Canucks’ third-period collapse vs. Blackhawks halts momentum

VANCOUVER – It wasnâ€t the Vancouver Canucks†worst performance this season, just their most disappointing result.

Having survived (we think) an injury crisis by scavenging points and maximizing opportunities, they minimized output from Wednesdayâ€s home game against the Chicago Blackhawks by getting nothing from a contest they dominated for 40 minutes.

Scoreless through two periods despite outshooting the Blackhawks 35-19, the Canucks surrendered four goals in 8 ½ minutes early in the third period and lost 5-2 at Rogers Arena. It was 4-0 for Chicago before Aatu Raty and Evander Kane scored in garbage time for Vancouver.

The Canucks have been navigating physical hardship the last three weeks, missing as many as nine players during an unyielding schedule that included seven games in 11 days and seven road games out of 10.

But Wednesdayâ€s third-period disintegration presents a mental challenge.

After treading water in the standings during their crisis, demonstrating resilience and resourcefulness to go 7-7-0, the Canucks could have used the Blackhawks†visit as a launching pad.

Vancouver just returned from a gritty 2-1-0 road trip that saw them get captain and best player Quinn Hughes back from injury. Then leading scorer Conor Garland returned on Wednesday, with injured forwards Teddy Blueger and Jonathan Lekkerimaki lining up behind him.

The Canucks were opening a four-game homestand, their longest since the compressed National Hockey League season began.

With all these tailwinds, the Canucks came close to over-running the Blackhawks in the second period, but couldnâ€t beat Chicago goalie Spencer Knights. They were playing great – until they weren’t

Now here they are, back under .500 by a game, still unable to win consecutive games since Oct. 19, and needing to rebuild the positivity they scattered Wednesday before the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche visit on consecutive nights this weekend.

“I mean, it just stinks,†winger Jake DeBrusk said. “It sucks how you play a pretty decent game, but all of our shots were from the outside. And itâ€s pretty much been (that way) the whole year. Give their goalie credit, and they box out well. But we kept them in the game. This is what happens.â€

After the Canucks had a 12-2 advantage in high-danger chances in the middle period, the Blackhawks got a hat trick from Tyler Bertuzzi in the third.

He made it 1-0 with his feet at 3:06, guiding in Matt Grzelcykâ€s pass to the back post with his skates a few seconds after Canuck defenceman Tyler Myers passed into teammate Max Sassonâ€s skate for a turnover. And when the Blackhawks got a soft call against Myers for interference – because power plays were 2-0 Vancouver at that point – Bertuzzi scored from an identical spot at 6:46, this time using his stick to convert Connor Bedardâ€s excellent pass.

It was a stunning turn of events from the first two periods. Honestly, it felt like the game was over at that point, although unchecked former Canuck Ilya Mikheyev and Bertuzzi, on another bounce off the luckless Myers, poured more goals past Vancouver netminder Kevin Lankinen.

“Little mishap on the first one they got,†Canucks coach Adam Foote said. “Defensively, we made a mistake. And I think we just got off a little bit from there. I donâ€t know if it was fatigue from the trip, coming back. We just over-pressed. And you guys saw the rest.â€

“You knew they were going to come up with a better period than they probably had the first two,†the Canucks†Kane explained. “I’m sure they weren’t happy with their first two periods. And, you know, they get one that goes off a skate in the back door and then capitalize on the power play. I think obviously, we would have liked to probably get a couple in the first two periods and not let them hang around. But that’s the way the game goes sometimes.â€

It hadnâ€t gone that way this season for the Canucks, who have been clinging desperately to games, not throwing them away.

“Definitely didn’t expect that,†Hughes said. “I mean, I guess that’s why you play 60 minutes, right? We had a great 40, but obviously fell apart there.â€

“Yeah, really frustrating,†centre Lukas Reichel, now pointless in seven games since his trade from Chicago, told Sportsnet. “We had so many shots, so many chances, and couldn’t get one in. And then at the end, you know, they scored at the right time. That gives them momentum, and then their power play goes and weâ€re chasing the game. But we were so good in the first two periods, so many chances. I felt like we had the game under control.â€

Every Canuck skater except Sasson registered a shot. In the first two periods.Â

Kane finished with 10. Garland had seven. And DeBrusk, still without an even-strength goal this season, had four shots.

“I don’t even know what to say at this point,†DeBrusk told us. “Itâ€s probably better to not say what I’m thinking. But it sucks. You know, we’ve had injuries, you want to step up, you want to do everything. But the game’s not coming to me at all.

“I mean, personally, Iâ€ve gone through it the whole year. This is just a gentle reminder of the last 15 games for me. But you try to stay positive. You can look at the shots, we had some power plays, we had multiple looks. If we do that more times than not, we win. But obviously in the moment, it stinks.â€

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MacEachern, E. Pettersson (Junior)

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