Capitals 2, Canucks 1 (OT): Vancouver earns a point against Washington

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The Vancouver Canucks wanted to flip the script Wednesday.

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They needed to chorus from surrendering the opening purpose to the first-place Washington Capitals, who even have the NHL’s high offence. They needed to achieve, not blow, one other lead and at last hit the 30-shot mark for the primary time in 16 video games.

And so they couldn’t afford to have one other participant hobbled by a shot or successful on the second cease of a demanding five-game street journey.

The Canucks received a scare late within the first interval when J.T. Miller was ridden closely into the top boards by Martin Fehérváry. The winger was favouring his left shoulder on the bench and missed a shift, however returned for the second interval and was at his feisty greatest.

And on an evening the place a lot of the main target was on Alex Ovehckin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s profession purpose document of 894 — the hulking Capitals winger went scoreless with three pictures and eight makes an attempt to stay 23 objectives shy of eclipsing that legendary mark — the main target was extra on the Canucks checking sufficient containers to get the job completed.

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They did cough up the primary purpose, however held the Capitals to 18 pictures and piled up 31 of their very own in a troublesome 2-1 setback. It was lastly settled when Pierre-Luc Dubois went untouched to attain his second of the evening with 41 seconds remaining within the further session.

It got here after Ovechkin was denied by Kevin Lankinen, who then stopped Jakob Chychrun on a breakaway.

The Canucks confirmed one thing that couldn’t be measured of their twentieth one-goal final result. They confirmed coronary heart. They went stride for stride with the highest group within the Jap Convention and that needed to resonate with head coach Rick Tocchet, though ethical victories are getting more durable to abdomen.

And so is a 4-10 document in additional time. That’s quite a lot of factors the Canucks may use to safe a playoff berth.

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“We performed a superb recreation,” mentioned Tocchet. “That’s a high group and we did a pleasant job and the fellows labored laborious. We had been linked. We spent a few days actually evaluating our group and everyone purchased in to our id.

“There have been quite a lot of guys doing quite a lot of good issues. They’re a gritty group and our guys hung in there and we have now to construct off this.”

When Conor Garland drew the Canucks even late within the second interval by pouncing on a Quinn Hughes rebound, the sport was there for the taking. Lankinen made a sequence of superlative saves, Jonathan Lekkerimaki had an opportunity to win it in regulation and Carson Soucy stretched out to avoid wasting a positive purpose.

Right here’s what we realized because the Canucks sit up for back-to-back checks Friday in Carolina and Saturday in Toronto:

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Bounce-back Lankinen larcenous

Lankinen allowed 5 objectives on 26 pictures Monday in Montreal, and whereas two had been deflected and one discovered its manner via a mosh-pit, the query was how would the veteran stopper bounce again Wednesday?

The reply was encouraging.

Whereas the Canucks defended nicely and restricted rush possibilities, the big-bodied Capitals typically discovered their technique to the web. Dubois opened scoring by pouncing on a bouncing puck to place a backhander residence within the closing minute of the primary. However that was after Lankinen denied Ovechkin with a fast flick shot on an influence play and even diving out to get one other puck headed for the web.

When the tempo picked up within the second interval, Lankinen shoved an aggressive persist with deny Connor McMichael in tight after which made a pointy left-pad save off him and sprawled to get to the rebound.

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It regarded like Lankinen must steal a win as a result of the Canucks had ample alternative to take the lead within the first interval. Jonathan Lekkerimaki couldn’t get to a cross-ice feed by Miller and Miller hammered a one-timer extensive off a go from Brock Boeser.

And within the second interval, Pius Suter had a number of possibilities. Off the frenzy, Garland’s go was tipped by Jake DeBrusk and Suter couldn’t bury the rebound. After which in a wild flurry, Suter had an opportunity along with the web and once more on a Hughes rebound with goalie Logan Thompson dropping his stick.

Hughes is turning into goal

The Canucks captain retains including to his repertoire and it led to a irritating first-period fracas.

The reigning Norris Trophy winner isn’t solely adept at gaining the offensive blue-line and backing off defenders, he typically makes use of his pace and smarts to wheel across the web to search for passing or taking pictures choices. The Capitals had been on discover and Dubois made some extent of making an attempt to get to Hughes and get below his pores and skin throughout a weird shift.

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First, he crossed checked Hughes within the nook to attract a hooking penalty, and when the play wound up alongside the opposite sideboards, he went after Hughes once more after which pulled him off the boards to pull him right into a phantom roughing minor. It drew a scrum with Kiefer Sherwood and McMichel getting roughing minors from a short skirmish, whereas Dubois was assessed the double minor. Tom Wilson additionally received a roughing minor.

Tocchet mentioned he didn’t get a proof for the Hughes minor and neither did the captain.

“I don’t know,” mentioned Hughes. “Clearly irritating. I’m within the field longer than Dubois and I don’t now how that occurs. It’s simply the way in which it performed out.”

With Hughes within the field, the Canucks mustered however one shot on a four-minute energy play as DeBrusk was denied his team-leading twelfth street purpose and seventeenth total.

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“We performed nicely and competed,” added Hughes. “We labored laborious, made performs and had seems to be. It’s irritating in additional time, however you possibly can’t sulk about it. It’s what it’s. Three video games left to make this a superb street journey. We’re a superb group and have battled via quite a lot of adversity and haven’t had our full lineup all 12 months.”

The Capitals measure up because the league’s greatest and one of the simplest ways to achieve an higher hand on the Canucks is figuring out Hughes is enjoying with a fractured left hand that’s protected by equipment, straps and bandage.

Therefore, the additional consideration.

“He simply controls the play and may make these big-moment performs,” lauded Tocchet. “We’re fortunate we’ve received him.”

Nice reward for ‘The Nice 8’

Tocchet was an assistant coach with Pittsburgh and post-season sequence with the Capitals had been all the time robust, particularly a second spherical, seven-game triumph in 2017 en path to two-straight Stanley Cup titles for the Penguins.

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Ovechkin was in some way held to 2 objectives in that sequence, however his intimidating presence was there then and nonetheless is.

“You may have the ability to shut him down for a bit, however then he’d run your defence or hit anyone,” mentioned Tocchet. “He may do one thing aside from rating. You assume you’ve completed a superb job of shutting him down for a interval or two, however if you happen to have a look at the scoresheet, he had run 4 guys.

“And within the third interval when the defence goes again for the puck, they’re somewhat hesitant and it loosens issues up and he will get his slot pictures. That’s how he will get his objectives. That’s what amazes me. It’s his aggressiveness.”

Hoglander nonetheless skates wonderful line

At his greatest, Hoglander is a forechecking beast, laborious hitter and opportunist.

It’s how the bull-like winger scored a career-high 24 objectives final season after rising his wayward recreation for a lot of the earlier marketing campaign within the AHL at Abbotsford. The swashbuckling Swede earned reward and in addition drew the ire of Tocchet with a penchant for unhealthy penalties, a disturbing pattern that has continued and surfaced once more Monday in Montreal.

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Hoglander’s interference minor with 35.7 seconds remaining in regulation instances, after DeBrusk scored the equalizer to pressure additional time, was a gut-punch. It changed into Nick Suzuki’s energy play winner simply 48 seconds into the additional session. It was Hoglander’s twelfth minor of the season that’s tied for the group lead. Not scoring in 32 video games in all probability performed into the frustration.

“At first, he had his fingers form of over (Lane) Hutson and I’m unsure it was a penalty, nevertheless it was shut,” Tocchet recalled. “It was high-alert time. As as participant at that time, two indecisions or not, you possibly can’t do the subsequent egregious factor (first the interference minor shove on Josh Anderson and no-stick on Hutson) with 3:57 left in 4-4 recreation. Suzuki wins in PP 48 second in OT.)

“I don’t blame the ref at that time.”

OVERTIME — Sherwood had seven hits to extend his league-leading whole to 237.

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