Canucks Kick Off California Road Trip With 4-1 Loss To The Kings

The Vancouver Canucks extended their losing streak to four as they fell 4-1 to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. Marcus Pettersson scored the only goal, beating Anton Forsberg for his third of the season. As for Nikita Tolpoilo, he stopped 22 of the 26 shots he faced in the loss. 

This game could be considered a step in the right direction, as the Canucks played a lot better than they did on Tuesday. Vancouver managed 25 shots on net, with nine coming in the third period. Ultimately, they did put forth a decent effort, even if the result did not go their way on Thursday night. 

Defensive breakdowns once again plagued Vancouver in this game. The first goal against involved puck watching instead of tying up Adrian Kempe right outside the crease, while the game-winner was a case of no one checking Kempe in the slot. While there were not a ton of defensive errors, the ones that occurred proved costly as they found their way into the back of the net. 

As for Tolopilo, he had a decent game in net. He came up big in the middle frame with 11 saves on 12 shots, but arguably should have stopped the Kings' second goal. After a couple of bad starts, Tolopilo looks to be improving, which is what should be the focus of every young player on this team over the final few games of the season. 

Faceoffs were also an issue in the game. As a team, Vancouver won 37% of the 49 draws, while Elias Pettersson went four for 18 on the night. While faceoffs aren't the most important aspect of the game, the Canucks need to do a better job in the dot, especially in the defensive zone, where they won just four of 11 draws. 

Lastly, the offence once again struggled to produce. With tonight's result, Vancouver has now been held to one goal or fewer in 20 games this season. While it was encouraging to see the Canucks get 25 shots on net, everyone on the team needs to do a better job of finding ways to put the puck in the net. 

In the end, games like the one on Thursday night are positive because they show that this group is not just in run-out-the-clock mode. While they may be outmatched, the players are fighting hard even when down by multiple goals. With four more games to go, the hope is that Vancouver can maintain the same level of effort, even if the results don't go their way. 

- Canucks have now allowed 113 goals in the second period this season

- Brock Boeser passes Pavel Bure and into sole possession of eighth all-time in franchise history for points with 479.

- Marcus Pettersson scores in his 600th career game

- Vancouver's 48 regulation losses are the second-most in franchise history

1st Period:

1:29- LAK: Adrian Kempe (33) from Brandt Clarke and Artemi Panarin
14:17- VAN: Marcus Pettersson (3) from Brock Boeser and Liam Öhgren
15:48- LAK: Joel Armia (13) from Scott Laughton

2nd Period:

19:31- LAK: Adrian Kempe (34) from Joel Edmundson and Artemi Panarin

3rd Period: 

9:17- LAK: Trevor Moore (12) from Alex Laferriere and Mikey Anderson

Up Next:

The Canucks continue their California trip as they visit the San Jose Sharks on Friday. Vancouver has yet to beat San Jose this season, going 0-3 through the first three matchups. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT. 

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