 16:54 left to play in regulation.
Did Vancouver step off the gas then, or did Pittsburgh raise its level of play? Probably a little of both.
The momentum shifted immediately when Dominik Kahun made it 6-4 at the 6:16 mark, and the Pens kept chipping away from there.
In the end, Kris Letang's game-winner with 3:06 left to play atoned for an earlier gaffe, where he'd gotten walked by Gaudette on the Canucks' sixth goal.
I don't really blame Travis Green for making a Hail Mary offside challenge on the goal. The Canucks had already been spinning out of control for more than 10 minutes; it was unlikely that they were suddenly going to get their heads back on straight after having fallen behind. If Green had been able to get the go-ahead goal overturned, he would have gotten his team back to even — and that might have been enough to change the momentum and help them earn the win.
When I assess Green's coaching decisions, I often think of his past history as a high-level poker player. I think sometimes his judgments on downside vs. upside land a little differently from what many other coaches might do.
To me, the game felt like a throwback to the early '90s, when Mario Lemieux's Cup-winning Penguins would do whatever it took to get the better of Pavel Bure and the Canucks. Jeff Paterson reminded us that we actually saw this movie less than three years ago, when the Canucks dropped an 8-6 decision in Carolina in December of 2016.
here's the box score from the last time #canucks scored 6 and lost. December 13, 2016 at Carolina pic.twitter.com/nL9njjdRuD
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) November 28, 2019
The biggest disappointment is that the Canucks let precious points slip away. Also, it's too bad that some impressive offensive performances were tainted by the loss.
I'd say Jake Virtanen played his most robust game of the season, slotting in all over the lineup and finishing with a goal, an assist and six hits. Alex Edler didn't make the scoresheet but played like whatever'd forced him out of last weekend's game in Washington was in the rearview mirror. He logged 25:25 of ice time and led the team in blocked shots (6) and hits (8).
J.T. Miller continued his torrid production with two more goals, Adam Gaudette hit the scoresheet twice, and Quinn Hughes is on his way to making history as he logged his third three-point night in just the 30th game of his career.
#Canucks Quinn Hughes records his 3rd game with 3 assists this season. The only rookie defenceman with more in a season in #NHL history is Ray Bourque in 1979-80 (4). pic.twitter.com/j3a6EnB3Vf
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 28, 2019
Now with 21 points in 25 games, Hughes sits second overall in rookie scoring, and has narrowed the gap between himself and Cale Makar to just four points—and Makar (25 points in 24 games) is tracking to break Larry Murphy's all-time record for points by a rookie defenseman (76 points).
Elias Pettersson's goal and assist on Wednesday also keep him in the top 10 in NHL scoring - tied for ninth with 31 points, along with Patrick Kane, Jack Eichel and Jonathan Huberdeau. And J.T. Miller's 26 points have him tied with Alex Ovechkin and Dougie Hamilton for 16th overall.
But...an eight-goal night obviously has a serious impact on team defense numbers. After such a great start in October, the Canucks are now squarely in the middle of the pack — tied for 16th with Buffalo and Anaheim with exactly three goals against per game.
As our friends stateside celebrate Thanksgiving, the Canucks are headed north. They'll finish off this road trip on Saturday with the first half of a weekend home-and-home against the Oilers.
The Dave Tippett effect is still in play in Edmonton, where the Oilers haven't cooled off yet. They're 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and still hold first place in the Pacific Division with 35 points in 27 games.
Elsewhere in the NHL on Wednesday, the Sharks lost but the Golden Knights and Flames won. So, Vancouver does wake up on Thanksgiving morning sitting third in the Pacific Division — but their 28 points are identical to Vegas, which has played one extra game, and Calgary, which has played two more.
I daresay, nothing is settled yet. Considering preseason projections, are you satisfied to see Vancouver in the playoff hunt?