Vancouver Canucks: Jack Skille, 4th Line Bright Spots in Loss
It was a bad night for most Vancouver Canucks, but Jack Skille and his cohorts on the fourth line pinned the Coyotes in their own zone several times.
The Vancouver Canucks should keep the film of this game, and file it under “how not to play”.
Held without a shot in the first period, they handed Arizona Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith one of the easier shutouts he will ever earn.
When the team plays this poorly, it’s tough to find a bright spot. And so, we go off the board: Jack Skille is the Canucks Player of the Game!
Jack Skille
RW, Vancouver Canucks
Skille, along with linemates Brendan Gaunce and Michael Chaput, skated on the teams fourth line. However, for the first half of the game, they were by far the most dangerous line.
On numerous occasions they pinned the Coyotes in their own zone for lengthy shifts.
And with the Canucks still searching for their first shot of the game, Skille did his best to help:
Canucks finally got something on net. A person. pic.twitter.com/6JEorbmZrA
— Wyatt Arndt (@TheStanchion) January 27, 2017
He finished with two shots; that wasn’t either of them. But we appreciate the effort!
Overall, Skille led the team in corsi-for percentage, with 86.67%. With Skille on the ice, Vancouver attempted 13 shots, while the Coyotes managed only two attempts of their own.
The game plan for an NHL fourth line is usually to play physically, while avoiding being a defensive liability. Tonight, Skille and his linemates not only did that, they provided some offensive zone time for a team that desperately needed some.
The Vancouver Canucks can’t be happy with their total effort tonight. But the play of Skille and the fourth line is a silver lining.
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