The Vancouver Canucks feel like they are getting a raw deal, that their game is better than the results show.
Even if they’re winless in their last four starts.
“The team is playing well but sometimes the puck just doesn’t want to go in the net,” forward Jayce Hawryluk said after a light practice Saturday. “Some bounces have gone against us instead of for us, but I think if we continue to play the same we have been, that’s going to turn around.”
They would like to think the turnaround will start Monday night with a two-day, two-game trip to Winnipeg to face the Jets.
All season, Hawryluk has been witness to the action rather than a participant. The Canucks signed the 25-year-old in the offseason to a one-year, two-way contract. Then he was hurt in the final scrimmage of training camp.
Hawryluk played 3:28 in his season debut Thursday, a 3-0 loss to the visiting Edmonton Oilers.
“I pride myself on giving 110 percent every time I’m out there,” he said. “I think everyone is giving it their all out there. … We’re not looking to change too many things. We’re going to continue this hard style, the way we play, and hopefully things start going our way.”
Head coach Travis Green realizes the frustrations are mounting.
“We were in a stretch when we were in Montreal and Toronto where our game felt a little bit lost,” said Green. “We’ve had a stretch of eight or nine games where we really liked our game but we weren’t getting the results. When you need a win, it’s frustrating for our group.”
The cut runs deeper when they realize they’re playing better than the other team, including Thursday’s shutout at the hands of goalie Mike Smith and the Oilers.
“I thought we had a pretty good solid team game, 5 on 5,” Green said. “Whenever you play Edmonton and you play (Leon) Draisaitl and (Connor) McDavid, not giving up quality scoring chances is a big part of the game. Five on 5, I thought we controlled the play. If you look at the course of the complete game, we did a pretty good job.”
They will need to play very well or get some breaks against the Jets, who beat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in overtime Saturday for their fourth straight win.
The Jets were outshot 41-21.
While they didn’t play the greatest game, Nikolaj Ehlers, who scored the lone Jets goal in regulation, thought it was “fun.”
“Montreal’s a great team, they’ve got some really good players,” he said. “So these games are a lot of fun. All the tight games, obviously you wish you could win every single game 6-2, whatever it is, but the tight games, they feel that much better. We didn’t play our greatest, but Bucky was great again tonight and we gave ourselves a chance to win the game.”
“Bucky,” or goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, saved the game for the Jets.
His only mistake came on a Nick Suzuki goal from a sharp angle to tie the game late in the third period. He just didn’t hug the left goalpost tight enough.
“It was one of those goals that you could do that 99 out of 100 times and it’s not going to go in,” Hellebuyck said. “I got caught on that one … but I felt good in the game and just followed it up on the save to add momentum to me.
“I like the way I’ve been playing and I liked the way tonight went. I’m pretty happy with the outcome.”
–Field Level Media
