This game started off with a bang, as Tyler Myers made a bad pinch that left Nico Hischier alone with a 2-on-1, and Arturs Silovs was beaten on the very first shot he faced. 1-0 Devils.
Jesper Bratt got his stick up on Quinn Hughes and took a double minor for high sticking, giving the Canucks’ power play a chance to get right early after getting called out following Monday night’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Canucks did not score, and the power play continues to be a problem.
Danton Heinen took the Canucks’ first penalty of the game, giving the penalty kill their first chance ot the night just past the halfway point of the first.
The Devils did not score, and the Canucks’ penalty kill continues to be sharp.
The opening frame was high-paced and continuous, and for the Canucks, that was largely thanks to Kiefer Sherwood, who was throwing his weight around and dragging his teammates into the fight.
Conor Garland drew another penalty in the dying moments of the first period, and Elias Pettersson got a good shot off on Jacob Markstrom before the buzzer sounded.
The Canucks started the second period with a good amount of power play time leftover, but instead of scoring, they got scored on. JT Miller and Quinn Hughes had a miscommunication at the New Jersey blue line that resulted in another two on one. Silovs makes the first save, but the rebound is there for Dawson Mercer to bury. 2-0 Devils.
As if they were in a competition with themselves to see just how many grade-A chances they could allow off the rush, the Canucks defence kept backing up on the very next play, allowing Timo Meier to snipe one past Silovs to make it 3-0.