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Canucks Post-Game Sixpack - Henrik Drops an F-Bomb

DH Vancouver Staff
DH Vancouver Staff
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Dec 19 2017, 9:53 pm
Canucks Post-Game Sixpack - Henrik Drops an F-Bomb

When the biggest contribution made by a Vancouver Canucks was the captain dropping an F-bomb and getting a penalty for it, you know the game didn’t end well against the San Jose Sharks.

The Canucks dropped yet another key game to a Conference rival, losing to the Sharks 5-1.

From start to finish, this was one of Vancouver’s worst efforts of the season. What makes it that much more embarrassing is the fact that the Sharks are a conference rival and played last night in Calgary so the Canucks should have been able to jump on a tired team.

Instead, the Sharks were all over the Canucks as if Vancouver played the night before in New York. It’s certainly disturbing that the Canucks put forth this kind of effort in the midst of a playoff push, but these kind of games have a way of prompting some much needed change, which I’m sure most fans will be anxiously awaiting as GM Jim Benning continues to work the phones looking to improve his team.

Final score:  Sharks 5 – Canucks 1

Canucks goals:

  1. Radim Vrbata (5th goal) – Assisted by Ryan Stanton

Sharks goals:

  1. Matt Irwin (4th goal) – Assisted by Matt Tennyson and Logan Couture
  2. Melker Karlsson (9th goal) – Assisted by Brent Burns
  3. Joe Pavelski (28th goal) – Assisted by Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau
  4. Chris Tierney (1st goal) – Assisted by Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic
  5. Andrew Desjardins (3rd goal) – Assisted by Chris Tierney and Danill Tarasov

 

1. The Canucks Weren’t Ready

In what has become a disturbing trend, the Canucks were not ready to start the game and could never catch up to San Jose the rest of the way.

Ryan Miller did his best to keep the Canucks in the game early with some incredible saves, but there is only so much he can do.

As the game continued, Vancouver couldn’t get anything together and looking unorganized and uninterested despite the fact that with a win, the Canucks would have moved into second place in the Pacific Division. Apparently that is not enough incentive for the Canucks to act like a coherent unit on the ice.

Frustrating is the key word, and especially at the end of the game where every Canuck just stood there and watched as San Jose scored their 5th goal of the game with five seconds left. Whatever pride Vancouver had at the beginning of the season seems to have evaporated.

 

2. Other than Radim Vrbata, the Offence is Gone

Unless the Buffalo Sabres are relocated to the Pacific Division, it looks like the Canucks are going to struggle to score goals unless there are changes to the lineup. And by changes to the lineup, I mean playing Radim Vrbata on every line:

 

3. The Defence is a Little Thin

We heard earlier today that both Chris Tanev and Frankie Corrado would miss the game against San Jose, and seeing what that left the Canucks with in terms of defence was scary.

It’s amazing how important Tanev has become to this team. When he’s not in the lineup and providing his patented calming presence, the defence seems to go off the rails and becomes a gigantic disaster.

Speaking of gigantic disasters, what is up with Dan Hamhuis?

Typically Vancouver’s best defenceman, Hamhuis has struggled since returning to the lineup. Hopefully it’s just a case of returning to form and getting his timing back after missing a significant amount of time on the injury reserve. If Tanev is out for a long period of time, they will need Hamhuis to figure himself out sooner rather than later.

Or this:

 

4. Henrik Sedin Took an Unsportsmanlike Penalty?

I’m sorry, what?

I would have loved to hear what Henrik had to say. Either Hank finally snapped or the refs, like Garry Valk is suggesting, are a little sensitive tonight and don’t realize it’s Henrik freakin’ Sedin talking to them.

If that’s the standard to which referees will call unsportsmanlike penalties from now on, then I think we might see a spike in three on three play in the NHL.

 

5. Not a Banner Night for the Officials

Let’s get this out of the way: the result of tonight’s game is definitely not the fault of the officials. The Canucks are losing games because they have no offence, their power play is terrible and the penalty kill has been in shambles since the all-star break.

Having said that, the officials are lucky their calls did not decide this game because I’m not sure what they were looking at. Especially with the call on Radim Vrbata in the third when Sharks goalie Antti Neimi initiated contact.

Again, it’s a good thing the game was already over at this point.

 

6. On the Bright Side

Bo Horvat has been exceptional over the past few weeks.

Although I’m sure the advanced stats tell the story of a player that probably shouldn’t have been in the National Hockey League this year, Horvat seems to be getting more comfortable as he gets more games under his belt.

Even more encouraging? Horvat is playing on the only line that appears to give a crap anymore.

Here’s the problem as John Tortorella would see it: If your fourth line is your best line, you’re in trouble.

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