There’s truly no love lost between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins. Infamously hated Brad Marchand received his regular treatment from the Boo-Birds whenever he touched the puck, and that started in the first minute of the game.
While Marchand is the only remaining player on either team to have appeared in that 2011 Stanley Cup Final, that animosity stems down to the current players today. Number one and two in NHL hits this season (Kiefer Sherwood and Mark Kastelic) suited up in this one; however, it was both of them who found themselves on the receiving ends of a couple of hits early in this game.
After being stuffed by Thatcher Demko in tight, Kastelic was knocked to the ice by Tyler Myers, which sent him to the penalty box and the Bruins to the power play just four minutes into the game. And the aforementioned Marchand quieted those Boo-Birds as he was left all alone in front of the net to bury the first goal of the game – holding his hand up to his ear to listen to the Boos in true toxic fashion.
1-0 Bruins.
Following the goal, the Canucks continued to allow the Bruins to cycle and dominate play in the offensive zone, with Mark Friedman and Erik Brännström caught on the ice against David Pastrnak. Both defencemen pinch towards Pastrnak, which leaves Morgan Geekie wide open in front of the net to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead just eight minutes into the game.
2-0 Bruins.
After what was probably their best 60-minute effort against the Florida Panthers, the Canucks’ opening 10 minutes of the game looked very much like it has for most of their home games this season: Slow with a lot of backpedalling and puck watching.
Head coach Rick Tocchet switched up his defensive pairings, which seemed to give the club a little bit of a spark, as they controlled play in the offensive zone for the following four minutes. But outside of a long-tip shot from Pius Suter, it was not very threatening.
In an effort to clear the rebound, Carson Soucy bats the puck out of mid-air and into the netting, sending the Canucks back to the penalty kill.
This penalty kill looked much better. The Canucks actually pressured the puck carrier, which helped in not allowing the Bruins to get set up, and they killed the penalty.
It wasn’t all bad in the opening frame, as Quinn Hughes, as always, gives us something to watch.
The first period was about as uneventful as one could imagine. The Canucks struggled to clear the zone, which led to them getting hemmed in their own end. And once they did, all they had left in the tank was to just dump and change. A big part of their game is generating off the forecheck, and they failed to do so. Vancouver finished with just four shots on goal in the opening frame.
The second period starts similarly to how the first period went. Friedman pinches along the boards, and Soucy comes to his side to pressure Pastrnak, which only gives Pavel Zacha so much open space in the middle of the ice to spring him on a partial breakaway and slides it through Demko’s five-hole.
3-0 Bruins.
If it weren’t for Thatcher Demko, this game could be 4-0 by this point. The Canucks get caught too deep into the zone that Marchand grabs the puck in his own faceoff circle and takes it for a 2-on-1 the other way. Demko made two massive saves to keep the Canucks getting scored on up a man.
We finally saw some life in the Canucks offensively, and it came just before the halfway mark of the game. The always-threatening duo of Carson Soucy and Teddy Blueger connect on a cross-crease pass where Blueger sends just wide. He then got another opportunity when he got the puck at the front of the net and sent a no-look bank hand shot off Jeremy Swayman’s pad.
Well, sometimes it just isn’t your night. The Canucks lose the puck in the defensive zone; Marc McLaughlin picks it up fires a weak shot toward the net, which gets tipped twice and ends up behind Demko.
4-0 Bruins.
The most life the Canucks showed to this point of the game was when JT Miller stood up for the Canucks captain when Marchand gave him a cross-check after the play.
Well, whatever intermission strategizing from the Canucks clearly didn’t work, as Pastrnak waltzes right into the offensive zone, takes the puck around the net and scores.
What was toughest to see here was the defensive play from Friedman. It’s hard to blame him for getting his stick caught up in Charlie McAvoy’s skates, but once it’s free and Pastrnak is swinging behind the net for a wrap-around attempt, he keeps one hand on the stick and doesn’t tightly grip the post to try and stuff the attempt.
5-0 Boston.
There really wasn’t much to cheer about if you’re a Vancouver Canucks fan in this game. However, everybody can get excited for somebody scoring their first NHL goal. Max Sasson followed up his wicked two-assist game by scoring his first goal in the league. Now, he wasn’t as celebratory as others given the 5-1 score, but regardless, it’s something he and his family will never forget.
After a rare misplayed puck from the Bruins in the defensive zone, Miller grabs the loose puck with speed. This pulls the defender his way and leaves Sasson open, who winds up his wrist shot and powers through Swayman’s five-hole.
5-1 Bruins.
The Canucks spent the remaining half-period generating chances in the offensive zone, but it was too little too late for Tocchet’s club as they dropped this game 5-1.
Some takeaways from tonight’s game:
– I think this might be the end of Mark Friedman in Vancouver for now. While Brännström didn’t have a great game, either, Friedman had too many mistakes. I can recall two instances in the second period where he turned the puck over while not being pressured, following that up on his next shift by blowing a tire and turning the puck over in the defensive zone. Not to mention the
– Derek Forbort was clearly missed. His ability to clear the net front was needed in this game, especially on the opening two goals.
– Don’t be worried about Thatcher Demko. He’s been playing well for a player returning from a lengthy absence, but he has not been getting helped by the play in front of him.
– They’re allowing too many odd-man rushes the other way, and it’s costing them.
– Sasson scored his first NHL goal. While it wasn’t a great game for the Canucks all around, he’s only further solidifying his spot in the Canucks’ lineup.
– Quiet night from Elias Pettersson and his line tonight. The line finishes pointless, with four shots on goal and a minus-five rating.
What are your thoughts on tonight’s game?
