It looked so promising for the Vancouver Canucks after 40 minutes.
They had 35 shots on goal, their most through two periods this season. They seemed to be in control.
Then, it all fell apart, as the Canucks allowed five third-period goals in a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
“We doubled them in chances [through two periods],” Foote said following the loss. “We all saw that. [If] one goes in, pretty good chance we win that hockey game.”
Although the Canucks outshot Chicago 35-19 through two periods, they didn’t have a goal to show for their efforts.
Tyler Bertuzzi scored early in the third period, and the floodgates opened from there.
“A little mishap on the first one, we made a mistake, and then all of the sudden, I just think we got off a bit from there.”
“I don’t know if it was fatigue from the trip coming back, or we just overpressed.”
That wasn’t the first time that Foote would fall back on the fatigue theory.
“I think with the next couple of goals, I don’t know if it was mental fatigue, and then you let frustration set in,” the coach said.
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“We try to do too much… and that could happen in a game where you could easily be up three or four goals in the first two periods.”
Drew O’Connor did score for the Canucks in the second period. That would have been his third goal in three games, but it was called back for goaltender interference.
“We get one called back, and then you’re coming off a trip where you have fatigue, and then all of a sudden you might be mentally a little bit frustrated.”
After the Canucks surrendered the first goal, hope was still present in the building. They got pucks on net with ease during the first two periods, something this team has struggled with all season.
Then, Tyler Myers was called for interference less than three minutes after the opening goal of the game, which led to Bertuzzi burying his second of the night with the man advantage.
Tyler Bertuzzi scored from that exact spot twice against the Canucks on Wednesday. (Bob Frid/Imagn-Images)
“When goals are going in [on the penalty kill], it doesn’t matter what you say, it’s not what you want,” Foote said. “But, tonight was so different than the last couple of games, where I think it was a fatigue move.”
“There was a time where we went down and pressed, and then the next guy pressed, and the next guy pressed, and the moment was wrong. But the guys were trying to do the right thing, and that can happen with mental fatigue.”
We’ve heard Foote and the Canucks talk about the impact of a condensed schedule since training camp, and now we’re seeing it in real time.
While the Canucks have played a league-high 15 games (along with five other teams, including the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames), the condensed schedule isn’t unique to the Canucks.
Vancouver has also enjoyed the third-easiest schedule in terms of their opponents. Yet, they’ve only won seven of their first 15 games.
It won’t get any easier, as the Canucks have three games in four nights to end this homestand, with a back-to-back against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche coming up this weekend.