Jeff Misenti
The Vancouver Canucks let one get away on Wednesday night, falling 3-2 to the Winnipeg Jets in overtime at the Rogers Arena.
Cole Perfetti ended it 1:37 into OT. A stinging result considering the Canucks had done enough to control the game early and was never behind in regulation time.
Drew O’Connor opened the scoring just 1:58 into the first after Brock Boeser helped force a turnover and found him at the left dot.
The Jets answered with 11:42 played, when Kyle Connor finished a slick setup from Mark Scheifele, tying it 1-1 before the first intermission.
Back from the Olympic break, the Canucks actually showed some lively play. Which is a positive sign as this was the first game for both teams after Milano Cortina.
Just 38 seconds into the second, Evander Kane put the Canucks back in front after Elias Pettersson won an offensive-zone faceoff cleanly. Kane ripped it past Eric Comrie.
It should have been the momentum needed to drive the Canucks to a win. Instead, Gabriel Vilardi tied it late in the period by winning a battle around the crease and redirecting Scheifele’s pass.
Despite the OT loss, the Canucks looked more organized than a team carrying a brutal recent record.
Where things went wrong
The Canucks got the point, but things dropped off in overtime. Winnipeg found space off the rush and Perfetti finished the rebound after Adam Lowry drove the play.
Nikita Tolopilo deserved better. The Canucks keeper made 25 saves. This is especially true with multiple timely stops he made to keep the Canucks in it while the Jets pushed for long stretches.
Interestingly, Tyler Myers was out, with NHL.com citing roster management and coach Adam Foote connecting it to the trade deadline reality around the team. This added another layer to an already uneasy night for Canuck fans watching a season drift while the roster could still change.
For older Canucks fans, this was the kind of game that feels familiar in the worst way, solid effort, some encouraging pieces, and then a finish that leaves you staring at the screen.
Vancouver got goals from O’Connor and Kane, a strong night from Tolopilo, and one point. It still felt like a missed chance.
