Before talking about anything else there needs to be some venting about the reffing in this game. First you have the ludicrous Hughes ejection but that wasn't he worst thing that happened, incredibly. We're up 4-1 with 5 minutes to go and Ottawa has basically quit and are trying to goon things up and Stutzle takes a massive charging/boarding run at Hoglander that was 10x worse than the Hughes/Norris play. Then Stutzle instigates a fight with Hoglander. This should have been a textbook 4 min PP for Vancouver, game over. But somehow *Hoglander* is given the extra 2 minutes (I guess for winning the fight that Stutzle started?) and Ottawa is thrown a lifeline. Then Soucy is mauled *twice* on the ensuing PP leading to the 4-2 goal and now Ottawa is back in the game. Probably the single worse example of game management BS I've ever seen, and it was in a game where we already had a ludicrous call go against us. f***ing ridiculous. If we had lost this game I probably would have stopped watching the NHL for a while.
Anyhow, that was a huge, gutsy win under the circumstances. 4 of our 5 best players missing and had to kill off a 5 minute PP. Really strong team effort and our 2nd period was absolutely outstanding especially given the circumstances.
Debrusk-Pettersson-Sherwood carried the team tonight. That was the best game that any line Pettersson was on has had in almost 11 months. Debrusk had his best game and Sherwood just continues to be a ridiculous acquisition.
Best game for Joshua since his return. Starting to see the best part of his game come back which is his exceptional forechecking and ability to turn pucks over with his ridiculously strong stick.
Blueger got mauled in the faceoff dot by Giroux but played a hell of a game otherwise.
Sasson had a really nice first game. Skated well, picked up an assist, no major errors.
Hoglander ... man. He's a liability right now. Just awful at both ends of the ice tonight and another yet another bad penalty (the one in the 2nd period, not the late BS). Maybe the fight can light some sort of spark? But his season has been a total disaster.
Juulsen had a 95% good game tonight but the one absolutely braindead play at the end of the 2nd ruined it and that's why he's unplayable in the playoffs. 5 seconds left in the 2nd period after the team has played a terrific period in tough circumstances and then you do the stupid thing that you always do and basically concede a breakaway. Just so, so stupid.
Hronek was f***ing outstanding tonight. The 'needs to prove he can carry a pairing' stuff is so dumb - he can obviously do that when required and tonight was a perfect example. Myers was also very good until the awful late icings. Brannstrom played higher leverage and kept his nose clean.
Shame that Lankinen had his stats ruined for the night by the late reffing BS. Was very good, outplayed Ullmark.
Get stuffed, Travis Green. You stupid gimp.
Brady Tkachuk is a giant f***ing baby but I'd kill to have him here, and I'm guessing that actually winning games would probably make most of the giant f***ing baby traits disappear.
