For the first time this season, the Canucks dominated an opponent. Their 41 shots on goal was a season-high and only the second time they’ve tallied more than 30 shots in a game. On top of that, they only allowed 22 shots against. Sure, it's worth noting that the Canucks still trailed coming out of the first period and barely held onto a one-goal lead, so many be the bar for "domination" is a little low at the moment, but it still counts.
The big takeaway from this game? The Sabres are really bad. How bad are they? This was Derek Dorsett’s 502nd career game. Heading into Buffalo, Dorsett had gone 501 games without scoring two goals in one game. He scored two goals against the Sabres and added an assist for just the second three-point game of his career.
The Sabres were give-up-two-goals-to-Derek-Dorsett bad when I watched this game.
- Full credit to Dorsett, of course. Even if the Sabres are terrible, no one else on the Canucks put up two goals and three points. And now Dorsett is the Canucks’ scoring leader, just like all the pundits predicted heading into the season. If you had told me before the season started that 7 games in, Dorsett would be leading the Canucks in scoring, I would have assumed the Canucks went completely overboard with the trade-for-picks-and-prospects portion of the rebuild.
- Dorsett’s game didn’t start so hot, however, as he was at fault on the Sabres’ opening goal: he didn’t notice Justin Bailey skate by him in the neutral zone until it was too late, and Bailey took the step Dorsett gave him and the pass from Ryan O’Reilly, then made like Guybrush Threepwood and combined those two items into a goal.
- The checking line responded with a grinder goal: all three members of the line — Dorsett, Brandon Sutter, and Markus Granlund — were in front of the net battling for the puck after Tanev’s slap-pass hit a leg. Dorsett got to the puck first, forcing a stick save from Chad Johnson, then Granlund finished the rebound with more authority than was truly necessary, lifting the puck off the post and in for his first goal of the season.
- For the second time this season, Jacob Markstrom gave up the first goal on the first shot he faced, but he wasn’t truly to blame. You can’t say the same for his second goal, which he readily and rightly admitted was his fault. Ben Hutton gets one half portion of the blame for watching Jack Eichel deke the puck between his legs, but Markstrom gets 60 portions for letting Eichel’s bad angle shot squeak under his right pad.
- Here’s the thing: Hutton has to do better on Eichel’s coast-to-coast goal, but that one play wasn’t indicative of his entire game. Hutton played nearly 26 minutes to lead the Canucks in ice time, started more shifts in the defensive zone than any other Canuck, played big minutes against the Sabres’ red-hot top line of Eichel, Evander Kane, and Jason Pominville, and saw the Canucks out-shoot the Sabres 13-8 when he was on the ice at 5-on-5. Like a story about meeting Bill Murray, I know no one is going to believe me, but apart from that one truly horrible play, Hutton had a strong game.
- Dorsett once again took it upon himself to respond, this time with an ever-unlikely shorthanded goal. A tertiary assist goes to Nathan Beaulieu: he’s the one who gambled in the Canucks’ zone, leading to Sutter chipping the puck past him for a 2-on-1. Then Beaulieu got back, but deflected Sutter’s shot with his stick, ensuring that Johnson couldn’t control the rebound, which went right to Dorsett for the putback jam.
- The way Travis Green has deployed his lines seems unique. Daniel and Henrik Sedin essentially got fourth-line ice time, finishing with under 9 minutes at 5-on-5 and just over 11 and 12 minutes, respectively, when you add in power play time. But those minutes were completely sheltered from the defensive zone: the Sedins and Virtanen were the only Canucks that didn’t start a single shift in the Canucks’ end of the ice.
- Virtanen and the Sedins made the most of their limited minutes, significantly out-shooting the Sabres and combining for the gamewinning goal. Virtanen deftly knocked the puck down out of mid-air while backing into the zone, then showed some Sedin-esque patience, waiting for Henrik to join the play before sending a pass to him through Jordan Nolan’s legs. Henrik found Daniel streaking to the net from off the bench, and Daniel knocked home his own rebound. It’s one of the best plays I’ve ever seen from Virtanen, showing poise and vision of which it didn’t seem he was capable.
- Maple Leafs legend and current Sabres head coach Phil Housley challenged the goal for offside, as Virtanen seemed to enter the zone before the puck. The referees, apparently feeling particularly lenient, ruled that Virtanen was in control of the puck — you’re allowed to enter the zone before the puck if it is in your control — even though the puck was bouncing and wasn’t even on Virtanen’s stick. As control goes, Virtanen is no Pedro the Lion, but it was good enough for the refs.
- Brock Boeser’s point streak ended at four games, but it wasn’t due to lack of effort. It took a behind-the-back save by Johnson and a weird deflection over the net to keep him and his linemates off the scoresheet, so I guess the hockey gods don't want Boeser to get too cocky.
- Dorsett finished off his unlikely night with an empty net goal to seal the victory. In six of his nine NHL seasons, Dorsett has scored a total of four or fewer goals. He already has four goals through seven games this season. Hockey is weird, man.
