Canucks 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT): Horvat the hero, Holtby holds the fort
Holtby #Holtby
The last time they played, Bo Horvat’s health was a concern.
The next time they played, it was a similar scenario for the Vancouver Canucks captain.
On March 22, Horvat was hobbled by friendly fire and a hairline foot fracture was feared. However, the centre returned two nights later in what would be the club’s last game before the Canucks faced the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Arena following a 24-day hiatus.
Horvat’s second goal of the game and third point at 1:18 of overtime rallied the Canucks from a 2-0 deficit for a gutsy 3-2 overtime triumph. It answered a lot of questions.
NEXT GAME
Tuesday
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vancouver Canucks
6 p.m., Rogers Arena , TV: Sportsnet Pacific, Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM
Would a lack of game-shape fitness result in struggling to catch his breath and maintaining pace after recovering from coronavirus symptoms? The NHL club was shut down March 31 by a COVID-19 outbreak with 22 players affected, nine games postponed and one rescheduled.
Like his teammates, Horvat experienced many virus-related symptoms and knew finding his legs and keeping them was going to be the litmus test against the North Division leaders, who sport the NHL’s top sniper in Auston Matthews.
A prime example of rust came in the second period when Horvat snapped a slot shot wide of the net. He then sped away and went short side to do what good captains do — lead by example.
Horvat then started the scoring sequence to force overtime. He fed Jalen Chatfield and Nils Hoglander got on the slap-pass from the defenceman. Jayce Hawryluk then clanged one off the crossbar before more Horvat magic.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our guys in that room and the way they manned up tonight and stuck with the process and willed their way to that win,” said Horvat. “To score that (overtime) goal and get the win for the organization and our families and our fans definitely felt great.
“It was obviously tough and I’m not going to say it was a breeze. I felt once the game got going and you got adjusted to the speed again — it’s either catch up or be left behind — you could see when we got more comfortable with the puck we could start making plays.”
The fact the Canucks were being written off as not only playoff long shots, but in supposed peril to be competitive after the COVID-19 outbreak and the toll it exacted, added to Horvat’s drive.
“When I hear that kind of stuff, it just fuels the fire,” he added. “You just want to prove people wrong and prove to ourselves that we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win and we proved it.”
For Travis Green, the feeling was the similar.
“Our group really wanted to win tonight — you could feel it on the bench,” said the coach. “It was a special game and you could just tell within our group. They were excited to play and should feel good about themselves.
“Bo was phenomenal. You want players to step to the plate and when your captain is right at the front of the line and leading the way, there’s a reason he’s wearing a ‘C’ on his jersey.”
Here’s what we learned as the Canucks proved a lot to a lot of people and especially themselves:
Braden Holtby got lost in the conversation this season.
The Canucks backup goaltender fought to find his game and his place in the pecking order. For a veteran who hasn’t seen a shot since March 20 in Montreal, and had just one start in the previous 12 games as Thatcher Demko established himself as the starter, he made a statement Sunday.
Holtby had his own struggles in being afflicted by COVID-19. Maintaining game shape and getting little practice time to replace Demko, who remains sidelined by virus protocol, was going to test his mettle.
Holtby was sharp to deny a number of Grade A scoring chances by the Maple Leafs. He went post to post and got a glove on a sure Alex Galchenyuk power play attempt in the second period. He used a poke-check to deny a pinching Zach Bogosian and stared down Jake Muzzin, who was denied in the slot.
And he kept it a one-goal game in the third period by stopping a short-handed chance by Mitch Marner. He then did an acrobatic right-pad kick in the air to stop Wayne Simmonds.
“It’s one of those plays where you anticipate the pass and try to cut it off and it (puck) popped up and luckily I was able to keep my eyes on it and keep it out of the net somehow,” said Holtby. “Those ones are fun to make sometimes.
“When we give it all we have and stick together, we believe we have a chance to win and it was a fun one to be a part of because everyone battled in their own way. This (COVID-19) is something I’ve never been through before and none of us have and I have some things to work on and there’s still some rust, but the win creates some much-needed energy.
“And we’re going to need it to push through this schedule (19 games in 32 days) that we have ahead of us. It (COVID-19) hasn’t been fun. Some tough days and you wouldn’t wish it on anyone — it’s no joke. We all realize the seriousness of it and a crazy experience and we’re fortunate to mainly be through it now.”
What worked best for Holtby on Sunday was resilience because it didn’t take the high-octane Maple Leafs long to strike.
William Nylander pounced on a turnover in the neutral zone, sped away and beat Holtby to the glove side on the third shot of the game. And even though Jason Spezza would put a power play redirect behind Holtby and off the far post before Matthews made it 2-0 in the second period on a power play, Holtby hung in there with the Maple Leafs owning a 27-13 shot advantage after 40 minutes.
Matthews hits the crossbar with 19.1 seconds remaining and the Maple Leafs almost squeezed another puck past Holtby as the Canucks were outshot 39-23 through regulation.
Maybe that Montreal outing in March had something to do with Sunday.
Holtby did his part in a 4-3 setback to the Canadiens. He faced 40 shots, made a trio of tough saves late in the third period to get the Canucks to overtime, and then turned aside four of six shootout attempts to give his club a chance of ending it on three occasions.
After an 18-day playing hiatus, the second longest of Holtby’s career, it was encouraging sign.
Alex Edler exited the game at 10:16 of the second period.
Part of it was fatigue and part of it was a bad decision by the Canucks defenceman.
It came at end of an extended shift lasting an incredible 3:02 after killing a penalty and seeing the Maple Leafs continue to press to the attack. Edler went knee-on-knee with winger Zach Hyman, who fell to the ice in pain, had to be helped off the ice and limped to the room and didn’t return.
Edler was assessed a five-minute major for kneeing and a game misconduct. It put more pressure on partner Tyler Myers to eat up minutes on a night when the third pairing was Guillaume Brisebois and Chatfield. Myers logged a massive 30:08.
“For me those plays happen and you don’t like to see them,” Green said of the Edler hit and the possibility of supplemental discipline from the league. “Eddie is obviously a hard player and not a dirty player and doesn’t try to hurt players ever.
“And I don’t think that was the case there.”
OVERTIME — Assistant coach Newell Brown was absent with a COVID-19 related concern.
bkuzma@postmedia.com
twitter.com/@benkuzma