Bo Horvat scored twice, including the game-winner in overtime on a wrist shot, and the Vancouver Canucks outlasted the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2, on Sunday night in their first game in nearly a month.
After a frustrating, on-again, off-again pause that began after their game on March 24, due to COVID-19 protocols, perhaps it was fitting that the Canucks relied on their captain, Horvat, to lead a rally past the No. 1 team in the North Division.
The Canucks — who didn’t even return to practice until Thursday — hardly had the type of lineup that Vancouver fans are used to. But they shook off some early rust, and a 2-0 deficit, thanks to 37 saves from Braden Holtby.
“I was just looking at our board. I think we have eight or nine guys out of the lineup tonight that would have had a good chance of playing,” coach Travis Green said Sunday during his pregame media availability.
Green appeared sullen and stone-faced as he answered questions while sipping a cup of coffee. The coach — as well as his club — has been challenged by the pandemic, perhaps more than any other team.
That said, Vancouver had enough of a roster to field two practices leading up to the game, and eventually notched perhaps their best effort of the season, all things considered.
“We should have some enthusiasm in our players for sure,” Green said pregame. “Our team will be excited to play. [There] will be some rust, though. There’s no way you can mimic game action. And we’ve been out for awhile.”
Canucks veteran defenseman Tyler Myers was one of the players in the lineup against Toronto. But his type of experience on the blue line was lacking overall against the high-octane Maple Leafs. That said, Vancouver held Toronto scoreless in the from third period on, and Myers assisted on the game-winning goal in overtime.
“We had a pretty good last few skates. You could tell guys were really pushing through some of the fatigue to get back at it, enough that will put us in position to win games,” Myers said pregame. “We expect to come out hard.”
The return of the Canucks was a hot topic for weeks across the league, and one of the team’s veteran forwards, J.T. Miller, who also played Sunday, was outspoken about the league potentially rushing their return to play. Miller finished with 30 shifts for 21:59 of ice time.
Canucks general manager Jim Benning defended the veteran’s message last week.
“We’re dealing with a different kind of COVID; the P.1 variant is different. We didn’t know what to expect,” Benning said Friday. “As our players started coming back and working out, then the constant communication — they were having some symptoms that were different than regular COVID, and it took them a little longer to get up and going. I think that was relayed in J.T.’s message.”
Myers, too, echoed the sentiment, but more for what the Canucks have at home than on the ice.
“The hardest part was when all the families got it,” he said. “But looks like most of the kids handled it better than the adults did.”
The Canucks have off Monday but will face the Maple Leafs again on Tuesday in Vancouver.
“I’m looking for a lot of things,” Green said about this week. “First of all, how we’re skating, and then how we’re handling the puck. I feel like those go hand in hand with our group. And I’m anxious to see the rust level in this team.”
William Nylander scored his 14th goal of the season for Toronto in the loss, and Auston Matthews added his 33rd of the season, which continues to lead the league. Jack Campbell made 21 saves for the Maple Leafs.
