The Vancouver Canucks limped into Detroit having lost eight of their last ten games, and three straight. Recent projections have them finishing dead last in the NHL. Plus they were without Henrik Sedin, who is quite good, and necessary to this team, but left Tuesday night's game with a lower-body injury and has yet to return. They were even playing their second road game in as many nights.
So naturally, they won. And deservedly, too. Sure, it took a shootout, and it helps that the Detroit Red Wings without Mike Babcock are about as organized as my glovebox, but still: the Canucks played just about as complete a game as you're going to see from such an incomplete team. And I watched this game.
- The Canucks came out flying. They were told hoverskates weren't allowed pretty much immediately, of course. But they were still good after that, outshooting the Red Wings 17 to 5 in the first period. Jimmy Howard was just as good, however, nearly dragging the Red Wings into the first intermission in a scoreless tie. Howard nearly ruined everything, which is also what I imagine rich Marvel executives would say about a certain early attempt at live-action film.
- Jared McCann broke Howard's goose egg late in the frame, notching his first in a hockey fortnight (14 games). Prior to the contest, the Canucks announced that McCann would not be loaned to Team Canada for the World Juniors, which made sense. With Henrik Sedin and Brandon Sutter injured, the 19-year-old has been tapped to centre the team’s top line. Is it possible the announcement gave McCann a confidence boost? I heard that speculation, but I doubt it. If you asked a 19-year-old me to replace Henrik Sedin (the team even taped a "C" to his jersey to make things explicit), I’d weep with terror. Unless you were willing to give 35 years to develop chemistry with Daniel.
- That said, McCann’s goal was somewhat reminiscent of Henrik Sedin. Much like the Canucks’ captain has done on numerous occasions (this goal comes to mind), McCann took advantage of the lively end boards at Joe Louis Arena, dumping the puck in, then pouncing on it when it caromed off the wall, past Jimmy Howard, and right back onto the centre’s stick. McCann went top corner, where dopey library users fold the damn pages. It was a bounceback goal in every sense of the word.
- McCann still looked more like Daniel Sedin on faceoffs, of course. He was 0-for-7 through his first two periods and 2-for-12 on the night. Maybe he should try a new approach, like getting waved out of the circle.
- It really is crazy that McCann and Bo Horvat are the team’s top two centres right now. Are we sure it’s not 2019? Did I accidentally sleep for four years? Wait, who’s the president? Actually, nevermind. I probably don’t want to know.
- Bo Horvat is still trying to rediscover his scoring touch, and as a result, he's starting to look a little like Ryan Kesler out there. Look at how often he races across the blue line as though he’s alone, like involving his wingers in the play isn’t even an option, then fires a shot from the top of the circle. That’s a Ryan Kesler specialty. Now all Horvat needs to do is start aggressively (and hypocritically, when you think of it) calling for the puck when he doesn’t have it, and the transformation will be complete.
- That’s not to say Horvat can’t pass when he wants to. He got the primary assist on Sven Baertschi’s second period goal, playing the tac to Radim Vrbata and Baertschi’s tic and toe, respectively. It was a beautiful play, made possible largely by defender Brendan Smith's decision to chase Vrbata to the wall, where he was beaten by a slick pass. Smith blew it. It was an odd-man rush. He was supposed to hold formation. Instead he held the wall. Dude needs to listen to more Justin Timberlake.
- Derek Dorsett finished the second period by trying to fight someone. Anyone. Dorsett is willing to get into it with just about anybody -- he was made for scrappy hockey. And two-person horse costumes.
- But it wouldn't be a Canucks game if they didn't blow a two-goal lead, now would it? In their defence, the Red Wings have Pavel Datsyuk, who is, on occasion, brilliant. He was tonight. Datsyuk was the catalyst for both Red Wings goals, losing Alex Edler behind the Vancouver net to keep the play alive on Detroit's first, then scoring the second. But the Canucks answered back, with Vrbata, Horvat and Baertschi combining for another. This time Vrbata got the goal, taking a loose puck all the way through the slot before sliding it past Howard. What a heads-up play. Vrbata summoned almost as much patience as Pearl Lenore Cunnan.
- Turns out the Red Wings had an answer for that too, as the Canucks went full Canuck in the final minute (you never go full Canuck), surrendering a game-tying goal to send the game into overtime. Poor Ryan Miller. He wasn't busy in this one, but he was good -- save for his work on Detroit's fourth goal. Henrik Zetterberg scored it, going up over Miller's shoulder from an impossible angle. Much like the film Jem and The Holograms, Miller never saw it -- I assume, because nobody saw Jem and The Holograms. Anyway. The shot was truly, truly, truly outrageous.
- Overtime solved nothing, which was actually a triumph for the Canucks. Lately overtime has been killing them. But it turns out whichever Sedin said it wasn't lying about the team playing for the shootout. They defended their way through the 3-on-3 portion. That's downright shameful, but if you need to have a clean conscience after every win, you should probably quit liking sports.
- And then the shootout, where I first began to suspect the Canucks really are quietly, intentionally, tanking. How else to explain Willie Desjardins' decision to use Chris Higgins, then Jannik Hansen, then Daniel Sedin, then call-up Linden Vey? To win? Come on now.
- But they did win, with Linden Vey making the most of an opportunity for once and scoring the shootout winner. Is it enough for Vey to stay with the team? No. It's a shootout goal. But his play before the skills competition might help him. Vey was a plus-8 in even-strength corsi, with the Wings registered just five shot attempts against during his shifts. Perhaps we are witnessing the beginning of his sal-VEY-tion? I hope so, because, man, have I ever missed making Vey puns. Feels good, man.
