Canucks allowed two power-play goals in a 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars.
Special teams were the difference as the Vancouver Canucks (45-20-8) fell 3-1 to the Dallas Stars (46-19-9) on Thursday night. Dallas was able to capitalize twice on the power play, including the game-winner, while Vancouver went 0-3 with the man advantage. With the loss, the Canucks miss an opportunity to secure a playoff spot, with their next chance to clinch coming on Saturday, depending on the results of both the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild games.
While Vancouver played well at even strength, their inability to produce on the power play cost them. They only managed four shots in six minutes with the man advantage while also struggling to create good looks with the goaltender pulled. The Canucks also had a hard time clearing the puck on the penalty kill, which ultimately led to the Stars' first goal of the game. Overall, Vancouver put forward a strong effort but, ultimately, made some costly mistakes in their loss to Dallas.
Quotes
Dakota Joshua on returning to the lineup:
"It was nice to get out there and battle again. Just be with the guys and go through the ups and downs of the game."
Dakota Joshua on the Canucks special teams performance:
"As it gets tight here, in the playoffs and down the stretch, it's important. It's stuff to work on, but our team has all the confidence in those guys to pull through when it matters, and that's what they will do."
Rick Tocchet on the Canucks defensive game at five-on-five:
"That team (Dallas) is one of the best at shooting for sticks. I thought we, for the most part, did a pretty good job. That's a tough team to play against because they are very good at that. You should watch that team, how they present their sticks. They play it hard. I thought we defended half-decent, to be honest. It's a 1-1 game with three minutes left, so it wasn't too bad, the defending part."
Rick Tocchet on the Canucks power play:
"It's too mechanical. I've said it all year; it's got to be organic. When somebody passes, it's on. It's probably the hardest thing I've had this year is trying to get this group to make it. It's too mechanical. We need a little more taking pucks to the net, or a back-door play, or a one-timer from the point with traffic. That's something we're chipping away at. Actually, the last couple of weeks, it's been a little bit better. We had a couple good looks; now you have to score, though. If you get a couple of shots in the slot, you got to make that shot."
Facts and Stats
- J.T. Miller hits the 35-goal mark for the first time in his career
- The Canucks record drops to 24-8-4 at home this season
- Vancouver is held to one goal or fewer for the 12th time this season
- The Canucks have recorded a faceoff win percentage of 50% or higher in nine of their last ten games
Scoring Summary
1st Period
DAL: 18:48- Roope Hintz (27th) from Jason Robertson and Jamie Benn (PPG)
2nd Period
VAN: 7:39- J.T. Miller (35th) from Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger
3rd Period
DAL: 16:52- Jamie Benn (18th) from Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz (PPG)
DAL: 17:57- Jason Robertson (27th) from Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz (ENG)
Canucks Next Opponent
Up next for Vancouver will be a divisional battle against the Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks are 2-0 this season versus the Ducks and will be going for the season sweep on Sunday. Game time is set for 12:30 PM PT from Rogers Arena.
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