Canucks vs Lefas: Lessons learned from the 3-2 loss

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Toronto — Give me a chance.

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The Vancouver Canucks hoped Spencer Martin would deliver on Saturday to be a happy homecoming for the goalie.

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The Oakville native, who played juniors at Mississauga, netted on merit rather than emotion as Thatcher Demko struggled to find his game with bloated numbers and just one win in 10 starts. Did.

Martin, who had yet to lose in regulation through 10 career appearances for the Canucks, made that mark on Saturday as he shone and the Canucks didn’t fear JT Miller’s match against Ouston Matthews and Bo Hobatt. Jon Tavares.

Martin was a nuisance to the Maple Leafs in the opening game, making a number of strong saves to push the Canucks to a 2-0 lead.

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next game

Sunday

Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins

3 pm, TD garden. tv set: sports net. wireless: AM650

However, the Maple Leafs picked up momentum and the Canucks lost questionable structure, conceding three goals in the first ten minutes of the second period. This forced Bruce to call a timeout in the hopes that his Boudreau would stem the tide and not let go. The game slides down.

But it was a 3-2 setback where Martin deserved a better fate.

He wasn’t to blame for the second period slide. Because the defense was terrible and the streaking Pierre saved his Engvall in the third period, and the Canucks were close. That made Matthews’ late saves his 32nd save of the night.

Horbatt and Miller scored for the Canucks, while Matthews, Engvall and Jordy Benn scored for the Maple Leafs.

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Here’s what we learned with the Canucks falling 4-8-3 and facing the Bruins in Boston on Sunday.

don’t defend defense

A hint of what was to come was an early shift when the duo of Riley Stillman and Ethan Baer struggled to defend low in a long and dominant Maple Leafs shift. Zone exits will be icing.

Martin then had to make a timely sprawl to stop Dennis Margin’s breakaway. He then held his ground again with a backhand and rebound sequence.

The Canucks took a 2-0 lead when Miller took a Quinn Hughes powerplay pass and threw a wrist shot over the screen Hovat and Broc Vozer had prepared for them, and dreamed of a well-done night. I made it.

Wrong.

The second period slide started with a league-worst penalty kill that had a chance to clear the puck on the sideboard, but found Matthews wide open in the high slot and he beat Martin to the stick side. I beat you.

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Another moshpit-style defense forced Martin, who lost his stick in a scramble, to deny Calle Jarkrok. Ben was then left untouched in the post and easily potted Morgan Riley’s rebound.

“Bo was very good”

Horvat continues to impose his will on opposition defenders and goalkeepers.

The Canucks captain scored his team-leading 13th goal early on with a deft slot deflection on Luke Shen’s point shot. He almost hit the first stanza as he scrambled around Tavares, killing clean-looking penalties before losing handle of the puck.

What Horvat hasn’t lost in his heart.

He’s been able to shut out the noise surrounding his status of not being granted a contract extension, letting his play speak for itself. Or even shout “trade me”.

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He doesn’t want to leave, but he has to give something away, as the two sides could be in a stalemate with the sides wide apart.

“Bo has been very good,” Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford told the Post Media early Saturday. No, he’s been through it.”

read what you want.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

twitter.com/benkuzma

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