The Vancouver Canucks fell 2-0 to the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their three-game homestand with a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers. Thatcher Demko stopped 23 of the 24 shots he faced, while Jonathan Quick picked up the 22-save shutout. With the loss, the Canucks drop to 5-6-0 and 2-3-0 at Rogers Arena.
For the second straight game, Vancouver finished down a player as Conor Garland did not play in the third period. Other players who missed this game due to injury are Nils Höglander, Derek Forbort, Teddy Blueger, Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Victor Mancini and Quinn Hughes. Post-game, Head Coach Adam Foote did not have an update on Garland as he was still being evaluated.
As for the game itself, it took the team a while to find its legs. Vancouver had four shots in the first, but were able to triple that total in the third with 12. Ultimately, the Canucks' late push was not enough, as New York iced the game with an empty-net goal.
"Yeah, it was tight," said Thatcher Demko post-game. "You could tell both teams really wanted to win. I thought they were probably a hair quicker than us the first half, and then we gave a pretty good effort there in the third to make a push and get back in the game. Just couldn't find it. We had a ton of loose pucks kind of laying around the crease there, and just couldn't find one to put in the back in the net. But, yeah, it's disappointing."
One positive from this game was the penalty kill, which went a perfect three-for-three. Vancouver did a good job pressuring the Rangers, limiting New York to just three shots. The Canucks also found ways to create offence while shorthanded, testing Quick twice while down a player.
On the opposite side, the power play continues to struggle. Vancouver had three opportunities, but only generated three shots on goal. Tuesday was a prime example of how valuable Hughes is with the man advantage, as the Canucks power play looked stagnant against the Rangers.
Tuesday was also the NHL debut for defenceman Tom Willander. The 2023 first-round pick played 12:37 and finished with two shots on goal. Overall, Tuesday can be considered a successful for Willander as he did not look out of place during his first game in the NHL.
The main takeaway from this game is that Vancouver needs to find a way to get going from the opening puck drop. This issue is not a new one, with first periods being an issue for the Canucks since last year. Now headed on the road for three straight, the hope is Vancouver can get some of these key players back from injuries sooner rather than later.
Stats and Facts:
- Marcus Pettersson records the 11th fight of his NHL career
- Thatcher Demko has recorded a save percentage of above .900 in six of his seven starts this season
- Filip Hronek led all players in ice time at 28:33
- Lukas Reichel led the team with four shots on goal
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
17:28- NYR: Mika Zibanejad (4) from Will Cuylle and Adam Fox
2nd Period:
No Scoring
3rd Period:
18:25- NYR: Sam Carrick (1) from Alexis Lafrenière and Adam Fox (ENG)
Up Next:
The Canucks will once again hit the road, starting with a Thursday night matchup with the St. Louis Blues. Vancouver and St. Louis have already played once this season, with the Blues defeating the Canucks 5-2. Game time is scheduled for 5:00 pm PT and will be broadcast on Sportsnet.
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