The Tampa Bay Lightning ultimately took care of business against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday evening with a 5-4 victory. An impressive comeback attempt by the Canucks in the third period fell short. Lightning goalie Andre Vasilevskiy robbed Curtis Lazar in the closing seconds to preserve the Tampa win.
Another tough night for downtrodden Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau, who seems to have run out of ideas. For this one, he scratched veteran defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, his first time being sat out of a game since March of 2011 when he played for the Coyotes.
The Canucks scored first, always a bonus, particularly on the road. For the second straight game it was Conor Garland getting things started. It didn’t last.
An often repeated thought before and during this game for the Vancouver Canucks: “Stay out of the penalty box.”
They failed to do so in the first period. After taking that one-nothing lead early in the hockey game, Vancouver relinquished a power play goal to the Lightning ten minutes later. Tampa Bay came in cranking 28.1-percent of the time with the man advantage.
The Canucks aren’t too shabby in that department either, clicking at a rate of 23.9%. Vancouver would turn the tables in the second period, tying the game on a power play goal after Alex Killorn scored early to give Tampa the lead.
Canucks Goal Scorers
1st Period
1-0 Canucks – Even Strength – Conor Garland (8) from Bo Horvat and Luke Schenn, 4:14
Garland pounced on a loose puck off a rebound and put it into a gaping net from low in the left wing circle.
2nd Period
2-2 Tie – Power Play – J.T. Miller (16) from Quinn Hughes and Collin Delia, 5:44
Hughes with a long pass up the middle sprung Miller on a breakaway and he juked Vasilevskiy to the far post.
3rd Period
5-3 Tampa – Even Strength – Quinn Hughes (3) from Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko, 14:40
Hughes cruised into the left wing circle, took his time, and ripped a wrister top shelf blocker side.
5-4 Tampa – Even Strength (Extra attacker) – Elias Pettersson (18) from Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller, 17:52
‘Petey’ ripped home a 90 mile-per-hour one-time slapper from the top of the right wing circle.
— The Canucks outshot the Lightning 40-35. Power plays: Vancouver 1-for-3, Tampa Bay 2-for-3
Canucks 3 Stars:
1) Quinn Hughes – A goal and two assists in 27:35 of ice time, the most of any Canuck.
2) Elias Pettersson – A goal and an assist in the third period.
3) J.T. Miller – A goal and an assist in 20-minutes of ice time.
All the Rick Tocchet rumours are just that, rumours.
Bruce is staying the year.