The Vancouver Canucks are focused on increasing their pace, being more aggressive during odd-man rushes, improving their conversion rates, and overcoming opponents. Given their talent, a forward-oriented strategy makes sense.
However, poor positioning and defense have contributed to an unexpected three-game losing streak to start the NHL season.
In their 4-1 defeat against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a challenging four-game road trip, the Canucks allowed too much time and space for the Lightning to establish their position and score at critical moments. This overshadowed a solid performance by Arturs Silovs, who kept the team competitive, especially in a second period where the Canucks showed more energy and control.
Winning or losing often hinges on mistakes made in one’s own zone. This is why the Canucks didn’t lose three consecutive games last season until their 58th game, a 3-1 defeat in Denver on February 20, as training camp and preseason emphasized positioning. Nonetheless, if a team isn’t prepared at puck drop, it can lead to a tough night, particularly in Tampa Bay.
“We weren’t ready to play in the first period,” stated Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. “It was only 1-0, but we didn’t win a single battle. We had some opportunities in the second and third periods, but you can’t let a team like that gain a two-goal lead. We need to start winning more battles. There are aspects of our game I appreciate, but we need players to put in more effort.
“We’re going into corners with the ends of our sticks, and this has been happening for a few games. We need to become grittier. Sometimes, when there’s a rebound, we find ourselves on the wrong side. We’re losing our focus.”
In the game, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, and Brandon Hagel scored for the Lightning, while Conor Garland netted a power-play goal in the third period for the Canucks, who were outshot 29-27.
Finding their legs, can’t find net
Sometimes, after a long flight, you just can’t seem to find your legs.
Even though the Canucks had two days in Tampa Bay before their game, that excuse feels a bit hollow. It took a strong penalty-killing effort to prevent the Lightning, who boasted the league’s top power play last season, from capitalizing on their four opportunities. The Canucks fell behind early and had to play catch-up.
“We just didn’t come out on time, which is unacceptable for the first game of a road trip. We put ourselves in a tough spot,” said Conor Garland, who recorded four shots and nine attempts. “If we had scored one late in the second period to make it 2-1, it would have changed the game against a team like that.
“We need to improve and tighten things up as a group, and we’ll be fine.”
The Canucks appeared sluggish and hesitant in the opening period, getting outshot 8-1 early on and falling behind within four minutes. However, Arturs Silovs made several acrobatic saves to keep the deficit from increasing until the team found their footing.
Despite not closing the gap, the Canucks showed determination. Their only goal came when Brock Boeser drove to the net, redirected the puck, and Garland banged in the rebound.
That goal was a reward for their efforts, but a four-minute high-sticking penalty to Jake DeBrusk took away crucial scoring time in the final 20 minutes. With Silovs pulled for an extra attacker late in the game, J.T. Miller had a strong shot that was saved by Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Brandon Hagel then found the net to seal the game.
The Canucks had several prime scoring chances in the second period, starting with Miller driving hard to the net and firing a backhand shot high. Rookie Aatu Raty had a breakaway opportunity but lost control of the puck. Danton Heinen also had a power play deflection that went over the net.
Elias Pettersson fought off a defender while circling the net and nearly scored on a wraparound attempt. Garland showed patience while driving to the net but hit the post, and Boeser had a clever redirect turned away. Quinn Hughes also struck iron as the Canucks outshot the Lightning 10-5 in that period.
Silovs keeps them in fight
When the lanky Latvian shrugged off his season-opening performance, where he allowed an unusual six goals, saying he had a “few things to clean up,” it was so typical of Arturs Silovs. He remained cool and unflustered, keeping things in perspective and not letting a rough outing affect him or worry the coaching staff. In the unpredictable nature of a season, there are both forgettable nights and reminders of what brought you to the NHL.
To prevent any lingering issues, head coach Rick Tocchet ensured Silovs was back in net after Kevin Lankinen started the second game. Silovs quickly rewarded that faith. The Lightning came out strong, and he faced 11 shots in the opening period, many of which were Grade A chances. He demonstrated calmness, staying square to the shots, and even showed off some acrobatic saves.
He executed a quick post-to-post move to deny Brayden Point on a cross-ice pass from Jake Guentzel, made a sharp left-pad save on Anthony Cirelli, and showcased his agility to block a hard shot, sending the puck over the net. Despite the pressure, the Canucks struggled and were being outshot 8-1, leading to a few icings.
Silovs was eventually beaten when Noah Juulsen lost an edge in his own zone, allowing Nikita Kucherov to score from a cross-ice feed. The Lightning continued to apply pressure in the second period, and Guentzel found Point in the faceoff dot, where Point quickly fired a shot past Silovs to make it 2-0, as Tampa Bay led 16-9 in shots.
The turning point came when Cirelli gained position on Tyler Myers down low and scored on his second attempt just moments into the third period, extending the lead to three goals.
“He was fine,” Tocchet said. “I’m not sure I liked the second goal (Point), so I’ll have to take a closer look at that one.”
Kucherov knows when to shine
Do you remember the All-Star Weekend skills competition in Toronto? Nikita Kucherov went through the motions with an air of complete disinterest, almost as if he’d rather be lounging on a beach. But that’s the thing about the Lightning winger—when the moment is right and the game is on the line, he shines. He ended up leading the league in scoring with an impressive 144 points (44 goals and 100 assists).
Last year, during a game against the Canucks at home, Kucherov scored two quick goals to break a 2-2 tie, helping secure a 4-3 victory. In Tuesday’s game, he made his presence felt again, registering five shots and 11 attempts.
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