Last night, the Vancouver Canucks endured a frustrating overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 4-3. The team has a way of kicking itself in the face and did so again in this hard-fought but losing battle. Despite controlling much of the game – especially the first period – the Canucks faced a resilient Penguins team that refused to concede defeat.
In the end, it was Erik Karlsson’s decisive overtime goal that secured the win for the Penguins. That left the Canucks disappointed with yet another loss that might have been a win. Nevertheless, in the competitive world of NHL hockey, every point matters. Give the Canucks a point from the overtime loss and move on. There’s no other choice.
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Three Reasons the Canucks Lost to the Penguins
From my perspective, there were three key takeaways from the Canucks loss last night.
Takeaway One: Demko Couldn’t Shut the Door
Thatcher Demko faced a challenging night in Tuesday’s loss. While he stopped 36 of 40 shots, he just didn’t look like himself to me. He wasn’t able to carry the win for his Canucks. Although Vancouver held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 at various points in the game, Demko couldn’t stop Erik Karlsson‘s game-winning goal in overtime.
This defeat marks Demko’s fourth loss in his last five games. During that stretch, he has allowed a total of 16 goals. Despite these recent struggles, Demko boasts a solid season record of 31-12-2 with a 2.50 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in 45 games. With the Canucks’ current homestand concluding against the struggling Kings on Thursday night, Demko should have a chance for a bounce-back start.
However, it might be that Casey DeSmith will get the start instead. Demko hasn’t started more than four straight games this season, and he’s already been in the net for the team’s last four.
Takeaway Two: JT Miller Was Solid in the Loss
J.T. Miller was solid all over the ice last night. His versatility on special teams in the overtime loss contributed a shorthanded goal, a power-play assist, and four hits. With this game, Miller extended his current point streak to five games. Over that time, he has put up a total of 11 points.
The hard-driving forward has had a remarkable season. He’s now put up an impressive 81 points, which is just one shy of his entire total from last year. He’s scored 30 goals and 51 assists in the 61 games he’s played. Miller has been a particular force on both special teams. On the power play, he’s put up 32 points. On the penalty kill, he’s also scored two shorthanded points. Additionally, he has recorded 139 shots on goal, 160 hits, and 46 blocked shots. He’s also registered a solid plus-28 rating.
Takeaway Three: Both Hoglander and Boeser Scored for the Canucks
Nils Hoglander broke his three-game scoring drought with a goal in Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Penguins. The 23-year-old winger has been productive at five-on-five this season, putting up 18 goals and adding eight assists in 59 games played. He also carries a plus-14 rating. Hoglander is becoming a main part of the team’s top line and continues to produce in that role.
Meanwhile, Brock Boeser scored a power-play goal and is currently riding a five-game point streak. Over those games, he’s recorded four goals and added three assists. Despite experiencing some ups and downs in his game over the past two months, he’s managed to score 34 goals and total 61 points in 61 games this season.
Can he finish as a point-a-game player for the first time in his career? Already he’s topped his best season’s total (2018-19) by five points this season. Boeser has grown into a key contributor to the Canucks’ offense.
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