‘Can’t name anything good today’: Canucks drop third straight game with 5-2 loss to San Jose Sharks

If you ask the Vancouver Canucks how they felt after tonight’s 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks, the reception won’t be positive. Not only did their two goals come from defensemen Tom Willander and Filip Hronek, but Kevin Lankinen was also pulled in the first half of the first period after allowing three goals on six shots received. Nikita Tolopilo joined the game in relief, stopping 25 of 27 shots received.

“I don’t think we played well today. I think almost every detail was bad. I can’t name anything good today,” Willander, who scored the game’s first goal, said after the match. “At the end of the day, I think at least the last few times we’ve had results like this, I think we’ve done a decent job in many aspects of our game. But today I thought it was horrible.”

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Willander is not wrong. Although they scored first, Vancouver quickly conceded three goals in a span of five minutes, erasing their lead in a matter of seconds. The very thing that Canucks head coach Adam Foote called out the team for a week ago had returned: their penchant for self-deprecating after things don’t go as planned.

“We tried to do too much in the neutral zone … we kind of got away from what we wanted to do — go deep, precheck — and we felt like we were out of shape for a while there, just chasing.”

Unlike previous games, Vancouver’s effort just didn’t seem to be there tonight. They spent much of the third period locked in their own zone, unable to generate even a shot on goal until they were finally able to get the puck out completely.

With trade rumors circulated Over the past few days, all eyes seemed to be on Evander Kane. While he wasn’t necessarily there just for Kane, there was 17 scouts in the Vancouver press box this evening, including two from the Anaheim Ducks and two from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kane found himself on the scoresheet tonight, dropping the gloves with Timothy Liljegren and taking an additional penalty in that sequence.

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Tonight marks the third time in four games that Vancouver’s shorthanded players have allowed two power play goals, as they also allowed two against the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals. In 10 games, they have allowed two or more shorthanded goals five times. One of those goals against came when Vancouver was down two players.

Vancouver’s power play also benefited tonight, scoring its second goal of the game a little more than halfway through the third period. However, the man advantage also got an almost full two-minute opportunity at 5-on-3 and was unable to score during this time. It was their first power play goal in six games.

We must salute Vancouver superstar Macklin Celebrini, who recorded his third multi-point game against the Canucks this season. His quick shot tied the score at one goal apiece for the Sharks, with Vancouver’s lack of defensive zone coverage leaving Celebrini all alone at the top of the faceoff dot. On San Jose’s second goal, it was Celebrini who recovered the puck, keeping it near the line and allowing former Canuck Adam Gaudette to score. The forward finished the game with four points against his hometown team.

Statistics and facts:

• Evander Kane becomes first Canuck to receive 60 penalty minutes this season

• Elias Pettersson claims sole possession of the Canucks’ ninth assist total with 291

• Macklin Celebrini scores more than 2 points against the Canucks in each of the three games against Vancouver this season

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Summary of scores:

1st Period:

1:15 – VAN: Tom Willander (3) by Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk

1:51 – SJS: Macklin Celebrini (27 years old) by Will Smith and Sam Dickinson

4:43 p.m. – SJS: Adam Gaudette (11) by William Eklund and Macklin Celebrini

5:55 p.m. – SJS: Tyler Toffoli (15) from Alexander Wennberg and Sam Dickinson

2nd Period:

9:07 a.m. – SJS: Will Smith (15 years old) by John Klingberg and Macklin Celebrini (PPG)

3rd Period:

0:28 – SJS: John Klingberg (10) from Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini (PPG)

9:15 a.m. – VAN: Filip Hronek (5) from Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk (PPG)

Following :

The Canucks continue their home game with a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. Vancouver won their last game against the Ducks by a score of 5-4 in what was a very entertaining offensive battle. Thursday’s puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.

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Last date of THN Vancouver Canucks website:

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A press box full of scouts as the Canucks take on the Sharks

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