Vancouver Canucks Drop Tight 2-1 Decision to Golden Knights

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In a moment of hope for Vancouver Canucks fans, Max Sasson gave the team a second-period lead, but it did not last. The Canucks ultimately fell 2-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Arena, with Cole Smith scoring the winner midway through the third. The Canucks even came up empty on a late power play with the goalie pulled.

Vegas has extended its winning streak to four games and stayed unbeaten under new coach John Tortorella. ESPN’s recap reported the win also completed a three-game season sweep of the Canucks, something most fans would like to forget.

Despite the result, this one was not some total walkover. The game had an edge, with little space, and not many clean looks either way. When a team is struggling, these are the kind of nights where one mistake, one bounce, or one lost puck in the neutral zone can cost the game. And that’s pretty much what happened here to the Canucks.

Flow of the game

Bob Frid-Imagn Images

At 12:50 of the second period, Sasson finally broke through for the Canucks, beating Carter Hart with a wrist shot over the glove for his 13th goal of the season. It felt like the Canucks had earned a little something for sticking with a slow, tight game.

However, less than three minutes later, Brayden McNabb answered for Vegas with a shot through traffic, and the whole thing reset before the Canucks could really settle into the lead.

Then the Golden Knights took the lead. Smith scored the go-ahead goal 12:13 into the third after a neutral-zone takeaway and a pass from Nic Dowd put him in the high slot.

The Golden Knights’ defense did the rest, including killing off a penalty in the final two minutes. The Canucks got the kind of chance you want late, with Rasmus Andersson called for interference and Nikita Tolopilo pulled for the extra attacker, but the push never found the finish.

The stat that stands out

One number stands out more than anything else from this game. The Golden Knights held the Canucks to just 11 shots. That’s the fewest shots allowed in its short franchise history.

In comparison, Tolopilo made 26 saves at the other end. That contrast says a lot.

The Canucks got decent enough goaltending to hang around, but they just did not create enough offense to make the pressure mean anything.

For the Canucks, this felt familiar in the worst way. There was effort, there was a brief lead, and there was even a real chance to force overtime late. But the attack stayed thin.

The Canucks head to Los Angeles next for the start of a three-game road trip, while the Golden Knights continue on to Seattle with a little more life than they had a week ago.

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