My previous IWTG featured an Albertan team centered around a young, wholesome star with good hands, who is known to razzle-dazzle opponents. That game ended with the Calgary spanking Vancouver 4-1. Well, I wasn’t about to let that happen again. So I did everything in my power to support the squad against Edmonton.
Okay, so "everything in my power" basically just meant watching while eating popcorn. Still, I did it.
It was close to midnight as I reflected on the Canucks’ final game of 2016. Despite producing zero back-to-back wins since mid-October, the boys managed to end the first half of the season with a three-game win streak. And this game was nothing short of a thriller. You wouldn’t know the Canucks had just played three games in four days. They held on tight for the whole game, dominating possession in the beginning of the third period, and fighting for their lives as regulation came to an end. The Canucks fought to survive inside a killer thriller tonight, as I watched this game.
- (Bonus points to anyone who can find all 10 “Thriller” lyrics hidden in this article).
- Obviously, Vancouver’s main objective was to neutralize Connor McDavid. Personally, I wanted to unleash “The Notorious” and have them battle for the title of Best Connor McAthlete of 2016, but McGregor concluded that Rogers Place was too chilly for his little underoos. The Canucks, on the other hand, did well to keep McDavid at bay for most of the game, though he found his stride in the third period and ended up scoring to send the game to overtime.
- The first notable play of the game came halfway through the first period, when Daniel Sedin got two minutes for hooking Leon Draisaitl* down to the ice. This was Daniel’s first attempted hook o’ the night. He was able to perfect the craft late in the third, which left him watching McDavid’s tying goal from the penalty box. He heard the door slam and realized there was nowhere left to run.
- *Single fellas: The ‘Dry Sidle’ is a guaranteed move to impress the ladies. Email us for more info.
- As soon as Daniel popped out of the box, he was able to feed Jayson Megna with a delicious pass in front of the net, but Megna fanned on the bouncing puck. No hard feelings, though, as Daniel would later whiff on Megna’s centering pass early in the second. Vancouver’s top line continue to falter, leading the Sedins to seek out their most applicable Craigslist page.
- In the bottom half of the first, Vancouver opened the scoring (kinda). Loui Eriksson fed a long pass back to Markus Granlund at the top of the circle. Granlund buried a top-corner wrist shot with the help of Brandon Sutter screening goaltender Cam Talbot. The Oilers challenged, citing Goaltender Interference and the goal was disallowed. As it turns out, Sutter had impeded the movement of Talbot’s arm, which is a big, bad no-no.
- Still scoreless going into the second, Alexandre Burrows decided enough was enough. He pressured Oilers’ Eric Gryba behind the net, causing the big man to cough up the puck to Sven Baertschi. Baertschi crossed it through the middle (with a subtle redirect courtesy of Bo Horvat), and ye olde pucke found its way back to Burrows in the slot for the first goal of the game. Or was it?? The Oilers challenged for Goaltender Interference again, this time citing Horvat for making contact with Talbot’s pad right before the shot. The officials went to the tape, but this time the goal stood. Talbot just closed his eyes and hoped it was his imagination.
- Five minutes later, the Oilers answered back. Nikita Tryamkin took a Holding penalty to stop a Conor McDavid breakaway. I can’t say I blame him; that’s a classic move for a big fella. McDavid heard the creature creepin’ up and drew the call. However, this shift in momentum led to Edmonton’s first goal, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins fed Drake "Nosferatu" Caggiula for a one-timer in front of the net.
- 1-1 going into the third, and that’s when the excitement began. Horvat simply outpaced everyone along the boards and made Gryba look a fool (once again) by finding Baertschi in traffic front of the net. Baertschi took a couple whacks at it and found the back of the net. Rumour has it Gryba has been consulting with Rogers Place kitchen staff on how to remove the molasses from his skates.
- At this point, the Canucks were up 2-1 in the final two minutes of the game. So you know what that means: time for a goal from the opposition. Daniel Sedin decided he was done playing in this game, taking a hooking penalty so he could sit for the rest of regulation. Daniel thought he would get no second chance, but then Connor McDavid decided that no man should have to sit on the sidelines. He was gracious enough to bring Daniel back in the game by ending the penalty and sending the game to overtime via a depressingly sweet pass from Draisaitl. McDavid went top-corner over a sprawling Jacob Markstrom.
- 2-2. Overtime. Daniel, Sutter, Hutton VS McDavid, Draisaitl, Russell. And everything went crazyyy! Basically, just imagine the Sedins shadowing each other all the way down the ice for several scoring opportunities. Then imagine McDavid scurrying back up the ice for even more scoring opportunities! That was the entirety of the five-minute OT that (somehow) ended scoreless.
- The ensuing shootout saw five shooters and only one goal. In the end, Mark Letestu, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins and Granlund all fell short. It was like a bizarro soccer shootout where nobody could score. Nobody except for Bo “Knows Hockey” Horvat. He skated in, cool and calm, pumped the brakes for a quick feint and then beat Talbot blocker side, up high. Nobody can stop the beast when he’s he’s about to strike. Thrilling. Canucks Fun Fact: The first NHL shootout Vancouver and Edmonton ever had was against one another, some one thousand years ago.
- So, as 2016 comes to a close, darkness falls across the land as the midnite hour is close at hand. The Canucks have crawled in search of blood to terrorize Edmonton’s neighbourhood. MUA-HAHAHA!!!
