Canucks play spoiler vs. Flames, but desire more meaningful, winning hockey

The Vancouver Canucks are not a playoff team and the Calgary Flames don’t look like one.

The Canucks won 3-2 in a shootout Saturday night, depriving the Flames a precious point they probably could not afford to lose in their desperate chase for the final National Hockey League playoff spot in the Western Conference.

It was wildly entertaining, and wholly unsatisfying for the Canucks, who blew a two-goal third period lead before winning on Andrei Kuzmenko’s shootout goal. It followed Thatcher Demko’s stunning backdoor save on Flame Nazem Kadri in the frenetic overtime – among the best of the Canuck goalie’s 41 saves.

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Even with the win, the Canucks finished with a losing record on home ice (19-20-2) for the third time this century. At the end of this week’s three-game road trip to California and Arizona, they’ll watch the Stanley Cup playoffs on TV for the seventh time in eight seasons.

“Yeah, it’s very frustrating,” defenceman Quinn Hughes said after thanking fans from centre ice for their support. “This night’s OK because you’re getting up (to play) Calgary. . . and it’s your last game. But I think the last week or so has been a little tough on everyone. I think we’ve probably been out of it for a good portion of time. I think everyone here is really competing and trying their best. . . but it’s also tough when you’re playing 20-25 games to finish the (season) when you’re not really in it. It’s definitely a weight on me.”

In just his second NHL game, college free agent Cole McWard scored his first goal for the Canucks, who went up 2-0 in the first period on Elias Pettersson’s 38^th goal and 99^th point of the season, a shorthanded breakaway made possible by Jonathan Huberdeau.

But Elias Lindholm and Kadri scored goals 5 ½ minutes apart early in the third period for the Flames, who outshot the Canucks 12-4 in the final 20 minutes of regulation.

“Yeah, we won, entertaining fans for the overtime,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “(But) it’s not really winning hockey for me. When Calgary put some pushes on us, I just saw some, like, backup. We’ve got to get that out of here. You’ve got to lock it down. You can’t just rely on Demmer.

“Battles under pressure, wanting the puck when your teammate has it, little things like that. It’s a theme that’s going to have to, over the summer, when we come into training camp, we’re going to really have to address those things. I’m glad we won, don’t get me wrong. But it’s the little things here that we’ve really got to value. You’re up 2-0 and you’re careless with a puck, you know, things like that. Good teams lock it down, and we’ve got to get that mentality around here.”

UNLOCKED

Kuzmenko, the first-year Canuck who has 38 goals this season and become a fan favourite, was one of the careless players who did not lock it down, which is why Tocchet locked the winger to the bench for the final 23 minutes of regulation and overtime.

The Russian did not play another shift of actual hockey after he gave away the puck twice in the Canucks’ zone in his only shift of the third period.

“He just wasn’t in tonight, defensively,” Tocchet said. “Kuzy, I love the kid. . . I know he’s got 30-something goals, but he’s got to understand he’s got to play defence. There’s a couple of other guys. . . I just didn’t feel the commitment to defence.”

Benching Kuzmenko was textbook Tocchet, who has been preaching accountability along with defending. It was also textbook Tocchet that he still sent out Kuzmenko to lead off the shootout. With lots of unused energy, Kuzmenko bolted in on Jacob Markstrom with speed before outwaiting the Calgary goalie on a forehand.

“It’s not easy,” Kuzmenko said of coming off the bench cold.

That’s the point.

McWARD’S McFLURRY

Cole McWard wasn’t on some college free-agent rankings because not many people expected the 21-year-old defenceman to leave Ohio State after his sophomore season ended on March 26 at the NCAA East Regionals.

But the Canucks, led by player-personnel director Scott Young, built a relationship with McWard, who decided the turn pro when Vancouver offered him opportunity. Injuries expedited his chance to play NHL games this season.

The mobile, six-foot-two, blue-liner opened scoring at 9:03 with a low wrist shot from the point that Markstrom did not see behind Jack Studnicka’s screen. To celebrate, McWard went down to one knee, then shook his hand on the ice before making an imaginary throw. Tossing dice?

“I think it took me a second to process actually that it went in,” he said. “I kind of just tried to throw it on net and then I saw it go in, heard the sound of the net and, I don’t know, I just kind of blanked out. I tried to have a good celly, but I didn’t really know what I did.

“I don’t really know what to do with myself when I score. I have to put a few more in.”

After more than a week without practising, McWard had just two skates with the Canucks before playing.

“I’m going to have to develop a lot this summer,” he said. “But I do think that with the pace and just with the IQ, I’m making good reads out there and my skating is keeping up with the pace. So I’m excited about that.”

MORE IQ

While we’re talking college free-agent defencemen and hockey intelligence, Minnesota State grad Akitoa Hirose continues to impress with his poised, savvy play and mobility. He logged 19:44 of ice time in his fourth NHL game, and was the second defenceman used in overtime by Tocchet.

It’s the little things with Hirose that you notice.

“There’s one play where I (was) really impressed,” Tocchet said. “Calgary was putting the big push on and he had the puck. I think most defence would have rimmed it. He just waited and he reversed it to his partner and released the pressure. I mean, those are the little things that good hockey IQ players do. They just don’t throw it in the pile. They see the pressure, they take a breath and then they relieve pressure. If he doesn’t make that play, maybe extended possession time, maybe they score.”

Tocchet said the taste of NHL hockey for the players out of college should make them “addicted” to improving themselves over the summer so they can challenge for full-time spots on the Canucks at training camp.

“We need healthy competition, and maybe some of these kids are going to push people out,” Tocchet said. “It’s quite possible it could happen.”

The Canucks visit the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.