The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their 2021-22 National Hockey League campaign the same way they started it, with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Friday night.
JT Miller opened the scoring for the Canucks in the first period with his 32nd goal and 99th point of the season, as the forward was looking to become only the sixth player in Canucks history to register a 100 point season, a feat which he unfortunately was unable to complete.
J.T. Miller appreciation post. pic.twitter.com/yRFXpDytax
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 30, 2022
The Oilers responded 21 seconds into the third period, when Brett Kulak let a shot go from the point, beating a screened Spencer Martin. Less than two minutes later, Conor Garland would restore the Vancouver lead, tickling the twine for the 19th time in the season, off of a feed from Quinn Hughes, who notched his 60th assist of the season.
Garland snaps one home for his 19th goal of the season 👊 pic.twitter.com/T9B64M5F0F
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 30, 2022
Tyson Barrie answered back for Edmonton in the final five minutes, tying the game with another point shot past a screened Martin. After a back and forth Overtime, which saw both Martin and Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen make miraculous saves in the sudden death frame. Veteran forward Devin Shore scored the lone goal in the shootout to give the Oilers the victory. Spencer Martin made 31 saves in the loss for Vancouver, finishing his season 3-0-3 in two stints with the main club.
The past week has almost come as a sigh of relief for Canucks fans. After five months of scoreboard watching and checking the standings, Vancouver’s quest to fight it’s way back into the playoff hunt had finally come to it’s, albeit unfavourable, conclusion. From one of the worst starts in franchise history, to mass firings, to a franchise best eight game winning streak, to COVID stoppages, injuries to key players, and almost everything in between, the Vancouver Canucks fought and continued to fight until the bitter end. After the finish of Dallas vs. Vegas earlier this week, the Canucks were mathematically done, and were able to stop fighting for their collective playoff lives. With this season now officially in the rear view mirror, the Canucks now move on to what promises to be a very eventful summer, as it will be the first off-season under new Canucks General Manager Patrick Allvin.