And it all started to unravel after the first 1 minute and 49 seconds of the season. “We’re happy with the win (Tuesday) but it’s not like we’re taking anything for granted”. The Vancouver Canucks beat the Kings, 3-0, on Tuesday night at Staples Center, sparked by second-period goals from unheralded Adam Cracknell and defenseman Alexander Edler, who scored from inside the left point.
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The panic button isn’t being hit… not yet.
“We’re not doing what we need to do in order to win”, defenseman Alec Martinez said. “We’ve got to give ourselves a kick in the rear pretty darn quick here”. (And we know how much Canucks fans love players with personality). “The season is long, so we’re going the right way”. “And the list goes on and on”.
Ryan Miller made fifteen saves for the shutout, the 36th of his career. He certainly wasn’t overworked, especially in the second period, facing a mere four shots, and he didn’t have to make any highlight reel saves.
That’s right, the bullhorn you heard in the background of Prime Ticket’s “Ducks Live” pregame show was in fact repeating “Suspend Clayton Stoner” behind Kent French and Guy Hebert as they tried to talk about Ducks goalies.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly returned to practice for the first time since suffering a concussion in the Carolina’s season-opening win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (2-0-1): Cracknell, who signed a one-year, two-way contract in August, hadn’t scored a goal in the National Hockey League since April 4, 2013, while with St. Louis.
Loss No. 3 featured other shortcomings.
Trailing 2-0, the Kings failed to take advantage of their chance to get back into it when the Canucks were assessed three minors in the third period. “Whether that’s not coming in with position or recovering the puck the way we should, we’re playing too soft”.
Two games, two goals, two defeats to start 2015-16. Lucic fired only one shot on goal in his first two games after an offseason trade from the Boston Bruins.
The lone even-strength goal was by center Nick Shore against the San Jose Sharks.
Their line was blanked in two games, with hardly a scoring chance among them. Essentially all of Hagelin’s were “throw it at the net and hope something happens, whoops nobody can get to the rebound and the puck’s leaving the zone now”, while outside of hitting the inside of the post Silfverberg’s don’t conjure any particular danger as well. Defenseman Matt Greene, who took back-to-back-minors in the second period, spent most of the third period on the bench. Most positive of all, Dustin Brown did not look like he was auditioning for a Road House remake, and Milan Lucic did not reveal himself to be a Goblin King whose manifest destiny was to steal babies.
Sutter also broke up “That 70s Line”, teaming Lucic with center Jeff Carter and right wing Tyler Toffoli.
He has no points in three games.
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Told on Tuesday about Miller’s remarks, Canuck coach Willie Desjardins said: “It’s interesting”.
