Shocking loss?
Up 1-0 heading into the third period, the Vancouver Canucks gave up four goals to the San Jose Sharks losing 4-1 at home.
With four more games to play against the Canucks this season (including two more this week), the Sharks talked about the chance to increase the lead to 12 points in the division with one good period.
That’s exactly what they achieved; Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl then scored goals 2:28 apart early in the third period to give the Sharks the kick-start.
Patrick Marleau, and Justin Braun would score the two other San Jose goals, while the lone goal from the Canucks came off the stick of Daniel Sedin.
Sedin opened the scoring shortly after a power play expired 3:03 into the second period. After controlling play and generating four shots with a man-advantage, Sedin skated out from behind the net with a wraparound that was stopped, but he put his own rebound between Jones’ legs. It was Sedin’s 350th goal, making him the 60th NHL player and fifth Swede to reach the milestone. He wasn’t in the mood to celebrate.
“For the first two periods we had total control,” Daniel Sedin said. “It’s disappointing to lose.”
To tie the game at 1-1 in the third, Pavelski beat defenseman Luca Sbisa to a dump-in along the boards, cut around him down below the goal line and back out in front of the net before beating Miller with a backhand on the blocker side. It was his 27th of the year.
Hertl, who was robbed by Miller on a deflection early in the game, tipped Braun’s floating wrist shot from the point past Miller’s glove to put San Jose ahead at 6:49 of the third period for his 15th on the year.
San Jose’s key to the game? Getting inside the Canucks D according to Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
“We weren’t creating much and then within two minutes, we played on the inside on both the goals and got rewarded,” said Vlasic, who set a new single-season career high with 37 points when he assisted on Hertl’s goal. “We haven’t been doing that the last three games and once we do that, we get rewarded. That’s what we did in the third.”
The Sharks maintained the pressure, drawing consecutive penalties, and Marleau one-timed a Joe Thornton pass over Miller’s glove on a two-man advantage to make it 3-1 with his 18th.
The Sharks capped off the scoring when Braun scored an empty net goal at 18:50 of the third period to put this game to bed.
Yet again another disappointing game for the men in blue. This was the 10th time the Canucks have blown a third period lead.
“That shouldn’t happen,” Daniel Sedin said. “I don’t want to say it’s because we have a young team. We can do it for most of the game. We should be able to do it in the third too.”
On the night Ryan Miller made 24 saves, while Martin Jones made 23 saves of his own in the victory.
With the loss the Canucks fall to 24-25-12 and are eight points behind the Colorad0 Avalanche for the 8th and final playoff spot.
Now is it time to tank?
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