‘They started to go, MacKinnon started to fly and we just couldn’t get anybody to grab hold of a puck.’ — Rick Tocchet on third-period fade, blowing 3-0 lead.
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J.T. Miller didn’t need a history lesson Wednesday.
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He knows what we’ve all known for a long time.
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Six years ago, Nathan MacKinnon made a significant and long-lasting impression on the Vancouver Canucks.
The blossoming Colorado Avalanche centre scored twice, had nine shots and a whopping 19 attempts in a 3-1 victory in Denver.
The performance moved Daniel Sedin to proclaim that the bull-like pivot was already the league’s best at releasing a heavy and accurate wrist shot at blazing speed.
Fast forward and it was a prophetic pronouncement.
MacKinnon is the NHL scoring leader and negating his game-breaking dominance was a priority against the surging Avalanche at Rogers Arena. Former teammate Nikita Zadorov probably put it best in facing the league’s highest-scoring team.
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“We have to manage that first line with the best player in the world out there,” he said of MacKinnon.
Miller certainly took notice.
He was intent on avenging two earlier losses to the Avalanche this season. He scored the first goal and set up the second, but MacKinnon would eventually play a pivotal role in a 4-3 overtime victory for the Avalanche in which the visitors rallied from a 3-0 deficit.
The issue was settled 30 seconds into the extra session on a 4-on-3 power play when a MacKinnon slapper was partially blocked and deflected off the visor of Valeri Nichushkin. The assist was MacKinnon’s 115th point off the season.
“They started to go, MacKinnon started to fly and we just couldn’t get anybody to grab hold of a puck, whether on the forecheck or breakout, to slow things down,” said frustrated Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.
Canucks Report
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“We were a little hot potato and we were kind of soft on the puck. We needed some guys to dig in on certain situations. We needed guys to take charge.”
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Earlier, on a 5-on-3 power play early in the third period, MacKinnon unloaded a one-timer slap shot high to the stick side on Casey DeSmith to cut the lead to 3-2.
It turned what was looking like a rout into a nail-biter.
DeSmith then made two sprawling saves on Miles Wood and an ensuing backhand effort by Ross Colton had the Canucks stopper on his stomach. A video review concluded the puck had completely crossed the goal line.
“We had indecisions, not playing through people and not skating when we had the puck,” added Tocchet of the third-period fade. “It just felt like everybody froze at certain times which sucks because in the first half it was working.
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“We just couldn’t meet pressure with pressure and it was like let’s just get the game over with or whatever. MacKinnon said I’m taking this game over. We need guys to counter-act that and we didn’t.”
The game certainly had a different feel to it early in the first period.
In the opening minute, Miller scored the opening goal. Less than three minutes later, he set up Ilya Mikheyev to end the winger’s 34-game goal drought. Both efforts came against the MacKinnon line.
Here’s what we learned as the Canucks earned a point to strengthen their Western Conference lead:
You want it, you got it
Miller talked a team game but you knew what he really wanted.
Give him the matchup. Get him out there to start the game against MacKinnon and let’s see what happens.
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It took just 24 seconds for Miller to answer the challenge by bolting into position to deflect an Ian Cole point shot. He then needed just another 2:20 against the MacKinnon line to send another message.
The possessed centre circled the Avalanche net and threaded a perfect pass to a charging Mikheyev. Miller’s dominant first period got to Josh Manson, who took a late minor for an illegal check to the head that looked like it should have been a major.
“We know if we turn the puck over against MacKinnon, he’s going to kill you,” Miller warned following the morning skate. “He’s got the ability to go end-to-end and through everybody. We can’t give him any freebies.
“Worrying about ourselves has helped us. We’ve played a lot of good hockey and we’re fine when we play to our standard and staples.”
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Mikheyev finally finds net
The frustrated winger was looking to build on a strong showing Saturday.
His six shots, nine attempts and three hits in 16:34 of ice time during a 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets, including a Grade A wrist-shot chance off the rush, were building blocks.
He was playing better and feeling better. And then it finally happened.
Mikheyev did what he’s been doing better: he used speed to get to the net and converted a sweet Miller feed for his 11th goal of the season and the first since Dec. 17 in Chicago.
He then hustled through the neutral zone later in the first frame and spun to send Brock Boeser into the slot for a scoring chance.
DeSmith hangs tough
DeSmith is confident he can shoulder the load in absence of injured starter Thatcher Demko.
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Last season in Pittsburgh, he had a pair of three-game runs and then an eight-game deployment with Penguins starter Tristan Jarry sidelined by injuries. DeSmith went 4-3-1.
On Wednesday, he looked sharp in the first period by turning aside three chances by winger Yakov Trenin, including getting a left pad on a down-low chance and thwarting a rebound.
He even drew the second assist on a Zadorov goal in the second period that provided a 3-0 lead.
However, a momentum-changing effort that beat DeSmith came with 1.8 second left in the second frame. Mikko Rantanen got between Noah Juulsen and Elias Lindholm at the top of the crease to deposit a Devon Toews feed.
With the Avalanche pressing early in the third period, DeSmith scrambled to stop Brandon Duhaime.
Gordie Howe Hat Trick?
Zadorov had a goal, assist and drew a five-minute major for a fight that wasn’t really a fight.
The big Canucks defenceman was full marks for his goal. Conor Garland, who was buzzing all night, wheeled around the net and found Zadorov at the point. His shot found the glove side.
However, what looked like a heavyweight fight between Manson and Zadorov didn’t develop after Zadorov lost his balance at the outset of the non-scrap. But Zadorov did avenge the questionable Manson hit on Miller, so that warrants a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
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