The Vancouver Canucks fell 4-3 in overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes
The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their three-game road trip with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Max Sasson, Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland provided the goals while Kevin Lankinen stopped 34 of the 38 shots he faced. Notably, Vancouver was missing captain Quinn Hughes for this game, who is currently listed as day-to-day with an injury.
Lankinen was the reason the Canucks were able to pick up a point on Friday night. Vancouver was outshot 38-17, with Lankinen stopping all 18 shots he faced in the second period. Friday was easily Lankinen's best performance of the season, as he kept Vancouver in the game until the final whistle.
Special teams were once again a significant factor in this game. The power play went one for two, while their penalty kill allowed a goal on two attempts. The good news is that the Canucks penalty kill finished the night with an even rating as Pettersson was able to beat Pyotr Kochetkov shorthanded at the midway mark of the first period.
Vancouver's overtime strategy also warrants discussion. While the Canucks held the puck for the majority of overtime, their passive play resulted in only one shot, compared to four for the Hurricanes. Yes, possession is important, but Vancouver needs to find ways to open up shooting lanes, as their lack of shots ultimately cost them against Carolina.
As for a positive, Pettersson was the Canucks best skater on Friday night. EP40 scored a goal, recorded an assist and had three blocks, all while going 14 for 22 in the faceoff dot. With Hughes out of the lineup, Pettersson elevated his game, which is a good sign moving forward.
Friday also featured a concerning moment as Filip Hronek left late in the third period. As per Head Coach Adam Foote, he was pulled by the concussion spotter after taking an elbow to the head from Andrei Svechnikov. Hronek did not return to the game while the play went unpenalized.
While Vancouver was able to pick up a point on Friday, this park-the-bus style of hockey is unlikely to work in the long term. If not for Lankinen's outstanding performance, this game could have easily gotten out of hand by the end of the second period. Ultimately, this game falls into the category of a point stolen, as Carolina was the better team for the majority of the game.
Stats and Facts:
- Elias Pettersson records his eighth career shorthanded goal
- Canucks record an even strength, power play and shorthanded goal for the second time this season
- Marcus Pettersson sets a new career high for ice time at 30:23
- Vancouver records a season-high 29 blocked shots
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
2:45- VAN: Max Sasson (4) from Mackenzie MacEachern and Linus Karlsson
4:20- CAR: Andrei Svechnikov (5) from Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis
5:14- CAR: Andrei Svechnikov (6) from Shayne Gostisbehere and Nikolaj Ehlers (PPG)
9:14- VAN: Elias Pettersson (4) (SHG)
2nd Period:
3:13- VAN: Conor Garland (5) from Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson (PPG)
3rd Period:
6:26- CAR: Taylor Hall (4) from Shayne Gostisbehere and Andrei Svechnikov
Overtime:
4:29- CAR:
Sebastian Aho (7) from Shayne Gostisbehere
Up Next:
The Canucks continue their three-game road trip on Sunday as they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning. Last season, Tampa Bay picked up victories in both games and has won nine of its previous 10 games against Vancouver. Game time is scheduled for 2:00 pm PT.
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