The Canucks had a real chance to make something out of a brutal night on the schedule, and for 50 minutes in Florida, they looked like they might pull it off.
On game five of a six-game road trip through some of the NHL’s toughest Eastern Conference opponents, Vancouver had its moments. They were outplayed in the first period, sure, but they didn’t cough up an early goal, and they even jumped out to a 2-0 lead against the run of play. For long stretches after that, they didn’t look like a team getting overwhelmed.
Then the Panthers did what contending teams do. They kept coming. Brady Tkachuk’s shot was the difference-maker all night, and all three of his goals - including the overtime winner - came off it.
The Canucks skated off frustrated, but head coach Manny Malhotra will have plenty to point to when he talks to his group afterward. They had enough good stretches to believe they deserved more than a 3-2 overtime loss.
The game also turned on a sequence that left Vancouver fuming. Right before Tkachuk scored his first goal, he took a shift that should have landed him in the penalty box after a slash on a Canuck during the backcheck and then a late hit in the neutral zone. Instead, he stayed on the ice, and the Panthers kept rolling.
The Canucks may not be a great team, but they deserved better from the officials in that moment.
There was more to like than just the fight. After getting pushed around in front of their net early, Vancouver settled things down and cleaned up the dangerous area in front of Leevi Merilainen. That had been a trouble spot in other games this season, but not this time.
They also kept Florida off the power-play scoreboard and even did a better job than usual of cutting out cross-ice passes. Those are the kinds of details that matter, especially against a team built to punish mistakes.
Merilainen, meanwhile, got a chance to show why so many people around the league were excited about him as a prospect. The young Finn kept giving the Canucks a chance to hang around, and his performance fit with what the defence in front of him was able to do.
If Vancouver can keep getting nights like this from its blue line, it gives its goalies a real shot to steal games.
There was plenty packed into the third period, too, and Elias Pettersson’s reaction after he just missed what would have been Vancouver’s third goal said a lot. The frustration on his face was obvious. That was the kind of chance he still needs to turn into a game-changing moment.
It was the sort of emotion that has been too rare over the last two seasons, and it mattered because these Canucks need those small edges if they’re going to finish games like this instead of looking back at what got away.
The other Pettersson kept building his case, too. The defenceman scored again and looked confident doing it, and that kind of all-around impact is exactly what Vancouver wants more of from its young defenders.
Tom Willander also turned in another solid game alongside Jamie Oleksiak, another piece the Canucks can point to as something to build on.
In Other News...
Flames Ugly Start Is Fueling Questions Calgary Fans Feared
A rough opening stretch has turned up the heat around the Flames in a hurry, with the early-season results doing little to quiet the conversation around Ryan Huska and the direction of the roster. Calgarys start has been ugly enough to put every decision under a brighter microscope, and the questions now are not just about the record, but about how quickly the team can steady itself before the noise grows louder.
There is also movement bubbling underneath the standings. Zach Whitecloud is drawing trade interest, Connor Zary has been placed on waivers and could be on the move, and Aydar Sunievs recall has at least given Calgary one early-season jolt in the right direction. For a fan base already uneasy about the start, the sense that roster changes may not be finished only adds another layer to a situation that has turned unexpectedly tense. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Rebuild Talk Now Centers On Intriguing Capitals Trade Targets
The Flames finally got their first win of the season, but the bigger picture still points well past the opening stretch. At 1-5-0, Calgary remains in the early stages of a rebuild, and the focus around the team has shifted to the kind of young talent that can help shape the next core, especially as some of the organizations own prospects continue to show signs of progress.
That is why Washington has come into the conversation. Around the league, the Capitals have been mentioned as a possible source of intriguing future pieces for Calgary, with Ivan Miroshnichenko and Andrew Cristall drawing attention as names worth monitoring. No deal has been reported, but the fit is part of a larger conversation about where the Flames can find upside, and which young players might eventually become available if Washingtons roster decisions force some tough choices. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Goalie Twist Flames Fans Should Watch
The Canadiens crease suddenly looks a lot different, and for the Flames, it is the sort of development worth tracking as the season moves along. Samuel Montembeault went down with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss 10 to 14 days, forcing Montreal to lean harder on its depth in goal while the team tries to keep itself steady through a stretch of uncertainty.
Jacob Fowler has already become part of that conversation after being recalled from the AHL and handed three starts, and he has answered with a 2-1 record, a 1.91 goals-against average and a shutout among those first outings. Jakub Dobes has struggled to hold the net, and the possibility of a three-goalie situation adds another layer of intrigue for a Canadiens team trying to sort out its goaltending picture before the picture gets any messier. [Read more 🡒]