Canucks fall 4-2 to Jets in game filled with playoff-like emotion

The first period was low-event and relatively quiet, but both goaltenders were up to the task when called upon. In other words, both coaches were going to be very happy after the opening 20 minutes of play.

So naturally, the second period was jam-packed with action. Bad officiating, a fight, more bad officiating, and the refs basically handing the Jets a lead despite the Canucks outplaying them quite handily. The second period played all the hits.

Let’s break it down. First, Noah Juulsen opened the scoring with his first goal since 2018:

Shortly after the Canucks opened the scoring, the penalty shenanigans started. First, it was Nils Höglander “high-sticking” Neal Pionk.

No word yet whether or not Pionk is picking up Academy Award recognition for the performance on this one. On the ensuing power play, the Jets managed to get one past Demko to tie up this game at one.

Just minutes after that, Adam Lowry hit Nils Aman into the boards, with Phil Di Giuseppe jumping in to defend his teammate.

Despite Adam Lowry literally dropping his gloves before PDG does, Di Giuseppe was given an instigator penalty and a game misconduct. And on the ensuing power play — you guessed it — the Jets scored to take a 2-1 lead.

The Canucks got a power play of their own after Brendan Dillon hit Elias Pettersson from behind, but the next Canucks goal didn’t come on the power play. No, it came on a Tyler Myers backhand after a toe drag:

Now, the 21-15 shot total in favour of the Canucks at this point really didn’t tell the full story of just how well the Canucks were playing in this game. They were hounding the Jets on the forecheck, and looked like the better in a team in a game between two of the best teams in the league.

This was yet another game for the Canucks that had a playoff-like intensity, and we saw some of that playoff-like passion at the end of the second period:

Heading into the third with these two teams tied at two, we were bound to see a wild finish tonight. You had some big saves, adding to the Vezina showdown storyline:

You had some good old-fashioned chaos with the Canucks on the power play:

And of course, we saw some intense physicality between these two teams. Noah Juulsen, never afraid to throw his body, did just that and unfortunately, this decision left some space through the middle for the Jets’ top line to exploit:

The Jets’ top line benefitted from another unfortunate bounce for the Canucks — this time with Elias Lindholm and Elias Pettersson colliding in the neutral zone — and put the Jets up by two, seemingly in the blink of an eye.

And that would be all she wrote.

Tonight, the Canucks’ lacklustre power play, a couple of untimely mistakes, the NHL’s inconsistent officiating, and Connor Hellebuyck led the Jets to victory. The Canucks outplayed the Jets in just about every area of the ice, and I suppose the PDO machine sometimes works against you.

Tonight’s final score: 4-2 Jets.

What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game?