Instant Reaction: Canucks lose 5-4 in OT vs. Avalanche after gutsy comeback effort<\/p>\n
Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at\u00a0CanucksArmy<\/a>\u00a0where we give you our instant reaction to tonight\u2019s\u00a0Vancouver Canucks<\/a>\u00a0game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!Starting Lineup<\/p>\n Warmup #Canucks<\/a> lines vs. @Avalanche<\/a> <\/p>\n Kane. EP40. Garland. Hughes. Hronek. \ud83e\udd45Lankinen\ud83e\udd45 <\/p>\n 7pm on @Sportsnet650<\/a> <\/p>\n sportsnet.ca\/650<\/a> <\/p>\n First Period<\/p>\n The Colorado Avalanche are a very good team, particularly at creating chances off the rush. Unfortunately for the Canucks, that was quickly made apparent. Cale Makar (drafted after the Avs finished with the NHL\u2019s worst record in 2016-17) burst up the ice and Nathan MacKinnon (who the Avalanche drafted immediately after posting the NHL\u2019s second-worst record in 2012-13) opened the scoring in this one.<\/p>\n Nathan MacKinnon opens the scoring for Colorado. <\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5: Sportsnet | #Canucks<\/a> <\/p>\n 1-0 Avalanche.\u00a0<\/p>\n Before I even had time to write that friendly reminder that real short-term pain often leads to long-term gain, the Avs got the first power play of the game. And you can guess how well that went.<\/p>\n Nathan MacKinnon scores his second goal of the 1st period. <\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5: Sportsnet | #Canucks<\/a> <\/p>\n 2-0 Avalanche.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Canucks got a power play chance of their own. Elias Pettersson ripped a wrist shot off the post, and that was the Canucks\u2019 first unit\u2019s best chance. The second unit did some good work, with Linus Karlsson creating a good chance for himself. After the penalty expired, Quinn Hughes stayed out and danced all over the offensive zone. Truly, Hughes was remarkable, just like he was in the third period last night. So naturally, he didn\u2019t get a point on this between-the-legs goal from Linus Karlsson:<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 CANUCKS GOAL \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n Linus Karlsson goes between the legs for his first goal of the season! <\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5: Sportsnet | #Canucks<\/a> <\/p>\n 2-1.\u00a0Quite the move from Karlsson!<\/p>\n Cale Makar gave the Canucks their second power play of the game when he tackled Conor Garland after a whistle. Brock Boeser ripped a shot that didn\u2019t stick to Mackenzie Blackwood \u2014 which was quickly becoming a theme in the first period \u2014 and Elias Pettersson nearly buried the rebound. That was the Canucks\u2019 best chance of the two-minute sequence as they trailed heading into the second.<\/p>\n Some more takeaways from the first: Second Period<\/p>\n In the second period, the Kiefer Sherwood show continued. After falling over while battling for a puck on the forecheck, Sherwood benefited from a fortunate bounce that left the puck loose in front, and he made no mistake in sliding home his 10th goal of the season.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8CANUCKS GOAL\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n Kiefer Sherwood scores his 10th goal of the season and ties this game! <\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5: Sportsnet | #Canucks<\/a> <\/p>\n 2-2.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the game tied and the Canucks continuing to lead on the shot clock, the Canucks got another power play to work with. The Canucks created some good chances and generated some serious momentum, but ultimately couldn\u2019t score once again. They didn\u2019t have to wait long for their next chance though, as Conor Garland drew another penalty.\u00a0Again, the Canucks\u2019 power play looked dangerous, and again, they couldn\u2019t score.<\/p>\n This one was tied heading into the third.<\/p>\n Some takeaways from the second: Third Period<\/p>\n 28 seconds into the third, Brent Burns found Arturri Lehkonen in the slot, who deflected the hard pass from Burns up and over Lankinen.<\/p>\n Artturi Lehkonen puts the Avalanche up by one early in the 3rd period. <\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5: Sportsnet | #Canucks<\/a> <\/p>\n 3-2 Avs.<\/p>\n Kevin Lankinen made some great saves shortly after this goal to keep the Canucks within one. The Canucks built some serious momentum on the next couple of shifts, as Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes worked with multiple forward lines to tilt the ice in the Canucks\u2019 favour. The Abby line, in particular, turned in a great shift in which they came close to tying this one up. That momentum was quickly killed when Evander Kane took an offensive zone tripping penalty.<\/p>\n Despite that though, the Canucks scored the game\u2019s next game, as Drew O\u2019Connor moved in on the rush and sniped a shot past Mackenzie Blackwood for his fourth goal of the season.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8CANUCKS GOAL\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n Drew O’Connor scores a short handed beauty to tie this game! <\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5: Sportsnet | #Canucks<\/a> <\/p>\n 3-3.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tom Willander was called for holding shortly after the Kane penalty expired, putting the Avs right back on the power play. You can only play with fire for so long.<\/p>\n Artturi Lehkonen scores his second goal of the game. It’s 4-3 Avs <\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5: Sportsnet | #Canucks<\/a> <\/p>\n 4-3 Avalanche.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Canucks worked hard to even this game up again, and it was a thoroughly entertaining finish to what had already been a very entertaining game. To make things more interesting, Gabriel Landeskog took an uncharacteristic cross-checking penalty to put the Canucks on the power play again. And this time, the Canucks broke through.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8CANUCKS GOAL\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n JAKE DEBRUSK TIES THIS GAME WITH AN UNBELIEVABLE TIP! <\/p>\n
\nBoeser. Reichel. Sherwood.
\nO\u2019Connor. R\u00e4ty. DeBrusk.
\nBains. Sasson. Karlsson.<\/p>\n
\nMP29. Myers.
\nEP25. Willander.<\/p>\n
-It\u2019s been a slow start for Hughes (by his standards, of course), but he\u2019s begun to show signs of dramatically tilting the ice in the Canucks\u2019 favour once again. A great first period from him.
-I loved the Canucks\u2019 strategy of getting plenty of shots onto Mackenzie Blackwood, who is still just getting his feet wet this season.<\/p>\n
-Nice to see Elias Pettersson shooting the puck.
-Filip Hronek deserves a lot more love for how good he\u2019s been this season.
-Conor Garland. Great player.<\/p>\n