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Canucks suffer frustrating Game 2 loss to Predators

Trevor Beggs
Trevor Beggs
|
Apr 24 2024, 4:50 am
Canucks suffer frustrating Game 2 loss to Predators
Bob Frid/USA TODAY Sports


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Here’s hoping the Vancouver Canucks got all of their bad luck out in one day.

After losing both Thatcher Demko and Tyler Myers prior to the game, the Canucks also lost Game 2 to the Nashville Predators 4-1 at Rogers Arena. The series is now tied 1-1.

Every loss is frustrating, but this one brought forth another level of pain. That’s largely because the Canucks had a few five-alarm scoring chances where they failed to capitalize.

“We had six glorious chances to score,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters post-game. “If we score on three of them, we’re good.”

Pius Suter missed an open net on a tap-in early in the third period. Dakota Joshua had an open net during a scramble in the crease shortly thereafter but failed to score.

However, Elias Pettersson’s open-net miss was the most frustrating of them all. On a late first-period power play, Pettersson missed an open net on a one-timer.

That play encapsulated what was a frustrating night all around for the Canucks.

Pettersson also had another glorious chance to score on the power play later in the game. In the second period, he tipped a J.T. Miller slap pass that beat Predators goaltender Juuse Saros, but not the post.

“I’m my biggest critic and I take a lot of blame for this one,” Pettersson said following the loss.

“Petey is a young kid, and this is his first taste of pressure.” Tocchet told reporters. “This is good for him. He’s gotta learn, he’s gotta dust himself off and be ready for Game 3.”

Despite the praise, Tocchet did offer some advice to Pettersson.

“Heā€™s gotta shoot the puck and heā€™s gotta be decisive.”

Tocchet added to the frustration post-game when he mentioned that Demko is considered “week-to-week” with his reported knee injury. The Canucks bench boss also confirmed that Myers missed the game because of the flu.

DeSmith chant backfires

Canucks fans brought the energy once again at the beginning of Game 2.

With news that Demko was out and backup Casey DeSmith was starting, Canucks fans broke out in a “let’s go Casey” chant in the first minute of the game.

It was a nice thought. However, it certainly wasn’t the start that DeSmith envisioned.

While the crowd was chanting “Let’s go, Casey,” former Canucks forward Anthony Beauvillier tipped a harmless-looking shot from Filip Forsberg on goal, which fooled DeSmith and went into the net.

“I didn’t see the guy’s stick in the lane,” DeSmith said postgame. “That was a tough way to start.”

Tocchet gave DeSmith the benefit of the doubt.

“That’s a tough situation but Casey was fine.”

The stat line didn’t look great for DeSmith, who allowed three goals on 15 shots. You could say that he gave up too many rebounds, and a lack of rebound control (coupled with a Pettersson turnover) cost him on the Predators’ third goal.

However, there was nothing he could do on Nashville’s second goal, as Forsberg reminded us why he scored 48 goals during the regular season.

Kiefer Sherwood scored Nashville’s fourth goal into an empty net.

Tocchet calls Canucks “reluctant”

There were certainly positives to take away from this game for the Canucks.

By the time the game was done, the Canucks had 84 shot attempts on goal to just 37 for Nashville.

However, they only got 18 of those shots on net. The Predators blocked 33 shots overall. Nikita Zadorov scored the Canucks’ only goal of the game.

“We controlled a lot of play, we’ve just got to bear down,” Miller told reporters, “We don’t want to get away off Canucks hockey. We’ve just gotta keep playing our game. I think we’re close and itā€™s not the time to panic, thatā€™s for sure.”

Although the Canucks dominated possession, Tocchet suggested that the Canucks could have been sharper with their in-zone decision-making.

“You go north [with the puck], thatā€™s when you get teams in trouble,” Tocchet said. “Four shots after the first period, it wasn’t much, and I thought we were reluctant to shoot the puck in the first period. Really reluctant.”

However, the head coach alluded to the fact that the Canucks tend to bounce back quickly after games like this.

“We come back pretty well after a frustrating game, and weā€™re going to rely on that resolve that we had this year moving forward.”

Game 3 takes place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Friday at 4:30 pm PT.

Trevor BeggsTrevor Beggs
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