3 Takeaways From Canucks' 4-3 OT Loss to the Wild

The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their season-opening five-game road trip with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild. The loss drops the Canucks to 0-3-2 on the season and makes them the last winless team in the NHL.

While the team didn’t necessarily play badly, they once again gave up a lead helping the Wild claim their first win of the season. Here are three takeaways from the overtime loss.

Will The Real J.T. Miller Please Stand Up

J.T. Miller has not had a good start to the season, and his game against the Wild was no different. He played 14:46 of even-strength ice time and ended the night with zero shots on goal and a 26.09% Corsi. He did have two shots on the power play, but neither was classified as a high-danger shot on goal. Then there was his over two-minute overtime shift, where his inability to clear the puck from the zone led to the Wild scoring the game-winning goal. Something needs to change quickly, as he has become a liability defensively every time he steps on the ice.

After signing his extension this past offseason, Miller made a point of saying he needs to improve his defensive game. Five games in, and he has been on the ice for 13 of the Canucks’ 22 goals against. On top of his defensive struggles, his offensive game is off to a slow start too. At even strength, he only has one goal, and his four shots on goal have him tied for 13th on the team. Frustrations are high, and the hope is returning to Vancouver re-ignites his strong play from last season.

Fourth Line Steps Up

It was a night to remember for the fourth line as Nils Åman recorded his first goal and assist of his career while Dakota Joshua recorded his first goal and assist as a Canuck. Despite neither playing more than ten minutes, they were difference-makers and kept Vancouver in the game. The Canucks have had problems with depth scoring over the years, so it is a welcomed sign of relief when the fourth line can contribute as they did.

While both were good, posting Corsi’s above 60%, Joshua may have had the game of his life. He was tied for the team lead in shots at even strength with three and led the team with three individual high-danger chances created. He was also tied with Elias Pettersson in even-strength takeaways with two. A player that some on social media have argued should be the one coming out of the lineup, the former St. Louis Blue showed why he deserves to stay and that he has the capacity to contribute to the lineup.

Another Night, Another Blown Lead

Once again, the Canucks took a lead into the third period but couldn’t hold on. They are now tied with the L.A. Kings for the most goals allowed in the third period with 10 despite the Kings playing one more game. Vancouver has given up more goals in the third period than they have scored in any period this season. Canucks players and staff constantly discussed during training camp and the preseason about coming out the gate strong to start the season. Based on their play, they seemed to have, however, forgotten that the game doesn’t end after the second period.

When it came to this game versus the Wild, it was clear Minnesota took over once the third period hit. They outshot the Canucks 18-7 in the third period and overtime, with the final Vancouver shot coming with 4:16 left in regulation. They out-chanced the Canucks, had more high-danger chances and, most importantly, outscored them 2-0 in the final 23:02 of the game. As mentioned above, something needs to change quickly otherwise; the season could go off the rails fast.

Next Up for the Canucks

Next up for the Canucks is their home opener against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, Oct. 22. Their expansion cousins come into the game hot as they swept the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames back to back to improve their record to 3-1. Vancouver is 55-48-4 with 19 ties all-time versus the Sabres but finished 0-1-1 last season. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM PST as the Canucks look to find a way to halt their losing streak at five.