On Monday night, the Vancouver Canucks squared off against the Colorado Avalanche at Rogers Arena, where Kiefer Sherwood seized the spotlight by netting his first NHL hat trick. With this phenomenal performance, Sherwood led the Canucks to a 3-1 victory over the Avalanche, putting a much-needed win on the board for Vancouver.
From the beginning of the game, it was clear the Canucks were determined to bounce back after their recent struggles. Head Coach Rick Tocchet had expressed frustration following their 5-1 defeat to the Boston Bruins just days earlier, pointing out players who seemed emotionally disengaged. Faced with these criticisms, the team responded with intense physicality, demonstrating their resolve against the Avalanche. They killed off four penalties, blocked 18 shots, and registered 30 hits—all key elements contributing to their victory.
The night's highlight came courtesy of Sherwood, who effortlessly maneuvered through the Avalanche's defense. He achieved his hat trick with one even-strength goal, one short-handed goal, and one empty-net goal. This remarkable feat upped his season tally to 11 goals, surpassing the career-high of 10 he had set last season when playing for the Nashville Predators.
The scoreboard lit up when Sherwood scored the first goal of the night. At 16:14 of the first period, as the Avalanche's goalie Mackenzie Blackwood appeared to have frozen the puck, it slipped away from him. Sherwood was quick to react, scoring the opener and sending the home crowd, who chanted his name, roaring with joy.
The second period showcased Sherwood's talent yet again, when he managed to score with 3:56 remaining. This time, he capitalized on a turnover by Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon. Quickly stealing the puck, Sherwood dashed down the ice and fired it over Blackwood’s glove, doubling Vancouver’s lead to 2-0. The ironic twist? This short-handed goal came about during what has become the Avalanche's more problematic aspect—an ineffective power play.
Indeed, the Avalanche's power play struggled significantly during this match. Despite four power-play opportunities throughout the game, they failed to capitalize and have now gone one for their last 19 tries over their past seven games. This glaring inefficiency led to the frustration felt by fans and analysts alike—the power play became so predictable and ineffective it was like watching paint dry. The chances were there, but the execution consistently fell flat, resulting in compounded pressure on Colorado's skaters to produce goals at even strength.
To cap off the night for the Canucks, Sherwood scored the final goal with 1:42 left on the clock, sealing his hat trick with style as he hit the empty net. The avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin eventually broke through with 46 seconds to go, scoring their lone goal and ending goaltender Thatcher Demko’s bid for a shutout, but it was too little too late for the visitors.
Speaking of Demko, he put on quite the show himself, stopping 30 shots throughout the game. This marked just his third appearance of the season following recovery from injuries, and he showed flashes of the brilliance fans had seen last season when he was nominated for the Vezina Trophy. His presence between the pipes definitely elevated the Canucks' chances of making a significant run this season, especially with his ability to protect leads efficiently.
Despite their loss, the Avalanche had moments of solid play, outshooting the Canucks 31-25, but just couldn’t get the bounce they needed to find the back of the net more than once. The result dropped Colorado to 18-15-0 on the season, reflecting the ups and downs inherent within any NHL campaign.
With the Canucks riding high on this victory, they are gearing up to face the Utah Grizzlies for two games starting Wednesday, hoping to continue their momentum. Meanwhile, the Avalanche have their own road trip to navigate as they head to San Jose to play against the Sharks on Thursday night, ever hopeful for improvements on the power play front and overall group cohesion.
It’s always exciting to see how teams evolve throughout the season, and with both the Canucks and Avalanche having passionate fan bases, this game certainly didn't disappoint. Both squads will be back at it soon, and fans can only wait to see how they respond to the challenges they face going forward as they chase their playoff aspirations.
