The Colorado Avalanche have a nationally televised game coming up this Sunday against the San Jose Sharks, but if NBCSN and the NHL had any sense they would have picked Friday night’s clash with the Vancouver Canucks, moved it to NBC, promoted the crap out of it and watched the numbers grow.
Troy Stecher put the Canucks on the board with only 1:22 gone when Alexander Edler kept the puck in at the blueline and fed JT Miller who picked out Stecher unmarked and his shot found its way past Pavel Francouz on his glove side.
Troy Story 5 is unreal. Fifth 🚨 of the season for @troystecher! pic.twitter.com/tgl913ebDR
— X – Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 7, 2020
The Canucks doubled their lead 12:29 when Ryan Graves was caught pinching in to try keep an attack alive only to lose out to Tyler Taffoli and leave Ian Cole outnumbered by Elias Pettersson and JT Miller. Pettersson took his time before sliding the puck across to Miller for the easiest of finishes.
The Petey patience. 🤯
— X – Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 7, 2020
The Miller finish. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/0tpeqGcVNk
The Avalanche finally got rewarded for their pressure 48 seconds later when Gabriel Landeskog picked up the puck at his own net and slid a pass to an already on his toes MacKinnon. Canucks defender Quinn Hughes tried his best to keep up leaving Eric Johnson entering the Offensive zone completely unmarked. MacKinnon gracefully laid the puck off for Johnson to slap home past Demko to half the deficit.
The Condor goes five-hole!
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 7, 2020
(📺: @AltitudeTV) #GoAvsGo https://t.co/i5xoe5mKII
The Canucks burst out into a 3-1 lead 2:12 into the second period through Zack MacEwen before the Avalanche evened it up with goals from Gabriel Landeskog (3:23) and Valeri Nichushkin (8:04). It wasn’t enough though as Antoine Roussel regained the Canucks lead 12:17 into the second period when he lost his man net front and managed to poke the puck past Francouz in the Avalanche net.
.@Hockey_Gaud goes to work along the boards and feeds @Rous_ant in front. Perfection. 😎 pic.twitter.com/Cnh4fU1s70
— X – Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 7, 2020
It was end to end stuff, entertaining for the neutral and nail-baiting for the not-so-neutrals like myself who, having seen St Louis Blues fall 4-2 to the New Jersey Devils earlier in the day, was hoping for a win to take control of the top position in the Central Division and the Western Conference. It wasn’t to be, despite the pressure, as the Canucks killed off the game with 3:17 remaining in the third period when Joonas Donskoi couldn’t take control of the puck behind his net and Roussel found MacEwan in front for an easy finish.
If I wasn’t hooked on Hockey before, I am now!
Tyler Pearson added an empty net goal with 2:36 left to send the Avalanche to their second straight defeat and end the Canucks four game losing streak.
