3 takeaways from Golden Knights’ Game 2 loss to Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have shown through two games they can dominate one crucial area against the Golden Knights: the faceoff circle.

On Tuesday, that advantage helped decide Game 2.

The Canucks have crushed the Knights on draws because of the performances of centers Bo Horvat, Elias Pettersson and Jay Beagle. Vancouver used that edge to score a late second-period goal Tuesday to go up 3-1. Knights coach Pete DeBoer called it a “real backbreaker” in his team’s 5-2 loss at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

“I really thought we had found our legs and we were generating some momentum,” DeBoer said. “I thought we could have tied it up in the second and at the very least been down 2-1, but we make a mental mistake on a faceoff play and you’re down 3-1 and have nothing to show for the work you put in to try and get back in the game.”

The goal came right after one of Pettersson’s four faceoff wins in the offensive zone. He got the puck to right wing Tyler Toffoli, who passed to defenseman Alexander Edler. Pettersson then peeled away and moved toward the slot as Edler skated along the left boards.

Pettersson didn’t have a defender follow him, so after Edler passed him the puck, he was one-on-one with goaltender Robin Lehner. The skilled center deked out Lehner to score the eventual game winner.

The goal was one of many times the Canucks bested the Knights in the circle. Vancouver, the second-best faceoff team in the regular season at 54 percent, has won 83 of 128 draws in the series (64.8 percent). Pettersson is 10-for-19. Horvat is 39-for-54. And Beagle is 21-of-29.

The Knights, who were 16th in faceoff percentage in the regular season at 50 percent, have work to do to make the matchup more even.

“They’re the best faceoff team in the league, so we’re not going to fix that in this series,” DeBoer said. “I think what we can fix is make sure our coverage is better and not give them anything off the ones they win. I think that was our mistake tonight.”

Here’s three other takeaways from the loss:

1. Toffoli makes impact

Toffoli’s presence was also crucial for the Canucks in Game 2. The February trade acquisition from Los Angeles hadn’t played since Vancouver’s first qualifying-round game against Minnesota on Aug. 2, but he shook off the rust quickly to make an impact.

The right wing finished with a goal and two assists. He also helped get Pettersson going after a quiet Game 1.

Pettersson, the second-leading scorer in the playoffs, didn’t have a shot on goal Sunday, and the Canucks were outscored 2-0 with him on the ice at five-on-five. Pettersson and Toffoli outscored the Knights 2-1 at five-on-five in Game 2, with their first goal coming on their first shift.

“Coming into the lineup, you want to do whatever you can to help the team win, especially in the playoffs,” Toffoli said. “Playing with (Pettersson) and how good of a player he is, playing with (left wing Tanner Pearson) after the years that we spent together in LA, I feel that we were confident coming into the game and doing good things. Right from the first shift, I thought we started well, obviously, and then continued on and our team got a big win.”

2. Theodore flashes at both ends

Knights defenseman Shea Theodore did some brilliant things with the puck and finished with two assists. He also was on the ice for the Canucks’ first goal.

Theodore tried to defend Pettersson as he entered the offensive zone, but the second-year center squeezed loose past Theodore along the left wall. Pettersson protected the puck and skated around the net before sending a pass across the crease to an open Toffoli.

After the goal, Theodore used his stick-handling skills to create several dangerous chances. He had a brilliant flip pass to set up Alex Tuch’s second-period goal, and he had the primary assist on Max Pacioretty’s late power-play goal.

Through 10 postseason games, Theodore is a team-high plus-11 at five-on-five.

3. ‘Meat grinders’ stay quiet

The Knights’ fourth line made a heavy impact in Game 1, but wasn’t used as much with the team trailing for 58:31.

Right wing Ryan Reaves had a game-high 11 hits in 14:50 Sunday, and left wing William Carrier had nine in 14:14. Reaves’ trash-talking was also noticeable, as he goaded Canucks forward Antoine Roussel into a third-period game misconduct penalty.

Reaves played 8:08 Tuesday. Carrier played 7:51. DeBoer couldn’t send them over the boards as often as he tried to get the Knights back in the game.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.