The final score seems a little out of hand, 5-2, but excepting Pouliot's major gaff in the third, this is a largely even game (not counting empty netters).
The Canucks fought back from a 2-0 deficit, and were only behind by a goal with moments to go in the game until that slip up by Pouliot. And then the wheels fell off a little, but until that moment, the Canucks were having a solid game.
On the whole, whenever the Knights got the lead, they shut down the neutral zone, and always tried to outnumber the Canucks in the corners (in the Knights own zone), which gives the impression the Knights were in full control of the game. But the Canucks got chances due to effort, and this was a mostly 50/50 game right up until there was five minutes left to go.
It was a tough game, and the sort that could've gone either way, because both teams faced each other with the same sort of tenacity.
It was about which team cracked first under the sustained pressure. It was the Canucks this time. Next time it could be the opposing team.
Most of the play was 50/50, and that's reflected in the on-ice stats. Some players stood out though.
- Gudbransson stood out but not in a good way. There was a sequence in the third where he was chasing an opposing player in the corner, as he's apt to do every game, and the Knights player fell down. Somehow, the Knights player managed to fall, and then get back up, and still skate out of the corner with the puck. Entirely indicative of Gudbransson's play on the whole. A complete inability to recover loose pucks, leading to scoring chances against, over and over again.
- Sutter seems like he's playing well, but he still manages to spend so much more time in his own zone than in the opponents. He has such blazing speed, and gets off a scoring chance or two every game, but when I check the stat sheet, it's always the same damn story. He's buried in scoring chances against. Just unfathomable, but then I remember all of Sutter's scoring chances off the rush lead to two on one or three on two rushes going the other way. Sutter's attacking full-speed mindset is almost always putting his own team out of position to defend after he gives up the puck. And unlike Horvat, his line doesn't score nearly enough to make up for this liability offense.
- Gaunce had a solid game. He played mostly in the opponent's zone, and even got a grade A scoring chance. It'd be nice if he could finish off those sorts of chances, but otherwise, there's not much else to complain about.
- Edler and Pouliot were fine, but for that third Knight's goal. That was a bad look for them, but otherwise, they spent almost the whole game attacking. They did get a severe amount of offensive zone starts, but I don't actually put much stock in that stat, especially for d-men, as over the long haul, any difference zone starts have on on-ice stats is negligible.