Ugly: Colorado Avalanche 7, Vancouver Canucks 1

Final Score: Colorado Avalanche 7, Vancouver Canucks 1

Not a typo. Ugly, sloppy, and somewhat disinterested. Aloof becomes the body language when you’re getting smoked.

The Elias Pettersson turnover on Colorado’s third goal of the game was atrocious. I just wrote about him over-stickhandling, not using his feet, and trying to do too much in Hockey Wanderlüst, the international hockey newsletter. Might have to run the whole thing tomorrow.

Postgame, Head Coach Travis Green was asked what disappointed him most: “The whole game,” he said. “We’re weren’t close tonight, obviously. They looked like a team that was trying to find its game, a team thinking about winning the Stanley Cup. We looked like we had a bunch of guys that were a half-step behind and we weren’t close tonight.”

The game progression …

I Really Didn’t Want to have to Type “Groundhog Day” … Again

Here’s something different … NOT! The Avalanche scored first, and they did it against the Vancouver Canucks 30th-ranked penalty kill that came in with a success rate of 65%. It didn’t take long. Valeri Nichushkin tallied his first of the season at the 3:18 mark from Nazem Kadri and Alex Newhook.

The Avalanche also scored second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, Logan O’Connor, Darren Helm short-handed, and Devon Toews all before the second period ended. 6-0 before the Canucks lit the lamp. Toews’s parents drove down from Abbotford to watch the game in person.

For the twelfth time in fourteen Vancouver Canucks games, the opponent scored first. More come from behind, or not, hockey.

Really, With the Chitty Chat?!

Sorry, and this ain’t being a dinosaur, but what the hell is with all the chitty-chat with the opponents? I realize the NHL is getting younger, and the younger are getting richer, and the hitting and violence isn’t what it was, but could we please cease with all of the pleasantries. Is hockey the next baseball? I feel a rant coming on …

Goalie, Goalie

Apparently the Vancouver Canucks had the longest active run going without a starting goaltender getting replaced in a game. 96 matches in a row but no longer counting. Thatcher Demko received the mercy yanking Thursday night after :40-minutes in Denver. It’s customary to take a starter out at some point in these scenarios, to show him some respect in a game he won’t win, and to send a message to the skaters who aren’t getting it done.

This is different than pulling a starter who’s having a bad night. That was definitely not the case here. There were a lot of Avalanche 2-on-1’s and players shooting at “the yawning cage”.

Ironically, when Jaroslav Halak came in to start the third period, his teammates picked up a goal for him just 1:08 into his appearance. Ironic because they’ve provided him very little run support in his three very good starts. He’s lost 2-to-1, 2-to-1, and 3-to-2 in overtime. He didn’t have to worry about picking up the loss in this one.

Play it Out

One of the lone consolations of getting your ass handed to you is the coach gets to even out the time-on-ice once the game is out of reach. In the third period, unless you score a couple of quickies, there’s no point in running your better players into the ground. Things even out, legs are preserved, other players see more ice. Particularly important when you’re playing two over the weekend and the second one starts at 5 pm local (Pacific).

Simmer’s Vancouver Canucks 3-Stars:

3) – Pat O’Niell – The Vancouver Canucks head equipment manager. I don’t think fans know hard these guys work and how crazy the hours can be. Three games in four nights on the road only adds to it.

2) – Brian Hamilton – The Vancouver Canucks assistant equipment manager. Ditto from above, with usually a bit more grunt work involved.

1) – Nils Höglander – JT Miller probably deserves it, but what the heck. Höglander scored the lone Canucks goal of the night and wouldn’t know better as it relates to coasting to the finish. The 20-year-old Swede always work hard. He might overplay things at times and make mistakes, but this kid’s heart is in the right place.

Two more games coming on the weekend to see how much the Canucks really like their coach.