Vancouver Canucks Drop Tight 2-1 Decision to Golden Knights

Bob Frid-Imagn Images In a moment of hope for Vancouver Canucks fans, Max Sasson gave the team a second-period lead, but it did not last. The Canucks ultimately fell 2-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Arena, with Cole Smith scoring the winner midway through the third. The Canucks even came up empty on a late power play with the goalie pulled.

Vegas has extended its winning streak to four games and stayed unbeaten under new coach John Tortorella . ESPN’s recap reported the win also completed a three-game season sweep of the Canucks, something most fans would like to forget. Despite the result, this one was not some total walkover.

The game had an edge, with little space, and not many clean looks either way. When a team is struggling, these are the kind of nights where one mistake, one bounce, or one lost puck in the neutral zone can cost the game. And that’s pretty much what happened here to the Canucks.

Flow of the game Bob Frid-Imagn Images At 12:50 of the second period, Sasson finally broke through for the Canucks, beating Carter Hart with a wrist shot over the glove for his 13th goal of the season. It felt like the Canucks had earned a little something for sticking with a slow, tight game. However, less than three minutes later, Brayden McNabb answered for Vegas with a shot through traffic, and the whole thing reset before the Canucks could really settle into the lead.