Couple of lineup changes tonight, as Kassian returned and Ebbett was a healthy scratch. Schroeder was reunited with Raymond and Hansen, while Kassian played with Higgins and Lappiere. Weise centred the 4th line with Sestito and Pinizzotto.
After being out for a few with a back injury, Kassian made his impact immediately known. His fight with Chris Stewart less than 3 minutes in was just the start of a fast paced, intense game. Schroeder was able to fit right in with his old line mates, generating a few good scoring chances. On the other end, Schneider was forced to be sharp a few times, making 2 in close saves on Andy McDonald, and then stretching his leg to make a 3rd on Wade Redden. St Louis' dominance this season in the neutral zone was in the first, as the shots were 10-3 for the Blues with 7 remaining. Few more dominant plays by the Blues, couple of penalties to the Canucks and the first was over. Tied at 0, shots 15-3 for the Blues. What.
Kassian was not on the bench to start the second, but that bad news was lost in an early Canucks goal. Raymond pulled the puck out of the defensive corner, and skated hard up the ice. His pass hit Hansen just before the blueline, and Hansen's slap shot went right underneath the crossbar, just beside the post, and in. Immediately after, Sestito and Reaves, 2 heavy weights, dropped the gloves. Couple of big punches from both sides, but Sestito got Reaves down in the end. Minutes after the Hansen goal, the Sedin line capitalized. Burrows got the puck from the corner to Henrik behind the net, who gave Daniel a perfect cross-crease backhand pass, right through the legs of the Blues defenders. Daniel caught Jake Allen on his belly, and snapped it in.
The party didn't stop there, as Higgins danced his way through the Blues defense, but lost it before he could make a fool of Allen. Just past the halfway point of the 2nd period, and Schroeder showed exactly why he belongs in the NHL. Just inside the blueline, Schroeder pulled a spin-o-rama out of his bag of tricks, putting himself in perfect position to hit Dale Weise with a pass. Weise cut to the net unchallenged and put the puck backhand past Allen. Beautiful. That would do it for period number 2, a MUCH better period than the first one. Actually, one of the better periods this season. Canucks led the shots 14-6 in the period, and led 3-0 after 40.
Just as things were getting good, the Canucks decided, well, they'd played enough hockey. They were outplayed and out hit the first 5 minutes of the period, until Vladimir Tarasenko's shot went off Jaden Schwartz leg and in. And the pressure. Just. Kept. Coming. It was like the first period all over again, except we actually had our hopes up this time. More bad luck, as Schwartz shot hit Tanev in the ear, and bounced right to Berglund. Berglund banged the puck short side, and just like that, 3-2 Canucks with 6:22 left in the 3rd. Can't blame it all on bad luck, though. When you play the entire 3rd period in your own end, you end up with plays like that.
4 minutes left, delayed St. Louis penalty, and the Canucks played almost a full minute of keep away. Hansen, Henrik and Raymond all danced circles through desperate Blues players before a missed shot was recovered by the St Louis defense. Nothing on the penalty, full minute left on the clock. The Sedin line basically sat in the offensive zone for the full minute, cycling the puck, pinning players and forcing turnovers. Game over, 3-2 Canucks. Horrible 3rd period, but otherwise A-OK.
Tidbits:
- PP: 0/2 - What can I say? Awful performance.
- PK: 3/3 - Again, what can I say? Did it's job.
- Sedins: After being basically absent the last few games, they stepped up their game big time.
- Kassian: Played 2:48, left before 2nd period started and didn't return. Apparently re-aggravated his back.
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