Instant Response: Canucks played solid structure against Devils for 63 minutes and 28 seconds

Instant Response: Canucks played solid structure against Devils for 63 minutes and 28 seconds

Welcome back to Instant Reaction – the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to the game and ask you to do the same! Wyatt Arndt’s stanchies will be released later tonight and the stats – CanucksArmy’s analysis-based post-game report – will be released tomorrow morning.

The headline is slightly joking, sure. But tonight the Vancouver Canucks did They play with solid structure and for most of the night they looked like a team capable of rivaling the New Jersey Devils, one of the best in the league.

The first period was probably the best period the Canucks played all season. They played a solid defensive game and were solid in transition. They gave the Devils a serious fight for their money in the first half and even scored after a nice Andrei Kuzmenko goal that we’re all sure to see from at least three different angles in today’s The Stanchies.

It was a solid first period tonight, and honestly, it was a solid all-around performance from the Canucks. Except for a 50 second span in the second period where the Devils scored three unanswered goals in quick succession. It would certainly have been nice if Collin Delia had at least done that one of these saves, but let’s face it – we’ve seen this before.

The only difference between tonight and the Canucks’ other meltdowns this season is that there’s usually no recovery or pushback. Previously, the end result of a sequence like the one we saw tonight in the Canucks’ second half was an embarrassing loss and a post-game press conference that left Bruce Boudreau as confused as the rest of us.

Instead, the Canucks regrouped during a TV break and fought back. They set the game to four apiece and rightfully made this game tighter than I think a lot of people thought it was. Perhaps the biggest difference tonight was the Canucks’ behavior after falling behind. Despite the somewhat monumental second-half collapse, the Canucks didn’t look like a team just trying not to lose after tying the game again. They kept their pace, kept their structure and looked like a team that didn’t give a second thought to not winning this game tonight.

That being said, the penalty is still very, very bad and you could say that ended up costing the Canucks as they lost outnumbered in overtime.

In terms of individual performances, Kuzmenko was his normal highlight role self and Elias Pettersson threw hits on top of his dangerous offense. Vasily Podkolzin looked more confident than the last time we saw him at the NHL level, suggesting his AHL stint accomplished what the Canucks were hoping for. JT Miller has made some nice defensive plays that you’ll hope he builds on as he gets more used to playing down the middle and frankly it’s hard to criticize a forward’s play tonight.

Defense and penalties remain a problem for this team but there really isn’t much to complain about tonight. If you’re in the team tank (now who isn’t?), you’re glad the team didn’t get two points in the standings. And if you’re a fan, you’re probably happy that the team is at least trying to make a solid effort despite knowing that this season is basically over.

The Canucks put in a valiant effort tonight, but this team is simply bettered when they go up against the top teams in the league. And until that major squad operation takes place, they will continue to be outperformed no matter how hard they try.

Tonight, the Canucks tried very hard but lost to the Devils 5-4 in overtime.

What is your spontaneous reaction tonight? Let us know in the comments section below!

Source: canucksarmy.com