[PGT] Vancouver at Edmonton - Round 2 - Game 6

[Drakrami]

16 minutes ago, JamesB said:

This was pretty clearly the worst game of the playoffs so far for the Canucks. But it was not nearly as bad as the score suggests. Here are some comments.

 

1. Things got off to a bad start on the Holloway goal. Petey made a pretty weak effort to check Holloway who then skated through both Hughes and Hronek and beat Silovs from in close. All four players played poorly on that play, even Silovs. Not saying it was an easy save, but he opened the 5-hole instead of getting his pad on the ice.

 

2. Continuing with Silovs, he has been a great story in the playoffs but he had a bad game tonight. The Bouchard goal -- an unscreened, undeflected shot from the blueline is a goal NHL goalies rarely give up. I won't go through all the goals but the expected goals against tonight was 2.73, compared with actual goals against of 5. A goalie having a good night would stop at least a couple of those goals and the game would seem very different. Unfortunately, Tocchet confirmed that Demmer will not be ready for game 7 and I guess Tocchet goes back to Silovs. I would be inclined to go with DeSmith. The Silovs magic could not go on forever and he must be pretty tired by now.

 

3. It might seem hard to believe, but the Canucks and Oilers were almost exactly even in expected goals, scoring chances, and high danger chances. One problem was that the Canucks missed the net on a lot of their chances and could not covert on their looks on the PP. So they ended up with only 15 shots. They need to focus and actually get the puck to the net. And Skinner played well. 

 

3. One thing Edmonton changed up for tonight was they tried to avoid the Miller-McDavid matchup. In the end, both Lindy and Blueger played against McDavid more than Miller (although it was fairly even). McDavid had a good game, ended up with 3 assists and was +3. On home ice the Canucks will be able to get back to the Miller-McDavid matchup.

 

4. Despite playing against McDavid less than usual, the Miller line did not have good night, generating only 2 scoring chances with 4 against (and giving up 2 goals). The best Canuck line tonight was Lindy-Petey-Hoggy. They got the only goal on a very nice play by Petey and Hoggy and outchanced the Oilers 6-3 when they were on the ice at 5-on-5. They won the expected goal battle comfortably and were the only Canuck line to do that. That line looks good.

 

5. The Blueger line was okay, playing the Oilers close to even despite getting their share of tough minutes. The 4th line could not carry their adrenaline rush from last game forward to this game. That is how it goes. Getting back into the line-up, as PDG and Podz did last game, always generates an adrenaline boost but it can be hard to maintain. They did not hurt the team, but Corsi was 9-3 against when they were on the ice.

 

6. As for the D, Myers and Soucy were good. Myers has really found himself this season (or maybe Adam Foote found him and told him where he was). And Hughes is always good, even though he is wearing down. But, even tonight scoring chances were 10-6 with him on the ice at 5-on-5. However, the Zadorov-Cole pairing got torched in the underlying stats despite having by far the easiest minutes. Cole particularly struggled. At even strength he played only about 12 minutes and scoring chances were 9 to 1 against with him on the ice.  On the Kane goal he screened the goalie and failed to block the shot. I am sure he would have blocked the shot if he could but the play moved quickly and he didn't. In his post-game comments Tocchet emphasized the value of experience so I guess he will stick with Cole even though Cole is having a terrible series. Cole helped the Canucks this year but at this stage the tank seems to be empty.

 

7. This game was not as bad as the score suggests, although the Canucks definitely were not sharp enough or energetic enough.  But I expect them to be re-energized for the next game. If Demko were playing (and healthy) I would actually be pretty confident about the next game. As it is, I just hope Silovs and the entire team can have a big bounce-back game. Having the fans behind them and having last change should help a lot. And I wonder about line-up changes. I do not pretend to have a good read on the situation but, if it were up to me, I would make 2 or 3 changes. I would give Mik another shot and see if he can provide some energy. 

lol dont be in denial. We played horrible tonight. 

[wai_lai416]

#1 thing that needs to be done at the end of the playoff.. RT needs to relinquish his role as the pp1 coach… he haven’t figured out how to fix it and it went from one of the best to prolly one of the worse in the league. They cant even get into the zone and they do the drop pass almost guaranteed even if there’s a direct lane open.. the rare time it scores doesn’t change the fact it’s a momentum killer for us and a momentum builder for the other team

[Jaimito]

 

 

 

[coolboarder]

Keeping in mind that it is their first playoff experience that is non-covid environment have yet to experience what it takes to win a series when facing adversity in a hostile environment.  Once they overcomes, they will have the potential to unlock their potential but methinks that most players are nursing inquiries and we have yet to ice a full team with Demko being out since Game 1 of the playoffs.  It will be a lot easier to know who our back-up for next season with DeSmith's 2 million off the book to sign our guys  to be able to keep at least two of them whom is due for a raise and Myers might decide to stay with a lesser pay if he choose to do it so.  Right now, teams will be bidding for his service and will offer him better pay.  How different our line-up might look if Game 7 doesn't work out and let's not think about it until after even if we win Game 7 and still lots of hockey to be played  Hopefully our injured guys has been healed in time for Game 1 of next series.  We won't know the extend of the injuries our superstar is going through until we are out or win the cup, either way. it's still a good experience to be able to end their series earlier than drag on all because our guys don't show up and get injury in the way as a roadblock.   The lesson is showing up when you don't feel like it because it is really a grind.

[DexM94]

We need speed badly. Please address that in the off-season. 

[coolboarder]

1 minute ago, DexM94 said:

We need speed badly. Please address that in the off-season. 

Harder to maintain our speed if guys are injured and we logged the most air miles out of all teams and it will eventually catch up.  Our speed will inevitable lose speed over time throughout the season and playoffs and teams that travel the least will maintain their speed throughout.   It is something we need to figure things out due to how schedule matrix is being set up.  The Oilers are noticeable faster, so are the Predator due to how other teams travel throughout the season are not equal.   We have had to work hard to maintain the Divisional lead and did not have the real opportunity to rest our guys at the end of regular season is making a lot of difference at this stage of the playoffs.  

[VanOriginal]

Like all, I'm very disappointed in this game, it was the worst game of the playoffs no excuses. But I'm not worried at all. I know the boys will show up on Tuesday with their best game of these playoffs! 5v5 for nost of the series the Canucks have been the better team. I'm calling it now

5 - 2 for the Canucks. 

[Mike Vanderhoek]

2 minutes ago, VanOriginal said:

Like all, I'm very disappointed in this game, it was the worst game of the playoffs no excuses. But I'm not worried at all. I know the boys will show up on Tuesday with their best game of these playoffs! 5v5 for nost of the series the Canucks have been the better team. I'm calling it now

5 - 2 for the Canucks. 

 

I think if they show up Tuesday it will be too late 

[Jaimito]

Canucks fail to match Oilers' desperation despite chance to close out series

 

Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet

May 19, 2024, 1:37 AM

 

EDMONTON — Nobody will remember the Vancouver Canucks’ worst game of the series if their last game of the series is their best one.

 

With two chances to win one game to eliminate the Edmonton Oilers, the Canucks threw away the first opportunity here Saturday by failing to match their opponents’ desperation, speed and urgency while losing 5-1. Really, it looked like a game between one team facing elimination and another with the wildcard of a Game 7 at home still in its pocket.

 

 

 

Prohibitively-favoured and down 3-2 in the series, the Oilers were desperate. The Canucks were not.

 

Maybe that’s all about Stanley Cup Playoff experience. Edmonton is in its seventh series in three National Hockey League seasons. About half of Vancouver’s roster came into this series with only six games of genuine playoff experience.

 

The Canucks, of course, would have accepted in a heartbeat — at nearly any point in their remarkable season-long journey — the opportunity to play the seventh game of a Stanley Cup quarterfinal series on home ice. Win it and you go to the Western Conference Final for the first time in 13 years.

 

 

They played 82 regular-season games, winning 50 of them, and clinched the Pacific Division title with a final-week win in Edmonton, for the right to play Monday’s deciding game at Rogers Arena, probably the loudest building in these playoffs.

 

On Queen Victoria’s day, the Canucks have a chance to be kings. But, after Saturday, so do the Oilers.

 

“This is huge opportunity for us, for everybody,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet told reporters. “Like I said, a lot of people would want this. I know it stings because we didn't have good effort tonight and they played really well. Tip their hat. They had a lot of energy and they played desperate hockey. But saying that. . . you've got to flush it down. You've got 48 hours to get yourself ready for a huge game. Not many players are playing in this type of atmosphere. I think we play the game, as players, to be on that stage. Play like you want to be a hero.”

 

The heroes on Saturday were the predictable ones.

 

One or the other of Oiler megastars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl set up all five Edmonton goals.

 

But the Canucks didn’t come close to offering the resistance required, the resistance they displayed by dominating Game 5 two nights earlier. Some of Vancouver’s best players made the biggest mistakes.

 

On Dylan Holloway’s spectacular charge to the net on the Oilers’ first goal, Elias Pettersson made a soft play in the neutral zone and Quinn Hughes a terrible one at the blueline.

 

Brock Boeser flimsily poked at the puck on the second goal when he needed to step into Zach Hyman before the Oiler scored from the slot.

 

Vancouver’s shutdown defenceman, Carson Soucy, allowed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to easily get in front of him to tap in McDavid’s pass and make it 4-1 early in the third period. And the Canucks stood like statues after losing a defensive-zone faceoff before Evander Kane picked his spot on goalie Arturs Silovs on the final goal.

 

J.T. Miller, so good with linemates Boeser and Pius Suter at limiting McDavid’s impact through five games, was torched in Game 6 and finished minus-three.

 

The top Canuck players combined on the power play to go 0-for-4, managing their only two shots in seven minutes of advantage time during a failed, 56-second five-on-three near the end of the second period when the deficit was only 3-1.

 

Vancouver finished with just 15 shots on net despite chasing the game for the final 33 minutes after Hyman’s goal broke a 1-1 tie in the second period.

 

“I mean, it's not the recipe for success,” Pettersson said of the low shot total. “Obviously, we have won games (with) not many shots. It is what it is. They won today. It's a seven-game series for a reason, and I'll focus on that. I'm excited for it. I know the barn's going to be loud, fans are going to be into it. And those are the type of games you want to play.”

 

This is the mindset the Canucks will try to reinforce before Monday’s series climax, the first Game 7 in front of fans for Pettersson, Boeser, Hughes, Connor Garland, Dakota Joshua, Silovs and a bunch of others.

 

They have never had such an opportunity. Which means they’ve also never experienced the pressure of an elimination game in a playoff series — a series they led three times.

 

It all comes down to this. The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers will play a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday night with a chance to advance to the Western Conference Final.  

 

“There's always a test,” Hughes, the 24-year-old captain, said. “If you lose three in a row in January, you know, people are still going crazy and that's a test, too. We're going to have to treat it like another game. It's a great opportunity. If you told us we'd have this opportunity in September, we would have took it. Probably would have taken it three or four weeks ago as well. Yeah, we'll be excited.

 

“We want to be at our best when it really matters and hopefully, you know, we're going to need to do that.”

 

But as Tocchet and his Hall-of-Fame staff will tell them, it’s not like any other game.

 

“A lot of short shifts, a lot of desperation,” he said of Game 7s. “If you've got to put that puck in your mouth and skate it out. . . you've got to do that. If there's a chance to block a shot, block a shot. If there's a two-on-one, you've got to execute. I mean, these are big moments, and you're looking for guys to want it. Want that big moment. Don't be scared of it. Go after it, you know. Go after this. That's my advice to everybody.”

 

Tocchet said injured starting goalie Thatcher Demko will not return for Game 7 and the team has confidence in Silovs, who looked poor on Evan Bouchard’s unscreened point shot on Saturday but otherwise has been the least of Vancouver’s problems.

 

“I told the players, you've got to stick together,” Tocchet said, meaning it literally, not just figuratively. “We'll probably meet at the rink sometime tomorrow, and I'm a big believer in sticking together (in) groups of people. Especially this next 48 hours. I think that's the best way for inexperienced guys — to be surrounded with people, and confident people. I think we have to be confident.”

 

They’re about to experience something special. One way or another it, they’ll remember it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jaimito]

 

How Connor McDavid, Oilers bounced back vs. Canucks to force Game 7: 5 takeaways

EDMONTON — It was a blowout Edmonton Oilers victory.

 

Connor McDavid was never going to go away quietly. And on Saturday night, in a must-win Game 6 for McDavid and the Oilers, the best player on the planet took over the proceedings and bludgeoned the Vancouver Canucks.

 

It was, in truth, a fitting result for a back-and-forth series in which none of the outcomes in any individual game have felt tethered to the rest of the series.

 

The Oilers seemed to be reeling after key Game 3 and Game 5 losses, only to bounce back and play their best, most responsible hockey the next game. The Canucks missed an opportunity to put the Oilers away in Game 4, and responded with their most impressive performance of the series in Game 5. Now they’ll have to do it again, with their season on the line, in a Game 7 on Monday night at Rogers Arena.

 

That game will be for all of the marbles. For the Oilers, they can’t afford to miss this opportunity, with McDavid and Draisaitl still in their primes and at the top of their powers. They’re built for this moment, despite the significant flaws up and down their roster.

 

For the Canucks, it’s a chance to keep a dream season going, a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a franchise that has only made three previous appearances in the conference final.

 

This series has been defined by moves and countermoves. Haymakers and counterpunches. A knife’s edge separating two teams in a dramatic All-Canadian matchup.

 

It deserves a seventh game. And it will get one.

 

McDavid awakens

A lot had been made about how Vancouver had shut down McDavid in this series. And they really had.

 

Coming into Game 6, the Oilers’ all-galaxy centre had managed just one assist in his most recent three games and been outscored at five-on-five. He’s looked like he’s playing at a level well below 100 percent, has lost the head-to-head matchup with J.T. Miller and even the Oilers’ preposterously lethal power play had gone quiet.

 

A lot of that actually continued into Game 6. Edmonton’s power play was bottled up, with Vancouver even baffling the Oilers on an extended five-on-three sequence late in the second. McDavid rarely got loose off of the rush. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch seemed to be actively ducking the head-to-head matchup between Miller and McDavid at five-on-five.

 

And yet, as the great ones do, McDavid found a way to will his team to a massive 5-1 victory, extending the Oilers’ season and forcing a decisive seventh game.

 

McDavid’s willful takeover of the second frame began when he used his speed to create a turnover on the forecheck, and then got to work on the cycle. Eventually he found Zach Hyman in a dangerous area of the ice, and Hyman managed to fight off some porous Canucks defensive coverage to beat Arturs Silovs.

 

On his very next shift, McDavid crushed Vancouver on puck retrievals all across the offensive zone, maintaining possession and pinning Vancouver for over a minute, ultimately leading to an Evan Bouchard point-shot goal.

 

These goals broke Game 6 open, and perhaps most importantly, they were scored on consecutive shifts against the Miller line that had — until Saturday evening in Edmonton — limited McDavid effectively in this series, if not outright eaten his lunch.

 

Finally, McDavid capped off a dominant performance early in the third period, with the Canucks just a shot away from setting up squeaky-bum time at Rogers Place, setting up Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off of the rush to effectively salt Game 6 away and force Game 7 on Monday night.

 

The way McDavid took over on Saturday is a reminder that in hockey, when you’re talking about the McDavid tier players, the absolute best of the best in any generation, you can do everything right — and the Canucks mostly have.

 

You can keep them bottled up for most of a series. You can play them tough and physically. You can make them defend, and try to strip the puck from bigger players down low. You can even push them to the very edge of elimination.

 

Vancouver has done all of that in this series. And even with everything going against McDavid entering Saturday night’s Game 7, he managed to take a mile from an inch of space.

 

Time for an A-list billing for Holloway?

The Oilers are always in need of more five-on-five scoring outside of the superstars. Dylan Holloway not only delivered but did so in style.

 

The sophomore winger has been more noticeable as the series has progressed and was elevated to the top six alongside Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane to start Game 4. Never was he more noticeable than when he opened the scoring on Saturday.

 

Holloway took a breakout pass from Draisaitl at the defensive blue line, and then darted down the right wing. He brushed aside Canucks forward Elias Pettersson and then cut to the inside of Hughes as he gained the Vancouver zone. Hughes’ partner, Filip Hronek, was late to adjust, giving Holloway a lane to the net. He tucked the puck through the legs of goaltender Arturs Silovs at 8:18 of the period before dropping to a knee and pumping his arm in celebration.

 

Holloway’s speed and energy were obvious, but he played just 12:16 in part because there were seven power plays, and he doesn’t get time on special teams. If he keeps doing stuff like this, though, the man known as “Hollywood” is going to need more screen time regardless of the circumstances.

 

The special teams stalemate

In a very strange, game-defining sequence in the second period, the Canucks and the Oilers exchanged parades to the penalty box. Both teams had extended five-on-threes, and a handful of other power-play opportunities.

 

And both teams failed to register a goal, or in Vancouver’s case, many shots on net.

 

Two skilled teams, one with a suspect penalty kill throughout the season, are suddenly locked into a series in which both penalty-killing groups have started to dominate two of the most talent-laden power-play units in the league. It doesn’t make sense, and it makes for tense hockey, but it’s how this series has gone.

 

That the Canucks, in particular, have now killed off 10 consecutive Oilers power-play opportunities, especially given that the Oilers came into this series clicking along at a near 50 percent conversion rate, is nothing short of astounding. Vancouver, however, needs to make their power plays count to win the special teams battle, and as good as the penalty kill has been in Games 5 and 6, their power play has dulled that edge significantly.

 

Game 7 isn’t likely to turn into a big special teams battle. Whistles tend to be few and far between as a series gets to the endgame stage. Currently, however, both teams have to be feeling oddly confident when their penalty killers hop over their boards.

 

And if either side gets a power-play opportunity (or two) in Game 7, they’ll need to find some answers.

 

Skinner rebounds nicely

Kris Knoblauch had a simple yet clear justification for going back to starting goaltender Stuart Skinner for Game 6 after benching him for the previous seven periods.

 

“He’s been our guy all year,” he said. “In a situation like this, that’s who we want in net.”

 

Skinner made his coach look wise for having faith in him by stopping 14 of 15 shots.

 

The 25-year-old didn’t have to be outstanding because the Oilers kept the attempts and high-danger chances down. But he did what was required of him and had what was easily his best performance of the series.

 

His best save came late in the second period when he got a piece of a Quinn Hughes shot, which then hit the post and went off the netting. That chance came on a two-man advantage for the Canucks with the Oilers up two goals. The third period could have been a lot different if that wrister goes in.

 

The only puck that beat Skinner came off the stick of Nils Höglander in the first period. It was Höglander’s second unfettered try in succession from just outside the crease.

 

Silovs’ off night

Arturs Silovs has been really good in this playoff run, which isn’t exactly breaking news.

 

He’s come in and given Vancouver stability between the pipes. He recorded a shutout in a key Game 6 against the Nashville Predators, to help Vancouver advance. He’s outplayed Edmonton’s goaltending tandem throughout this series too, and in fact, Game 6 was the first game all series in which it didn’t feel like the Canucks had a sharp edge in net.

 

When Vancouver sustained a multitude of injuries to their regular goaltending platoon, Silovs performed to the level that — even in spite of Saturday night’s disappointment — they’re still just one win from the conference final. That’s a credit to Silovs’ calmness and form.

 

And truly, at least some of what occurred to him on Saturday was understandable. He got beaten on a breakaway, he got beaten by a 50-goal-scorer wide open from the slot and he got beaten by a slot line pass from McDavid off of the rush. Some of the goals that hurt Vancouver on Saturday were more than understandable.

 

And some of them were lightly screened point shots. Or plays in which he got opened up a bit.

 

In truth, Silovs underperformed his expected save percentage by a wide margin on Saturday. And even beyond the goals against, he looked a bit jumpy at times. It wasn’t his best game, obviously, but it wasn’t exactly cause for significant concern either.

 

Of course, with Thatcher Demko continuing to make progress — he took part in rinsing the scratches on Saturday following Vancouver’s optional morning skate, which is a massive step along the way for him to return to game action — there is now some uncertainty in the Canucks crease going forward. There is, however, no uncertainty about Demko’s timeline.

 

Vancouver’s star netminder will not make it back in time to make an influence on game 7, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed postgame on Saturday.

 

So the stakes in net are fixed now.

 

Skinner will be between the pipes for Game 7, that much is assured after a solid performance on Saturday night. Silovs will be too, surely, although for the first time in this series, it will be

the Vancouver netminder looking to bounce back.

 

[GrammaInTheTub]

1 hour ago, I.AM.THE.WALRUS said:

Once again I’m here to say that I’m sorry - once again I became emotionally invested in the Canucks for game six - it’s my fault they lost…

 

Before game five I made an announcement to everyone on the unofficial fan forum that when I don’t give a shit about the Canucks they win and when I care too much about them they lose - so for game seven I am going to say that they are dead to me…

 

So right here and now I declare that I don’t give a shit about the Canucks anymore - I’m going to be focussing on much more important matters for the duration of game seven

 

 

 

None of us are the main character, you know?

Edited May 19 by GrammaInTheTub
punctuation

[Jaimito]

[spook007]

5 hours ago, JeremyCuddles said:

Based on what? Y'all act like DeSmith has been bad. Dude was great before getting injured.

Nothing untowards DeSmith, but He hasn't played in like forever. Ice cold goalie?
 

[spook007]

They laid an egg... off night all around...

 

Wish the had at least been hitting the Oilers more, but the team looked tired. 
 

Only saving grace is the knowledge they have had am amazing ability to bounce back after a loss... they'll need that again. 
 

This was NOT on Silovs as he was hung out to dry... let in a few less impressive ones, but also stopped numerous high danger chances. 
 

Only real positive is that they figured the Oilers PP out, and have kept it quiet for two games now...

 

Its going to be one hell of a game on Monday....

Edited May 19 by spook007

[spook007]

5 hours ago, Dr. Crossbar said:

 

I'm with you on that. Hopefully he's the G7 game breaker.

 

Either way, he's going to be better because of this and for our window, his window. It's not all bad. 

This.... Sedin were nowhere near the standards of Pettersson at 25...

Expect him to come back stronger after this. Same with QH and a frw others. 

[Jaimito]

3 hours ago, EP Phone Home said:

What the actual fuck is this bullshit???

 

Nux is home team in game 7 

 

It's a reverse jinx.

 

Nux gonna win it. 

[viking mama]

10 hours ago, GrammaInTheTub said:

None of us are the main character, you know?

i personally want to see that ESPN hockey analyst, who out of a pool of 24, was the lone commentator to chose the Vancouver Canucks to win this series…& in 7 games….become a folk-hero for his predictive insights, wisdom & loyalty!  
 

Ryan S. Clark - I believe you are about to become an even more famous man!  
 

Go Canucks Go!!

 

Edited May 19 by viking mama

[Canuck You]

7 hours ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Hahaha. Friedman is a tool. 

No. Tools are useful.

 

Underrated AF @-dlc-

[I.AM.THE.WALRUS]

1 hour ago, GrammaInTheTub said:

None of us are the main character, you know?

Bruh… your sense of humour… find it…

 

Laughter is good medicine

[I.AM.THE.WALRUS]

1 hour ago, Jaimito said:

 

Nux is home team in game 7 

 

It's a reverse jinx.

 

Nux gonna win it. 

 

[Canuck You]

1 minute ago, I.AM.THE.WALRUS said:

 

It's been like that for us since day 1 ! Let em' have it, I will be loud and proud @Rogers on Mon!

[PeteyBoeser]

6 minutes ago, I.AM.THE.WALRUS said:

 

I think they’re going to be correct. I can’t see us winning but I hope they come out with better effort.

[Canuck You]

5 minutes ago, PeteyBoeser said:

I think they’re going to be correct. I can’t see us winning but I hope they come out with better effort.

Man get outta here..based on what home boi!?!

[Mrwipeout]

THis game never happened....

[43isprime]

2 hours ago, JamesB said:

This was pretty clearly the worst game of the playoffs so far for the Canucks. But it was not nearly as bad as the score suggests. Here are some comments.

 

1. Things got off to a bad start on the Holloway goal. Petey made a pretty weak effort to check Holloway who then skated through both Hughes and Hronek and beat Silovs from in close. All four players played poorly on that play, even Silovs. Not saying it was an easy save, but he opened the 5-hole instead of getting his pad on the ice.

 

2. Continuing with Silovs, he has been a great story in the playoffs but he had a bad game tonight. The Bouchard goal -- an unscreened, undeflected shot from the blueline is a goal NHL goalies rarely give up. I won't go through all the goals but the expected goals against tonight was 2.73, compared with actual goals against of 5. A goalie having a good night would stop at least a couple of those goals and the game would seem very different. Unfortunately, Tocchet confirmed that Demmer will not be ready for game 7 and I guess Tocchet goes back to Silovs. I would be inclined to go with DeSmith. The Silovs magic could not go on forever and he must be pretty tired by now.

 

3. It might seem hard to believe, but the Canucks and Oilers were almost exactly even in expected goals, scoring chances, and high danger chances. One problem was that the Canucks missed the net on a lot of their chances and could not covert on their looks on the PP. So they ended up with only 15 shots. They need to focus and actually get the puck to the net. And Skinner played well. 

 

3. One thing Edmonton changed up for tonight was they tried to avoid the Miller-McDavid matchup. In the end, both Lindy and Blueger played against McDavid more than Miller (although it was fairly even). McDavid had a good game, ended up with 3 assists and was +3. On home ice the Canucks will be able to get back to the Miller-McDavid matchup.

 

4. Despite playing against McDavid less than usual, the Miller line did not have good night, generating only 2 scoring chances with 4 against (and giving up 2 goals). The best Canuck line tonight was Lindy-Petey-Hoggy. They got the only goal on a very nice play by Petey and Hoggy and outchanced the Oilers 6-3 when they were on the ice at 5-on-5. They won the expected goal battle comfortably and were the only Canuck line to do that. That line looks good.

 

5. The Blueger line was okay, playing the Oilers close to even despite getting their share of tough minutes. The 4th line could not carry their adrenaline rush from last game forward to this game. That is how it goes. Getting back into the line-up, as PDG and Podz did last game, always generates an adrenaline boost but it can be hard to maintain. They did not hurt the team, but Corsi was 9-3 against when they were on the ice.

 

6. As for the D, Myers and Soucy were good. Myers has really found himself this season (or maybe Adam Foote found him and told him where he was). And Hughes is always good, even though he is wearing down. But, even tonight scoring chances were 10-6 with him on the ice at 5-on-5. However, the Zadorov-Cole pairing got torched in the underlying stats despite having by far the easiest minutes. Cole particularly struggled. At even strength he played only about 12 minutes and scoring chances were 9 to 1 against with him on the ice.  On the Kane goal he screened the goalie and failed to block the shot. I am sure he would have blocked the shot if he could but the play moved quickly and he didn't. In his post-game comments Tocchet emphasized the value of experience so I guess he will stick with Cole even though Cole is having a terrible series. Cole helped the Canucks this year but at this stage the tank seems to be empty.

 

7. This game was not as bad as the score suggests, although the Canucks definitely were not sharp enough or energetic enough.  But I expect them to be re-energized for the next game. If Demko were playing (and healthy) I would actually be pretty confident about the next game. As it is, I just hope Silovs and the entire team can have a big bounce-back game. Having the fans behind them and having last change should help a lot. And I wonder about line-up changes. I do not pretend to have a good read on the situation but, if it were up to me, I would make 2 or 3 changes. I would give Mik another shot and see if he can provide some energy. 

 

I think the score very accurately reflected the way the game itself went.