Monday November 25: Los Angeles Kings 3 Vancouver Canucks 2 (OT)
I'll buy what Torts is selling after this game. The Canucks did a lot of things right on Monday night but a couple of late breakdowns cost them the win.
Here are your highlights:
I've complained in the past about Vancouver going to sleep in the third period. Playing their third game in four nights on Monday, a late-game letdown could have been expected. They almost managed to press through before giving up wide-open chances to Mike Richards, who tied the game, and Anze Kopitar, who won it.
The Kings came out of an even but choppy first period with a 1-0 lead after Kyle Clifford converted on a two-on-one. In the second, L.A. dug into their old playoff bag of tricks and started getting chippy, leading to a parade of penalties.
Daniel Sedin made the NHL.com video highlights after losing a tooth on a Jake Muzzin high-stick just 21 seconds into the frame. Click here to watch. Daniel showed some impressive toughness when he stayed on the ice for the ensuing power play, unfazed by his new dental situation.
The Kings continued to show their nasty side as the Canucks outshot them 13-2 in the second. Events reached a climax midway through the period when Henrik Sedin was sandwiched at the blue line by Jordan Nolan and Jarrett Stoll. Henrik took a knee to regroup after what could have been a devastating impact, but didn't miss a shift.
There was no penalty on the play, but these Canucks didn't take kindly to the abuse of their captain. When the tough guys from both sides lined up for a faceoff after an icing call with 5:28 to go in the second, Tom Sestito and Zack Kassian had a little chat with Dan Carcillo and Nolan before the puck was dropped, then mayhem quickly ensued.
Fists started flying over by the penalty box, with Jordan Nolan and Ryan Stanton emerging as the main event. Despite being outmatched and taking a couple of serious shots early on, Stanton hung in and was able to hold his own against the bigger Nolan, who Tortorella said after the game "suckered" Stanton because he was unwilling to match up against one of Vancouver's true tough guys.
During the Alain Vigneault years, the Canucks weren't great at making teams pay when they took liberties with Vancouver's top players. The Torts hockey playbook says that on-ice policing is a must. Sure enough, after the dustup, the Kings' shenanigans started to abate and the Canucks moved forward with a little more swagger in their stride.
Less than three minutes after the fights, Chris Tanev tied the game at one on a low slapper from the point, finally giving Vancouver a tangible reward in a period where they dominated play. The Canucks took their first lead of the game seven minutes into the third after Willie Mitchell was whistled for holding—and I'm not sure I've ever seen Henrik Sedin so happy to score. A power-play goal to take a third-period league has been as rare as a sasquatch sighting in Vancouver this year.
Rather than sit on the lead, Vancouver continued to press, but the late breakdown allowed the Kings to tie and that was all she wrote. The Canucks didn't get another shot through the rest of regulation or overtime—paralyzed once again by the possibilities of what would go wrong as the Kings smelled blood.
The overtime loss gave the Canucks a record of 1-2-3 over the six-game homestand. They played as a team on Monday night and showed some impressive tenacity, but they need to regain their confidence and start believing in themselves again. Hopefully they can muster up some badly-needed goals—and wins—on their upcoming road trip.
Quick Hits:
- David Booth played his best game of the year in front of a press box that was overflowing with scouts on Monday night. He had five shots on goal and was involved in a late flurry with Jannik Hansen that almost gave the Canucks a 3-1 lead with three minutes to go.
Is Booth being showcased for a trade? His cap hit of $4.25 million over the next two seasons does match up nicely against Martin Erat, with a hit of $4.5 million and a contract that also expires after 2014-15. Erat was a reliable winger for the Nashville Predators for many years, but his production had already dropped off last season before he was traded to Washington at the deadline. He has played regularly, but has been a bust with the Caps and is now asking to be dealt.
Vancouver and Washington could do worse than to pull the trigger on this deal one-for-one, as long as expectations remain low on all sides. Neither player is contributing in his current situation; why not see if a change of scenery could get them going again?
- Lots of buzz about the NHL's new Canadian TV deal, which will see Rogers become the primary broadcast rights holder. CBC will still televise Hockey Night in Canada on Saturdays—under Rogers' editorial control—while TSN is shut out completely starting next year.
- Forbes.com announced their annual NHL franchise valuations on Monday, and Vancouver landed in fourth place—a lofty position considering the team's struggles on the ice and the empty seats we now see at every game.
I'll have more on both these topics tomorrow as the Canucks travel east to play Ottawa on Thursday.
Follow me on Twitter @pool88.