The Vancouver Canucks have played seven games in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and fans have witnessed a little bit of everything; wins at home, wins on the road, victories in regulation, and in overtime. Three starting goalies have collectively earned five wins. The thrilling 5-4 result in Game 1 of their second-round bout versus the Edmonton Oilers was an experience that blended the old with the new. More goals were scored than in any other Canucks playoff game this season – a lot more, in fact – and the team had another show of resilience against a familiar foe.
Canucks’ Slow Start Masks Some Key Positives
Round 2 got off to the worst possible start for the home team. Less than a minute in, head coach Rick Tocchet’s group was caught with too many players on the ice, thus lending a potent Oilers squad a power play opportunity. In the first round, the Los Angeles Kings found out the hard way that all Edmonton needs is an inch to gain a mile. After a nice save by newfound hero Arturs Silovs to settle things down, the Oilers performed a lethal cycle of passes to the goalie’s left before Zach Hyman sniped home a one-timer pass from across the crease.
Related: 3 Canucks Who Need to Step Up Against Oilers
Things didn’t get any better in the opening stanza. Ian Cole’s attempt at foiling Edmonton pressure by bouncing the puck off the board behind Silovs gave the opponent’s attacking sequence new life and a new goal. That was the story of the first 33 minutes of the game, at which point Hyman earned his brace off a shot that, even though it came in slower than Silovs expected, embarrassingly slipped through the five-hole.
A 4-1 deficit past the midway point of the second period versus a club like the Oilers should spell doom and gloom. We now know it didn’t, but there were some hidden reasons why not.
For one, Vancouver’s tight defence, which has played very well these playoffs, was deceptively good despite conceding four goals. Connor McDavid, arguably the most dangerous player on the planet right now, finished the night a minus-1 with zero shots on goal. The Canucks don’t offer many scoring opportunities (sixth overall in shots against this season), but nullifying McDavid’s impact took the game to another level. Edmonton was also limited to 14 shots after 40 minutes, far below their usual standards.
Furthermore, Vancouver played a remarkably clean game after the initial gaff of too many men on the ice. The only other time one of…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…