In Anaheim, the Vancouver Canucks’ Ryan Miller had 28 saves including a busy overtime session in posting a 2-1 win over the Ducks in a shootout.
“My goal was to be at a certain level to start the season,” Miller said. “I’m still addressing a few certain things, but the main thing I want to do is compete. I think that’s been pretty good in these first few games. I’m still trying to hold on tight to that mindset.”
Alexandre Burrows scored the game-winner for Vancouver.
“It’s a tough building and it’s a good team,” said Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins. “I think there were parts where they cycled real well, but we kind of held on and Ryan was real big again for us today.”
In regulation, Sami Vatanen scored for the Ducks in the second period but the Canucks came back and tied it up on a goal from Adam Cracknell.
“We want to attack the net on these guys,” Cracknell said. “We want to get pucks and bodies to the net. That’s something that we’ve been working on. It went in. We just threw it on net. We wanted to create as many opportunities as we can by doing that.”
Frederik Andersen had 24 saves in the loss.
Anaheim had plenty of opportunities including in the OT session when they had a power play but their man-advantage woes have spilled over from last season.
“We just watched it again,” said coach Bruce Boudreau. “When you get those things, you can’t force plays. I think we tried to force plays into areas that weren’t there and when that happens and they get to clear it, it builds their momentum up and tears ours down and you get tired and you have to go back and get it all the time. It’s not a good thing. We’ve got to get back to the drawing board when it comes to the 4-on-3s.”
For the Ducks, it should be about moving and crashing the net, instead it seems the club is standing around waiting for something to happen and not creating.
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