Vancouver was held to one goal for the second time in the last three games.
Vancouver was held to one goal for the second time in the last three games.
The Vancouver Canucks (24-11-3) kicked off their seven-game road trip with a disappointing 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues (19-17-1). This was just the fifth time all season the Canucks have lost in regulation when scoring first, with the last occurrence coming on Nov. 22, 2023, against the Colorado Avalanche. Vancouver also recorded their lowest faceoff win percentage in a game so far this season, winning 31.9% of the draws.
Arguably, the most significant talking point from this game was that Andrei Kuzmenko was a healthy scratch for the fifth time this season. After scoring twice against the San Jose Sharks before the holiday break, the Russian winger failed to register a point in the last two games and saw his ice time drop below 12 minutes versus the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. While he has struggled offensively this season, he is a talented player who could have helped both on the power play and late in the game with the empty net.
Head coach Rick Tocchet on his team's performance against the Blues:
"We got to get some guys going. I thought we had some guys going, some guys weren't. We had some chances we didn't bury, but that's what happens. They get the goal, and we are trying to tie it up. Back to the drawing board. Get a good practice in tomorrow and move along here."
Ultimately, this looked like a game where the Canucks were overthinking and could not get the puck on the net. Despite having the net pulled for over three minutes at the end of the game, Vancouver could only manage one shot on goal despite holding the puck in the offensive zone for the majority of the time. It is tough to score if you don't shoot, which is a lesson Vancouver should take away from this game.
Stats and Facts
- Dakota Joshua, Teddy Blueger and Conor Garland have combined for 33 points (12 G, 21 A) in their last 13 games
- Vancouver held their opponent to two goals or fewer for the 19th time this season
- The Canucks recorded double-digit takeaways for the sixth time this season
- Thatcher Demko has made 30 or more saves in three of his past four games
Scoring Summary
1st Period
VAN: 1:57- Conor Garland (4th) from Teddy Blueger and Dakota Joshua
2nd Period
STL: 4:22- Colton Parayko (7th) from Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou
3rd Period
STL: 8:03- Robert Thomas (16th) from Scott Perunovich and Pavel Buchnevich
Canucks Next Opponent
Up next for Vancouver will be a battle against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday afternoon. Nicknamed the Hughes Bowl, New Jersey took the first meeting 6-5 in early December. Game time is set for 4:00 PM PT from the Prudential Center.
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