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. Feel free to leave your own stick-taps and glove-drops in the comments.
A tap of the stick to Daniel and Henrik Sedin. It’s tough to say goodbye and it’s almost better that their final game came on the road after an incredible and emotional final home game on Thursday. It felt a little bit easier with that small amount of distance.
The Edmonton Oilers deserve a stick-tap. They had their own video tribute to the twins and gave them a couple rousing ovations, even in overtime when they came out for one last faceoff. At the end of the game, the Oilers of course stayed on the ice and shook hands with the Sedins, while the crowd cheered, then they cheered again when the twins were announced as the second and third stars. Edmonton did it right.
A tap of the stick to Adam Gaudette, who looked eager to record his first NHL point in the final game of the season. He finished with six shot attempts, all of them classified as scoring chances by Natural Stat Trick, but just couldn’t solve Cam Talbot.
I’m dropping the gloves with the Canucks’ penalty kill, which gave up the opening goal in the first period. The Oilers were looking for Leon Draisaitl at the back door for the entirety of their man advantage, with a few previous chances bouncing over his stick or going wide, so it seems like the Canucks’ PK should have seen it coming when Connor McDavid set him up one more time at the backdoor for the finish.
I have to give Daniel Sedin and Alex Edler a tap of the stick for the funniest sequence of the night. Edler broke his stick on a power play slap shot, leading to a rush the other way. Daniel Sedin tried to pass off his stick while on the backcheck, but they botched the hand-off, leading to both Canucks back on a 2-on-2 defending without sticks.
Stick-tap to Jussi Jokinen, who has made the most of his 14 post-trade-deadline games with the Canucks. Just after the Canucks’ power play expired, Jokinen tipped home the tying goal off a Brendan Leipsic point shot. That gives Jokinen eight points in the final seven games of the season.
Anders Nilsson deserves a stick-tap for his performance in net. It’s been a tough year for Nilsson, who looked like he might battle for the number one spot with Markstrom early on, but fell apart as the season progressed. He was good in the final game, however, looking particularly strong down low with some nice pad saves. He stopped 31 of 33 shots.
A tap of the stick to Brandon Sutter and Tyler Motte, who combined to give the Canucks a 2-1 lead in the second period. A Michael Del Zotto slap shot hit Darren Archibald in front of the net. In the chaos that ensued, Sutter jumped in to tap the puck out of the scrum to Motte, who quickly pulled it to his forehand and snapped it past Cam Talbot before he knew what was happening.
Stick-tap to the defence pairing of Michael Del Zotto and Derrick Pouliot, who made the most of some ice time shared with the Sedins and helped their possession game in the offensive zone. The Canucks out-shot the Oilers 14-7 with both Del Zotto and Pouliot on the ice and they both finished with over 20 minutes of ice time.
I have to drop the gloves with Bo Horvat on the 2-2 goal. In a 4-on-4 situation and with the long change in the second period, Horvat skated off for a line change as the Oilers entered the Canucks’ zone. His late line change meant that Brandon Sutter was way behind the play when McDavid dropped the puck to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who had all the time he needed to beat Nilsson inside the far post.
I’m dropping the gloves with Kris Russell for ruining what would have been a perfect finish to the Sedins’ careers. In overtime, Daniel won a battle down low and got the puck out to Henrik. The Canucks’ captain, deked around the goaltender and had the game-winning goal on his stick, but Russell got his stick out to block the puck on the goal line.
A tap of the stick to Travis Green for once again getting both Sedins out for the shootout and particularly for getting the Sedins’ kids onto the bench to give their dads a little advice. It was truly special seeing the Sedins laughing with and embracing their kids at the bench.
Both Sedins get a stick-tap for two great shootout attempts. Often criticized for lacklustre performances in the shootout that regularly amounted to deking the puck directly into the goaltender’s pads, this time they both shot early. Daniel skated in and ripped a wristshot past Talbot to open the shootout, then Henrik embraced his inner Thomas Vanek and blasted a slap shot from between the hashmarks. It didn’t go in, but it looked cool, and that’s a big step up for Henrik.
I’ll give Jussi Jokinen one more stick-tap. He showed why he's considered a shootout specialist, weaving in, then roofing the puck with a sudden shot that Talbot had no chance of stopping.
Farewell Daniel and Henrik. I hope to see you around the rink in the future. The Canucks and their fans are going to miss you dearly. From me and from all of them, one last tap of the stick as you ride off into the sunset.
