Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

I Watched This Game: Canucks’ losing streak reaches lucky number seven in Vegas

Canucks 1, Golden Knights 4
I Watched This Game - IWTG Banner

The Canucks ended last season with eight straight losses in regulation, mirroring eight regulation losses early in the season. The two eight-game streaks set a franchise record for pointless streaks since the NHL introduced the loser point after regulation.

Now the Canucks are nearing the same mark again after losing their seventh straight game in regulation on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

The eight-game losing streak last season dropped the Canucks two whole spots in the NHL standings from 27th to 29th. It was a clutch piece of tanking that guaranteed them a top-five draft pick, allowing them to pick Elias Pettersson fifth overall, as well as giving the Canucks the second pick in every subsequent round.

With this loss to the Golden Knights, the Canucks just dropped to 30th in the NHL, just one point ahead of the Buffalo Sabres, who have a game in hand. If the Canucks continue this losing streak, perhaps bettering (worsening?) last season’s franchise record or coming close to their overall franchise record 10-game losing streak, 31st place will belong to them.

And I will watch every one of those games, just like I watched this game.

  • This game featured an odd milestone: Brendan Leipsic became the first every former member of the Vegas Golden Knights to return to Vegas and play his former team. Leipsic had 13 points in 44 games with the Golden Knights, then made an immediate impression in Vancouver after the trade, putting up six points in his first four games, but he’s been held pointless in six straight.
  • You have to feel for Bo Horvat. He’s spent most of the season with two consistent linemates in Brock Boeser and Sven Baertschi. Now, both of them are injured and out for the season, so Horvat is left with Leipsic and other lesser linemates. Horvat is regularly one of the Canucks’ best forwards game after game, but his hard work doesn’t consistently pay off on the scoresheet.
  • Like a Fox News talk show, Bo Horvat and Brendan Leipsic had a rotating cast of right wingers. They had more guest stars than a later season episode of The Simpsons. Nikolay Goldobin started the game on their wing, then he got busted down to sergeant like Lou, and Jake Virtanen took his place. Then Sam Gagner stepped in for a few shifts before Goldobin came back in the third period. Even Jussi Jokinen took one shift with Horvat and Leipsic at the end of the game.
  • Speaking of Jokinen, he led the Canucks in ice time in the third period and had the fourth highest ice time among Canucks forwards overall. He’s 34 and a pending UFA, so it’s baffling that he would get so much ice when this time of the season is generally about giving younger players an opportunity to prove themselves. Also, seeing him on the ice that much made it that much harder to avoid a “You’ve gotta be Jokinen” pun, which is just not fair to the writers covering the team.
  • Also speaking of Jokinen, Brandon Sutter’s goal in the third period was the first even-strength goal the Canucks have scored since Jokinen scored against the Minnesota Wild. All three goals the Canucks scored in their previous game were on the power play, so they went 320 minutes and 36 seconds without an even-strength goal, the equivalent of 16 full periods.
  • The Golden Knights are relentless in their attack, which seems to be in constant motion. They never seem to slow down once they’re in the offensive zone, making them tough to track defensively. That’s what appeared to happen on the opening goal, as both Bo Horvat and Chris Tanev got caught puck-watching while Jonathan “30 Seconds To” Marchessault circled into the slot. By the time they realized what had happened, Marchessault was already moving in for The Kill, putting a one-timer in off the post.
  • Less than a minute later, it was 2-0, mainly because Vegas scored again. That’s generally how these sorts of things work. This was a mix of poor decision-making by Jacob Markstrom, nifty hand-eye coordination by Cody Eakin, and some blind luck. Markstrom poked a puck into the air instead of covering it up, Eakin got his stick on it, and it went into the net off Derrick Pouliot’s shoulder. Randomness and bad bounces happen all the time in hockey, so limit the opportunities for those bounces to happen.
  • The broadcast gave Ryan Reaves a lot of credit for the Knights’ third goal for hitting Troy Stecher on the forecheck, but what really caused the problem was Reid Boucher. Instead of moving the puck quickly up the boards with a pass or his feet, he cut back to look for a pass and lost the puck immediately. I like Boucher — he creates shots and goals at an impressive rate given his limited ice time — but plays like that are a big reason why he has never stuck in the NHL.
  • The oddest part of this game was Marc-Andre Fleury leaving after the first period. The assumption was that it had to do with a Brandon Sutter shot that hit him in the mask, but there has been no word yet on his injury. He didn’t even return to the bench when Malcolm “In The Middle” Subban came in for the second and third period.
  • Subban nearly combined with Fleury for a shutout. Oddly enough, he performed just well enough to give Fleury the win, as Fleury exited the game with a 3-0 lead, so the game-winning goal was scored while he was in net. If Subban had played worse, allowing three goals, instead of just one, he would have been given the win, as the Knights’ fourth goal was scored with him in net.
  • The Knights basically relaxed after dominating the first period and it was hard to blame them. The Canucks out-shot the Golden Knights 23-13 after the first period, but they never seemed particularly dangerous and not once did they look like they were going to make a comeback. Even Travis Green agreed, saying, “You're not going to come back against a team like that. Well, we're not.” Harsh, but fair.
  • At least the Canucks got one goal. Brandon Sutter’s bad angle shot may have had an element of luck, as it tipped off Shea Theodore’s stick, but Sutter created the chance. The Canucks had 20 shot attempts with Sutter on the ice at 5-on-5, with only Virtanen on for more among Canucks forwards. It’s the highest for Sutter all season, who has spent a lot more time in his own end of the ice.