Canucks burned by struggling penalty kill in blown-lead loss to Canadiens

VANCOUVER — In the final 2 ½ months of last season, when the Vancouver Canucks had the best penalty killing in the National Hockey League, the team yielded nine power-play goals over 31 games.

With three of their penalty-killing forwards from last season either gone or injured, the Canucks†shorthanded units have been lit up for nine power-play goals in the last seven games. 

Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens, the Canucks were the better team at five-on-five, building a 15-3 landslide advantage in high-danger scoring chances. But Vancouver lost a two-goal lead on special teams and lost the game 4-3 at Rogers Arena.

Sure, there were fortuitous puck bounces for the Canadiens on both of their power-play goals, including Juraj Slafkovskyâ€s 2-2 equalizer at 1:50 of the third period when Lane Hutsonâ€s point shot hit Ivan Demidov and fell perfectly for the dangerous rookie to set up his teammate.

But in the last two weeks, opposition power plays have ventilated the Canucks by going 9-for-25 or 36 per cent. And thatâ€s not just bad luck for Vancouver. 

Whether failing to make clears or finding loose pucks, leaving lanes open or simply losing most of the faceoffs, the Canucks have not had the sharp, disciplined, cohesive and effective penalty killing that kept them in the playoff race last season.

And with five skaters injured, including key penalty-killers Teddy Blueger and Derek Forbort, the Canucks donâ€t have the luxury of losing the special-teams battle while still expecting to win games.

“Yeah, we’re leaking a little bit,†Canucks defenceman Marcus Pettersson said of the PK unit. “And it’s tough, you know, they get a couple of bounces. But weâ€ve got to dig down a little bit because it has lost a couple games for us. It’s frustrating, but we can’t get frustrated with it. I mean, good players are going to make plays sometimes (against you). Theyâ€re going to get a couple of bounces. But weâ€ve got to find ways to bear down. That’s all it is.â€

With Pius Suter gone in free agency and Dakota Joshua traded for cap space, new head coach Adam Foote has been exploring shorthanded options. Conor Garland, a complementary PK piece a year ago, is now the first forward out shorthanded and averaging a hefty 3:22 of penalty-kill time per game.

Top centre Elias Pettersson is killing more, as are Kiefer Sherwood and Drew Oâ€Connor. And top-six wingers Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser have been auditioned shorthanded after seeing almost no PK duty last season.

This is happening, of course, at the start of a schedule that is more dense than Tokyo and has the Canucks about to play their seventh game in 11 days when the Edmonton Oilers visit Rogers Arena on Sunday.

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“Yeah, you need reps,†Foote said. “Some guys have to be put in situations so they get the reps, and they’ll get it. You can draw it up on the board, but youâ€ve got to get out and play and get the feel for it. Yeah, that probably is part of it right now. You got some guys that arenâ€t normally in those situations for that amount of time. . . but that’s the way it is.

“We’ve known the schedule since the summer. So we’re not even discussing the schedule. We’re just working every day. We got slammed with some injuries during a tough schedule, and that’s no excuse. We’re going to keep on going. And we’re this close, again. We completely controlled the game (at five on five). But, you know, a couple of little things.â€

DeBrusk said: “I think that we have to stay out of the box, first. I think that every penalty we had. . . was a result of couple of breakdowns; one of them was me (because) I didn’t chip the puck out. Theyâ€ve played with each other (on the Montreal power play) for a couple years now, and obviously that kid (Demidov) had a pretty good night. They know where each other are. A couple times the pucks were right there for us but they made the right play.â€

Starting with Nick Suzukiâ€s power-play goal that cut the Canucks lead in half at 15:03 of the second period — the goal was almost identical to Slafkovskyâ€s with an initial shot getting blocked by Marcus Pettersson — the Canadiens scored four straight goals over 15 minutes to seize the game.

Demidov had a goal and two assists for Montreal, and scored what turned out to be the game-winner at 11:09 of the final period with a one-timer that appeared to clip Vancouver defenceman Elias Pettersson before beating goalie Kevin Lankinen.

Garlandâ€s redirect of the original Elias Petterssonâ€s shot-pass brought the Canucks within one, down 4-3, as Vancouver attacked six-against-five at 16:13.

For the second straight game, Boeser had a potential tying goal on is stick in the low slot in the final minute but couldnâ€t convert.

Since a three-game winning streak that saw centres Filip Chytil and Blueger injured Sunday in Washington, the Canucks have lost three straight to fall back under .500 at 4-5-0.

“Myself personally, this is most hockey I think Iâ€ve played in a stretch,†DeBrusk said. “It’s not even close to playoff intensity, but the same type of schedule. You know, it wears on you. You get bumps and bruises early on, and they just get worse, so youâ€ve just got to manage it. At the same point, it’s teaching us a lesson. No matter if you win or lose, youâ€ve got to have a short memory because you’re right back at it again. It’d be nice if you’re rolling, you’re hot. But when you’re not, youâ€ve got to find (solutions) quick. Youâ€ve got to be a good pro.â€

And either kill penalties or donâ€t take them.

“Weâ€re right there,†Foote said. “Weâ€ve got to find our positives out of that and keep it going. Like you said, seven (games) in 11, and weâ€ve got another one tomorrow.â€

• Forward Lukas Reichel made his Canuck debut after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday for just a fourth-round draft pick. The speedy, former first-round pick logged 15:08 as Vancouverâ€s second-line centre, but finished minus-two and lost the shooting lane when Mike Matheson beat Lankinen from 40 feet to break a 2-2 tie at 8:19 of the final period. Reichel went 2-8 on faceoffs.

“He played great,†Foote said. “I mean. . . tough travel. I think he slept at the airport and got two hours sleep, and he had a helluva game coming into a new environment. A lot of heat out there, and he handled it well.â€

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