The Canucks-Blackhawks rivalry just isn’t what it used to be.
Tonight it’s Thatcher Demko vs Corey Crawford. Jacob Markstrom played last night. Obviously, the Canucks want to rest him on back to backs.
The Hawks are averaging 4 goals a game in 2019! Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are lighting it up and the Hawks still probably won't make the playoffs because their defence sucks! They have the best power play and worst penalty kill in 2019! They also are dead last in goals allowed! What a combination! All this even though Corey Crawford has been red hot recently!
The organs start playing and the national anthems get sung. Listening to the national anthems and seeing the crowd get loud sure remind me of the 1980s and seeing the crowd go wild back at the old Chicago Stadium on tv! Chicago definitely has to be on the list to go to watch an NHL game at some point down the road!
Brock Boeser is on a 6 game point streak and Jonathan Toews is on a 13 game point streak! 22 points during that span and the Hawks are 5 points out of the wild card spot. They need to win this game!
The Canucks are going with last night's lineup (see last night's random notes!) except the goalie. Obviously, Travis Green likes his current lineup and it's always easy to after a win over a team like Dallas!
FIRST PERIOD
The Canucks break out and look good right away! Crawford has had to make a couple of big saves and we're only a minute and half into the game!
Schaller- PENALTY- trip on Gustafsson- 5:23
The Hawks PP has dried recently (0 for 16) but went 30 for 84 before that span- that's a 36% clip! I wonder if this is the calm before the storm....
Vancouver's penalty kill is 41 for 46 last 17 GP- it's rolling!
Hawks PP looks good, but they don't score.
The Canucks are looking darn good for a team that flew in from Texas last night!
Both goalies are playing well. Demko makes a big save off Sikura, then Horvat is stopped on a breakaway from Crawford.
Biega - PENALTY- trip- 18:55- not good to take a penalty this late in the period!
TOEWS SCORES- PP goal- 19:25- off a tip and it goes between Demko's legs
END FIRST- Hawks 1, Canucks 0
The Sportsnet crew is comparing Bure to Pettersson during the first intermission. Dare I say it? Elias Pettersson is a better player than what Pavel Bure was in his rookie season! I've been a die hard Canucks fan since the mid 1980s! I oughta know!
SECOND PERIOD
The Canucks keep top the good play!
Kruger PENALTY- interference- 0:49- let's see hat the Canucks can do!
It only takes 4 seconds! Horvat SCORES- 0:53- Elder with the only assist!
Bo Horvat now has 53 points- a career high! I can remember when the Canucks traded Cory Schneider away for the first round pick that wound up being Horvat! Everyone thought the Canucks were getting hosed on that deal. It looks like the Canucks have won that trade now!
The Canucks keep playing well, the Hawks also get their fair share of chances- both goalies continue to impress!
Granlund SCORES- off a rebound! 6:22 Boeser and Pettersson with assists!
Do you know what that means?!?
Elias Pettersson is now the record holder for most points in a season for a rookie with 61! When you break a record held by Pavel Bure and Ivan Hlinka, you know you've proven you're a generational player!
The Canucks now lead the Hawks 2-1!
The Canucks keep the heat up! They're outshooting the Hawks 18-12 as of 11:50!
Crawford continues his stellar play. He makes big saves off of Granlund and Pettersson.
END SECOND
I'm amazed the Canucks are playing this well against a team that's desperate to make the playoffs on the road after a flight from Texas the night before! I thought the season was over after the injuries to Roussel and Tanev.
THIRD PERIOD
Both goalies are on fire- Demko with big saves off of Forsling and Patrick Kane. Crawford robs Eriksson.
Could the Canucks be losing their legs a little bit? The Hawks are surging trying to tie the game around the 12:00 mark!
Boeser PENALTY- Holding the stick!- 14:17
The Hawks move the puck around well- but they don't score. The Canucks Penalty Kill continues to impress despite Toews' PP goal earlier tonight!
Gustafsson SCORES- Edler accidently batted the puck into his own net! 16:24
Tie game!
This is yet another night where goalies reign supreme! They both come up big late in the game!
END REGULATION
OVERTIME
Horvat SCORES! That didn't take long! Only 16 seconds in!
Canucks win 3-2 (OT) and are now only 6 points out of a wild card spot with 9 games left!
I'm amazed. No way the Canucks should be playing this well with their injuries. Can the Canucks still make a playoff push?
NEXT GAME: vs OTTAWA on Wednesday March 20/19!
Go Canucks!
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