The Vancouver Canucks fell 5-4 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.

While they pushed until the final whistle, the Vancouver Canucks could not find the equalizer late, falling 5-4 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Aatu Räty, Pius Suter, Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson provided the offence, while Artūrs Šilovs stopped 18 of the 23 shots he faced. The loss was the first by the Canucks on the road since October 15, snapping an eight-game winning streak away from Rogers Arena.

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The biggest talking point from this game will be the play of Šilovs, who allowed four goals on ten shots in the first period. While he eventually settled into the game, the score was already 5-1, with Vancouver needing to pull off a remarkable comeback just to secure a point. With a record of 1-4-1, while posting a save percentage above .900 in just one start, some time in the AHL for Šilovs may be exactly what the doctor ordered at this point of his career. 

Post-game, Rick Tocchet spoke about his goaltender, saying, "He's struggling. He's got a battle. He's got to get bigger in the net and battle. That's the NHL. It is what it is; you go to work tomorrow and get his game."

As for the Canucks as a whole, they need to be better during the first period. Yes, their goaltending put them in a hole, but they struggled to defend the crease and allowed the Penguins too much time and space to make plays. Overall, they looked like a tired team that only found their game in the third period. 

When asked about the team's performance post-game, Pettersson said, "I liked the battle back from us, but we can't come up with an effort like that to start and expect to win a game. Gotta be better and especially start on time. We didn't give Arty (Šilovs) any help back there."

Faceoffs also continue to be an issue for this team, as Vancouver won just 35% of the draws. They failed to win at least 40% in each of the three zones, with their 4-12 performance in the defensive zone being very problematic. While there were more pressing issues in this loss, the Canucks inability to win faceoffs since J.T. Miller left the lineup is a concerning trend that could have consequences later in the season.

While Vancouver deserves credit for fighting back in this game, there are some areas that need to be cleaned up. The Canucks did not play well in their own zone and had trouble defending against the rush. If Vancouver does not address these trends moving forward, life for their goaltenders will be very difficult for the rest of the season. 

Facts and Stats:

- Canucks allow four goals in the first period for the third time this season

- Conor Garland extends his point streak to six games

- Quinn Hughes records his 29th career game with at least three points

- Canucks record a faceoff win percentage under 36% for the third time this season

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

3:59- PIT: Blake Lizotte (3) from Ryan Shea and Drew O'Connor
8:52- VAN: Aatu Räty (2) from Max Sasson
12:53- PIT: Rickard Rakell (8) from Bryan Rust and Marcus Pettersson
15:14- PIT: Kevin Hayes (4) from Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson (PPG)
17:41- PIT: Bryan Rust (6) from Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson

2nd Period:

3:40- PIT: Bryan Rust (7) from Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson
13:40- VAN: Pius Suter (7) from Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek

3rd Period:

00:40- VAN: Quinn Hughes (5) from Elias Pettersson
18:14- VAN: Elias Pettersson (7) from Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes

Up Next:

The Canucks continue their six-game road trip with an afternoon matchup with the Buffalo Sabres. Last season, Vancouver swept the season series, which included a 1-0 win in Buffalo. Game time is set for noon PT on Friday from the KeyBank Center.