Starting the second half of the season with game-42, the Canucks looked to end a three-game losing streak and improve on a record that found them four games below .500. They would instead lose 4-3 to the Florida Panthers.
Goaltenders: Spencer Martin visiting Sergei Bobrovsky.
While Calgary Flames summer acquisition Matthew Tkachuk as been good, the Panthers have been one of the more disappointing teams in the NHL this season. Apparently the loss of forward Jonathan Huberdeau and defenceman MacKenzie Weegar going the other way in the Tkachuk deal continues to have an impact.
Like the Canucks, the Panthers entered in 6th-place in their division, the Atlantic, six points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Their postseason goal is still obtainable.
Canucks Goal Scorers
1st period
1-0 Canucks – Even Strength – Jack Studnicka (4) from Ilya Mikheyev, 1:35
A seemingly harmless wrist shot from the left point through loose traffic went top shelf on Bobrovsky.
2nd Period
2-1 Canucks – Even Strength – Tyler Myers (1) from Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, :39
A wrist shot from the right point deflected high past Bobrovsky off D-man Aaron Ekblad’s stick.
— While the Canucks were scoring twice through two periods, the Panthers picked up tallies from Ryan Lomberg, Eric Staal, Ekblad, and Aleksander Barkov for a 4-2 lead.
3rd Period
4-3 Panthers – Power Play – Elias Pettersson (19) from Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller, 10:02
A slapper from the point found its way through traffic and maybe off a D-man’s leg.
— Vancouver outshot the Panthers 37-30. The Vancouver power play went 1-for-5, Florida 2-for-3.
— The Canucks slipped to five games below .500 in the standings (17-22-and-3), holding on to 6th place in the Pacific Division. Vancouver plays again tomorrow afternoon against the Metro Division leading Carolina Hurricanes with a 2 pm pacific puck drop. The Canes are 27-9-and-7 on the season with thirteen wins at home.
