Tuesday December 20 - Vancouver Canucks 4 - Winnipeg Jets 1
The Vancouver Canucks have improved their record on their holiday homestand to 2-0-1 after a solid 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena.
Here are your highlights:
Though they started the second on the penalty kill after Loui Eriksson was sent to the box for tripping Dustin Byfuglien with two seconds to play in the opening frame, the Canucks' energy level ratcheted up noticeably as the game went on.
The shots were 11-6 for Vancouver in the second, and Jannik Hansen converted on a sweet pass from Henrik Sedin into the slot at 9:18, tying the game with his fourth of the season.
Jannik Hansen scores to tie the game at 1#Canucks pic.twitter.com/fLqnbHT3aL
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) December 21, 2016
In the third, the possession game flipped back in the Jets' direction, with the shots 13-6 for Winnipeg. But Vancouver outscored the Jets 3-0 in the final 20 minutes—impressive for Jacob Markstrom, who earned his first win in nearly a month.
Hansen's second of the game, from the blue line, looked a lot like a power-play goal.
Jannik Hansen scores his second goal of the game to put #Canucks up 2-1 pic.twitter.com/yDCwvcEB27
— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) December 21, 2016
Hansen, as usual, is averaging just three seconds per game of power-play time this season. His offense is rounding back into form after that rib injury that knocked him out of action for 16 games, with one goal against the Blue Jackets on Sunday and two on Tuesday against Winnipeg.
Hansen still seems to be the guy who can bring out the best in the Sedins.
“He brings a lot of speed," Henrik told Jason Botchford about Hansen after the game, from the Province.
“A lot of our game is on instinct. We try to read where the D is going with the puck. We try to stay a step ahead.
“Sometimes, when you’re on your heels too much, it’s tough to get those reads and it’s tough to get to the right spot to use that (instinct) to our advantage.
“With his speed, he opens up a lot of room for us.
“A lot of times, you can just put a puck in his area and he can get on it and give us time to get to our spots.
“That is the main thing.…
One would think that approach could also be effective on the woeful power play, which is currently 26th in the league at 14.3 percent. But Hansen can rationalize Willie Desjardins' choice not to use him in that role. “It’s a lot of ice time if I have to penalty kill, power play and play with the Sedins, and still not cheat and cut corners.…
Do you think he'd be less effective if he had another role added to his nightly duties?
The Canucks put the game away at the 6:41 mark of the third, when Sven Baertschi blocked a Dustin Byfuglien slap shot to create a fast break for himself.
A goal so nice, it's worth watching twice. Or 10 times. pic.twitter.com/4ipn3qDJ08
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 21, 2016
Baertschi had some other good chances, too. He finished the night with a team-high four shots on goal and has put up points in all four games since his healthy scratch against Washington back on December 11.
Speaking of team highs, how 'bout Luca Sbisa? He led all Canucks with a team-high 25:05 and was a plus-two for the night. Sbisa's average ice time is currently 17:54 per game, but that number is rising quickly. Since Alex Edler went down to his injury in Colorado on November 26, Sbisa has logged at least 20 minutes in six of 12 games—a stretch where Vancouver has gone 6-5-1. Along the way, Sbisa has picked up a goal and four assists in those 12 games—and been a plus five. Safe to say that he has played his best hockey as a Canuck over the last month?
As for the Jets—captain Blake Wheeler was flying, with six shots on goal, but there wasn't much spark from the rest of the team. The Jets have a reputation for playing a hard-hitting, heavy game—they're still the second-most penalized team in the league, behind Calgary. Vancouver is 27th in that category but it was the Canucks that took five minors on Tuesday, tying their season high, while Winnipeg was penalized just three times.
Hits were inconsequential, too, at 17-14 in Winnipeg's favour. Dustin Byfuglien, Marko Dano and Brandon Tanev were credited with three hits apiece for the Jets, while Alex Biega led the way with five hits for Vancouver, followed by three from Nikita Tryamkin.
Just a little shove. pic.twitter.com/hKcHmvuSYA
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 21, 2016
If the Jets keep their intensity level on the low setting in the rematch on Thursday, the Canucks will have a legitimate shot at sweeping this mini-series and catching Winnipeg in the standings heading into the holiday break.
With the way their schedule has gone this season, it only makes sense that Vancouver will play one more set of back-to-back games before Christmas—heading to Calgary on Friday after they finish up with Winnipeg.
As a result, today's a team day off. No practice, no new quotes. I don't imagine we'll see any lineup changes for Thursday's game. My only question is whether Willie Desjardins will turn back to Markstrom for another go-round?