Setting records is a good thing.. well they are if it’s for something good.
Friday night the Canucks set an NHL record for the most consecutive losses by a score of 5-2 with their 4th straight loss against the Calgary Flames
It is dark times right now for Vancouver, and the Flames pounced on an uninspired Canucks squad and ran them out of town.
Linemates Joe Colborne, Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik each had a goal and an assist, and Jonas Hiller made 26 saves to secure the win.
They also received goals from Mark Giordano, and Josh Jooris, while the Canucks got goals from Adam Cracknell, and Jake Virtanen.
At the end of the first period the Canucks actually held a 2-1 lead, but quickly gave it up in the second.
The victory feels extra special for the Flames considering they have been long time rivals of the Canucks.
“We don’t like those guys and they don’t like us,” Colborne said. “It’s especially nice when you can steal two big ones from them. But it’s only two points. It’s nice, but we have to string a bunch of those together and we have to do it right away.
For Calgary, Colborne scored on the game’s first shot. Backlund took a stretch pass from TJ Brodie, weaved through the slot and dropped the puck to Colborne, who beat Markstrom over the blocker at 1:41 for his 9th of the year.
Cracknell tied the game nine minutes later with his 4th goal of the year. Jannik Hansen outbattled Brodie in Calgary’s end before poking the puck to Cracknell, who sent a shot past Hiller’s blocker from 25 feet at 10:41.
Vancouver took the lead with 4:13 remaining in the period. Virtanen, playing his first NHL game in Calgary, stripped the puck from Hamilton and shook off a check from Flames forward Sam Bennett before skating into the high slot and scoring over Hiller’s glove to put the Canucks up 2-1.
From here on out it was all Flames.
First, it was Backlund who began the three goal second period. Jacob Markstrom stopped shots by Frolik and Colborne, but Backlund chipped a third attempt over the Canucks goaltender to tie the game 2:07 into the period for his 10th of the year.
Frolik’s backhand from the slot 3:27 later hit Vancouver defenseman Matt Bartkowski before slipping through Markstrom’s five-hole to give the Flames a 3-2 lead.
Lastly, after making big stops earlier on Dougie Hamilton, and Sean Monahan, Giordano one-timed a pass from Brodie; his shot deflected off Vancouver defenseman Ben Hutton and went past Markstrom to put Calgary up 4-2 with 24.9 seconds remaining in the period.
To cap it off in the third, off the rush, Jooris redirected a cross-ice pass from Lance Bouma by Markstrom to extend the lead to 5-2 at 3:01 of the third.
Positives?
“You can’t let the negativity take over,” Markstrom said. “You’ve got to stick together as a team. We’re in the same boat. Nobody wants to be in this boat, but the reality is we’re all in it. We’ve got to find a way to get out of it.
On the night Jacob Markstrom made 28 saves for the Canucks (22-24-12) who remain eight points out of the final playoff spot.
Up next: The Canucks return home to face the Colorado Avalanche Sunday night at 7:00pm.
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