Sherwood scores a pair of goals as Canucks lose 5-2 Blues

First Period

The game didn’t have much flow off the hop. Both teams were disrupting the other in the neutral zone, and there was a lot of dump-and-fail-to-chase going on from both teams. Just under 10 minutes in however, the Blues opened the scoring. Elias Pettersson failed to keep a cycle alive in the offensive zone, fumbling his pass to the point and instead jumpstarting a St. Louis rush chance. The puck found its way to Jimmy Snuggerud, who made no mistake.

1-0 Blues. 

The Canucks had some good jump in their game after the opening goal, and it was Pettersson who set up Brock Boeser for the Canucks’ best chance of the period by batting down a clearing attempt before Jordan Binnington slid to his right and denied Boeser from scoring his third goal in as many games.

St. Louis swung momentum back in their favour late in the period, and the Canucks continuously icing the puck certainly didn’t help. All in all, the first period lacked flow, and aside from a few flashes, the Canucks were the worse team to start this one.

Some more takeaways from the first:

-I liked the idea of the Canucks going with Marcus Pettersson-Mancini and Elias Pettersson-Tyler Myers to round out their bottom four defence group, as opposed to having an all-youth pairing for DPetey and Mancini.

Second Period

The Canucks executed one of the worst line changes I’ve ever seen to start the second period, leading to a Blues breakaway chance that Kevin Lankinen turned aside. Unfortunately, Drew O’Connor failed to pick up Brayden Schenn, which left the Blues captain open to put the puck past Lankinen.

2-0 Blues. 

The Chytil line turned in a strong shift to start to swing momentum in the Canucks’ favour, and the Räty line continued that momentum. They were rewarded with a goal, as Räty battled at the net front and feathered a pass to Kiefer Sherwood, who banged home the Canucks’ first goal of the game on the backhand.

2-1. 

Elias Pettersson was called for hooking, giving the Blues the game’s first power play. The Canucks’ penalty kill had been perfect through their first two games of the season, going 7-for-7. This time, they were beaten.

3-1 Blues. 

Filip Hronek was called for hooking, giving the Blues another power play. Thankfully for the Canucks, Kiefer Sherwood’s give-a-you-know-what meter has been through the roof to start the new season. Sherwood, out on the penalty kill, asserted that the best defence is more offence. He moved in on a breakaway against Jordan Binnington, and pulled off a move that bottom six players don’t make very often.

3-2. 

Kiefer Sherwood chants rang through Rogers Arena, and the vibes were high once agai- annndddd the Canucks gave up another goal.

4-2. 

I want 23 Kiefer Sherwoods on this team.

Some more takeaways from the second:

-The line of O’Connor-Cootes-Lekkerimäki quickly became unplayable for Tocchet in the second. It seemed like every time they were out there, bad things were happening. They were hemmed in their own zone on multiple occassions, and saw their ice time dramatically decrease.
-Elias Pettersson’s ice time in the second period: 3:58. Meanwhile, Filip Chytil logged 5:34 of even-strength ice time. Just making observations here.
-Probably time to put Sherwood higher in the lineup.
-Really strong game and period for Aatu Räty. Really liked his work along the walls.

Third Period

The Canucks entered the third down by a pair of goals, and were being outshot 27-19 after 40 minutes. They needed a significant effort to come back in this game.

The Canucks’ top six got a shake-up in the second half of the second period, with Filip Chytil and Elias Pettersson swapping places. These lines both looked better to begin the third, as the Canucks started stacking some shifts on the Blues early. The Pettersson line nearly struck, but the Blues withstood the pressure long enough to spend some time in the Canucks’ end before Drew O’Connor was called for tripping to give the Blues another power play opportunity. The Canucks killed that one off, and got their first power play of the game.

Conor Garland came close, but the Canucks’ power play didn’t convert, and are still looking for their first goal of the season…

With just over three minutes remaining, the Canucks pulled their goalie in hopes of coming back in this one. Annnddd the Blues scored an empty netter from their own end after a shot block.

5-2.

Some takeaways from the third:

-Haven’t loved Evander Kane’s first three games with the Canucks. Don’t really like what he’s brought to the power play, in particular.
-The Canucks certainly look like a team still getting used to some new systems.

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