VANCOUVER – For years, the Vancouver Canucks were so eager to prove themselves capable of something better than they were that games against top teams were constantly viewed as a barometer for them.
Those “measuring-stick” games often seemed to be more important to the Canucks than an opponent who clearly was headed towards bigger games and better things.
Like almost everything around the Canucks this National Hockey League season, the circumstances that spawned that mindset have reversed.
The Canucks had an opportunity on Monday to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs — in March, with 10 games and 20 points still on the table. And yet, it felt like the game meant more to the Los Angeles Kings, who had a lot to prove.
The Kings were beaten 2-1 by the Canucks in overtime three weeks ago in Los Angeles, and trailed them by 13 points in the Pacific Division standings before Monday. Not only is Los Angeles a potential first-round playoff opponent for Vancouver, it is probably the preferred first-round opponent.
What, you think the Canucks would rather draw the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights or the sizzling Nashville Predators (and travel to Tennessee) in the opening round in 3 ½ weeks?
Well, the Kings proved a lot in their 3-2 victory against the Canucks at Rogers Arena.
They checked Vancouver into submission, built a two-goal lead heading into the third period and allowed the home team exactly one shot on net in the first 16 minutes of the final frame: a weak slider along the ice by Elias Pettersson.
It looked like the game meant a lot to the Kings.
“Yeah, I mean, I don’t want to speak on behalf of them, but we’ve been at the top of the league the whole year,” Canuck J.T. Miller said. “I think there’s a time we can take pride in that. You know, we’re certainly not satisfied. It’s more of a game-to-game process type of thing for us. I don’t love losing games, but when other teams are banging their sticks when that last puck is cleared out, they know they just beat a good hockey team. It says a lot.
“There’s going to be a lot of hard games here coming down (the stretch). This is good, good prep for us. We’ve got to find a way to win games like that.”
Frequently this season, the Canucks have won these types of games. Defensively, they’re every bit as committed as the Kings. But Los Angeles, with its 1-3-1 trap, and willingness to outwait the other team, is a different kind of opponent – almost a throwback to the dead-puck era. Except they check with speed and counterattack with skill.
“They’re a strong defensive team, too, so it’s hard to get chances,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said admiringly of the Canucks. “I think that’s the challenge for the players: you go out there and you just keep playing and playing. Players like to score, they like to make good passes and all this kind of stuff, and there’s just not a lot of room to do that. I think both teams understood that and it was just a battle, plain and simple. Both teams went at it hard and we got on the right side of it.”
Canuck Sam Lafferty’s outstanding effort taking the puck to the net, bursting between two defenders before tucking the puck around goalie Cam Talbot, tied the game 1-1 at 12:50 of the first period after a poor Vancouver line change contributed to Kevin Fiala’s goal on a three-on-two rush at 7:01.
At 16:29 of the second period, Blake Lizotte’s centring pass banked in off the skate of Canuck defenceman Carson Soucy. And the Kings made it 3-1 at 18:20 when goalie Casey DeSmith spilled a rebound that eventually bounced to Anze Kopitar for a tap-in at the back post.
Trailing by two goals against the Kings is like going to the dentist without freezing or a benefits plan.
“I mean, that’s their system,” Canuck defenceman Nikita Zadorov said. “They don’t really make plays; they just rim the puck and sit back all game. I mean, it’s their goal to don’t play hockey and don’t let the other team play hockey, pretty much. Yeah, it’s hard to come back, especially when you’re down two goals. They had one extra bounce than we did today, so that was the difference out there.”
The Canucks got a bounce, too, as Brock Boeser’s slap-pass caromed in off Kopitar with 2:53 remaining to make the game close. But Vancouver was unable to generate any pressure or shots until DeSmith was pulled for an extra attacker with about four minutes remaining.
“We got some good pushes, but we have a hard time, I think, getting on the inside sometimes against those guys,” Miller said. “Forwards have got to do a better job of getting there.”
In three games against the Kings in the last month, the Canucks, who are fifth in NHL offence with 3.49 goals-per-game, have scored five times in nine-plus periods.
“It’s just blue-paint stuff,” Canuck coach Rick Tocchet said. “You’ve got to own the blue paint.
“It’s a coin-flip type of game. They hit heads and won. They got a couple around the paint. I think that’s really what it comes down to.”
ICE CHIPS – Struggling centre Elias Lindholm, who has been dealing with an undisclosed injury, missed his first game since his Jan. 31 trade to the Canucks. Tocchet said Lindholm is out “day to day.” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the weekend that Lindholm is seeing a specialist this week. . . With the return of Ian Cole to the defence after the veteran was scratched the last two games, Tocchet and his staff decided to change all three pairings despite Vancouver having won its three previous games while allowing only 58 shots. The elite duo of Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek was split, Hughes partnering Tyler Myers while Hronek skated with Zadorov.