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Tired Canucks wrap up marathon road trip as NHL's first-place team

Noah Strang
Noah Strang
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Jan 15 2024, 8:54 pm
Tired Canucks wrap up marathon road trip as NHL's first-place team
Sportsnet

They fought to the bitter end but the Vancouver Canucks could only salvage a single point against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Despite wrapping up their road trip with this 4-3 loss, the Canucks are still first place in the entire NHL.

The Canucks managed to win five of the seven games on this long East Coast swing, finishing with a 5-1-1 record.

“It was a good road trip. We came together as a team I thought. Won in some really fun environments to play in. Some hard teams,” said J.T. Miller after the game.

The forward’s positive sentiments on the long two-week road trip were echoed by his coach.

“It’s been a helluva trip,” said Rick Tocchet after his team’s shootout loss. “There’s been a lot thrown at the guys… Really proud of the guys and you’ve got to give them a lot of credit.”

The point earned against the Blue Jackets helped the Canucks add to their league-leading total. They now have 62 points in 44 games, giving them a one-point lead on the second-place Boston Bruins.

This game was a difficult situation for the Canucks, who have spent the last 48 hours in a travel nightmare. Intense snowfall and freezing conditions forced the team to take an unusual detour in its journey from Buffalo.

The team’s fatigue, likely due both to their travel plans and the long road trip, was evident throughout the latter part of the game.

“We were a tired group, some mistakes that we usually don’t make. I think it was just mentally a tough game for some guys but we hung in there,” said Tocchet after the loss.

Andrei Kuzmenko, Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Pius Suter all failed to score on Elvis Merzlikins in the shootout. It’s the second time that the Canucks have gone past overtime this year, and they’re still looking for their first shootout win.

The Canucks led at three different times throughout the game, but the Blue Jackets continued to fight and pull time and time again.

Miller, Conor Garland, and Pettersson scored the goals during regulation.

Casey DeSmith got the start and made 38 saves across regulation and overtime. He then turned away three of four shootout attempts and was a big reason the tired Canucks emerged with a point.

“Thereā€™s not a whole lot to like about [our game today] if Iā€™m being honest. I love that we got a point. Casey [DeSmith] was unreal,” commented Miller as he singled out the goaltender for praise.

It was the first time that the Canucks have lost this year after leading at the second intermission. This means they now sport a record of 26-0-1 in this situation.

Perhaps more important than the team’s chase of the Presidents’ Trophy is its standing in the Pacific Division. They now have a nine-point lead as they look for their first division title since 2012-13.

The Canucks play their next game on Thursday night at home against the Arizona Coyotes. It will be their first game at home since January 2.

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