It’s impossible to pinpoint why the Canucks have struggled against the Blues over the years in the regular season. But multiple reasons were on display in that slow, indifferent second period.
The game had started nicely for Vancouver, looking to rebound from a home loss against Montreal marred by disastrous start.
On Thursday, the Canucks got the start they wanted. A spin cycle shift in the first period by the Sedins, where they worked the puck back and forth several times, ended with Henrik lofting a puck from the boards into the slot. It hit Mikael Samuelsson in the leg and he quickly punched it into the net just after it settled on the ice for the game’s first goal 9: 42 into the first.