Stick-taps and glove-drops is a recurring feature after every Canucks game giving some quick kudos and criticism before the longer I Watched This Game feature. That’s right: two post-game articles for the price of one! That price is still zero dollars.
I’m dropping the gloves with Travis Green for making Brock Boeser a healthy scratch. Then an additional half a glove dropped for the Canucks in-arena entertainment team, who put a message from a Brock Boeser fan on the ice for the pre-game theatrics reading, “Boeser: #6 on the ice, #1 in my heart.” Have to feel bad for that poor fan, as #6 wasn’t on the ice and is therefore no longer #1 in his or her heart.
Stick-tap to Bo Horvat, who looked like he was trying to earn his brand-new contract and pseudo-first line status. He scored an absolutely beautiful goal for the first Canucks goal of the season, then followed it up by picking Oscar Klefbom’s pocket and scoring another goal on a wraparound.
It’s probably safer to drop the gloves with Thomas Vanek than it is Travis Green. Vanek’s first notable act as a Vancouver Canuck: the ever-rare “playing the puck from the bench” penalty. It might not be as bad as Loui Eriksson’s own-goal from last year, but it was still a pretty funny debut for another Canucks’ big-name free agent signing.
Stick-tap to Brandon Sutter for outscoring Connor McDavid. The Sutter line, with Derek Dorsett and Markus Granlund was hard-matched with McDavid’s line and came out on top in goals, even if they gave up a lot of shot attempts. Sutter got lucky when the puck conveniently bounced out to him in the slot, but he made the most of the opportunity.
Alex Edler gets a stick-tap for facing down a 3-on-1 after a power play, doing his best impression of a road hockey goaltender with a kick-save-and-a-beauty to negate the chance. Later on, he dropped to his knees to stop a puck on top of the crease.
A combination stick-tap and glove-drop to Troy Stecher for making me enjoy a hockey fight again. When he hammered Ryan Strome with a hit, then dropped the gloves with him, it felt like a proper, emotions-are-high fight instead of the staged fights we’ve seen over the past few years.
The biggest stick-tap has to go to Jacob Markstrom, who recovered after giving up a goal on the very first shot of the game. He made some fantastic saves, none bigger than the stunning right pad save on a deflected Oscar Klefbom point shot with less than a minute remaining. The puck was bouncing, but he reacted, doing the splits and covering up the rebound.
Stick-taps all-around to the Canucks, and an apologetic stick-tap to Travis Green, who has his team playing a high-energy, entertaining style of hockey. Even if the Canucks lose out the rest of the way, if they play like this, the losses will be fun to watch.
