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Three-goal lead not enough for Canucks in overtime loss to Avalanche

Noah Strang
Noah Strang
|
Mar 14 2024, 5:09 am
Three-goal lead not enough for Canucks in overtime loss to Avalanche
Bob Frid/USA TODAY Sports

There were just nine seconds left in the tie game when Vancouver Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy went to clear the puck. What ensued was a mistake that would result in a 4-3 overtime victory for the Colorado Avalanche.

What was supposed to be a strong clear off the glass turned into the worst-case scenario for Soucy ā€” a two-minute minor.

The puck soared over the glass, granting the Avalanche a power play that would extend into overtime and eventually end the game.

In the extra frame, a shot took a few weird bounces, including a final one off Valeri Nichushkin, before falling behind Casey DeSmith to end the game.

The Canucks led 3-0 with just over 20 minutes left, but managed to blow the multi-goal lead on the way to a single point.

“We were a little hot potato,” said head coach Rick Tocchet about his team’s play late in the game. “We were kind of soft on the puck, mostly in the third. It’s a, hate to say it, but learning lesson. We need some guys to dig in on certain situations. We couldn’t get anybody to grab a puck for us and hold it.”

The Avalanche outshot the Canucks 17-3 in the third period on their way to erasing a two-goal deficit in the frame.

J.T. Miller dominated the first period and willed the Canucks to an early 2-0 lead. He was then the target of a brutal hit to the head from defenceman Josh Manson.

Manson was assessed just a two-minute minor for the play. Miller would skate off the ice on his own but went straight to the dressing room. He was back on the ice for the start of the second period.

“It’s fine. The guy plays hard, we’ve battled a lot over the years. I’m sure he didn’t mean to,” said the Canucks forward after the game.

A Nikita Zadorov shot from the point gave the Canucks a three-goal lead in the second period. Seconds later he fought Manson as an act of revenge for the first-period hit.

“I didn’t like the hit,” explained the Russian defenceman after the game. “I asked him if he was going to give me one and he said yes.”

After 39 minutes and 58 seconds of game time, it felt like the Canucks would skate to an easy victory. Then, an errant bounce off the boards changed everything as the Avalanche scored with two seconds left in the second period.

“Indecisions, not playing through people, not skating when you have the puck. It just felt like everybody kind of froze at certain times which sucks because the first half it was working,” said Tocchet postgame.

The third period was the complete opposite of the opening frame as the Avalanche poured it on hard. They tied the game halfway through the frame and forced it to overtime where they managed to secure the two points up for grabs.

“It’s disheartening for me because 3-0, we could’ve made it 4-0. We were soft on pucks and they (the Canucks players) know it,” continued Tocchet after the game.

“We let our foot off the gas. Those teams, we’ve got to have a killer instinct. We can’t give them any chance to come back in the game,” said Zadorov, who finished the night with a Gordie Howe hat trick. “The teams like that, the players of their calibre ā€” Edmonton, Toronto, Calgary ā€” when you get a 3-0 lead, you’ve got to learn how to play [with] this lead.”

“Don’t feed the animal. Just step on their throat and shut it down.”

Casey DeSmith started the first of what should be many games over the next stretch with Thatcher Demko injured. He made 30 saves but was the victim of a few bad bounces.

The Canucks play their next game on Saturday night at Rogers Arena against the Washington Capitals.

 

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