Game Recap:
-From one fluke goal to another fluke goal, this time it evened itself out. The Canucks were the beneficiaries of this fluke goal. Ryan Kesler took advantage of the very bouncy boards inside of Wells Fargo Center. This first goal was very timely considering it happened right after the Flyers scored their first of the game.
-Both of the goaltenders played strong games. Steve Mason faced 25 Canucks shots and let three pucks slip by him, while Roberto Luongo faced 22 shots letting 2 pucks slip by him.
-Tye McGinn was a thorn in the Canucks side last night. He scored 2 real trashy goals, one off a loose rebound, and one from a Claude Giroux (wrist) pass. McGinn did a great job of crashing the net and getting to the loose rebounds with some quickness.
-Heading into the third period, the Canucks had to play catchup down 2-1. Coach Tortorella did some line juggling to try and spark the team and it worked to perfection. He created a makeshift line of Chris Higgins/Henrik Sedin/Ryan Kesler to try and generate some goals. This newly formed line decided the game for both sides as they were responsible for the last two Canucks goals. Ryan Kesler played his best game of the season and Chris Higgins finally removed the monkey off his back.
-The Canucks were dominant in the faceoff circle - Sedin, Kesler, Richardson, and Santorelli were all above 70% effective in the dot. The only Canucks centre who was not as effective was Jordan Schroeder who made his season debut. Schroeder played a little over 10 minutes and did not contribute much on the ice overall.
Concerns:
-Line Juggles: while the new makeshift line of Sedin/Kesler/Higgins provided the spark the Canucks needed, they cannot continue the rest of the season with a line like this. It just goes to show that there are flaws in the top 6 group when the Sedin Twins have to be separated.
-Powerplay: it looks horrific. The top unit has been trying and putting pucks on the net and has done everything right except score. The second powerplay unit generates nothing and is a complete waste to put on the ice. The Canucks should just keep the first unit on the ice the entire 2 minutes.
-Shots, Shots, Shots: I think the Canucks could have had closer to 35-40 shots on net last night if they were a little deeper as a club. If the 2nd line had a bonafide skilled shooting winger who could score and contribute (not named Higgins or Hansen), the Canucks goal scoring woes would not look as bad.
Canucks Three Stars (against Flyers):
1. Ryan Kesler
2. Chris Higgins
3. Jason Garrison
Heading on from Philly Cheese Steaks to Buffalo Wings... until next time! Stay classy! -George
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