Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
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This game almost got started on a high note for the Canucks, as JT Miller motored past Nathan MacKinnon to get a shot in tight on Mackenzie Blackwood:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
J.T. Miller kicks off tonight&#39;s game by beating Nathan MacKinnon wide and almost giving the Canucks an early lead! 
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAvsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAvsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/m1bFkdtCu3">pic.twitter.com/m1bFkdtCu3</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868864284803076387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Canucks&#8217; energy to start this game was phenomenal, as they got in on the forecheck and managed to spend most of the opening five minutes in the Colorado end. They came close to opening the scoring once again when Max Sasson dished off for Elias Pettersson, who ripped a shot off the post.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Elias Pettersson hits the post! The Canucks are off to a good start tonight. 
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAvsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAvsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/7UbbZsrxVa">pic.twitter.com/7UbbZsrxVa</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868865770140422552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Erik Brännström took a puck over glass penalty to give the Avs&#8217; power play an early opportunity. With all their firepower, you might have been surprised to know that they&#8217;ve got just one goal over their last 15 opportunities over the past 15 games. Colorado&#8217;s PP continued to struggle in this instance, as the Canucks managed to give up just one shot and prevent them from really getting set up.
The Canucks kept up their pressure on the Avs back at 5v5, and eventually broke through when Kiefer Sherwood opened the scoring to make it 1-0. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🚨CANUCKS GOAL🚨
Kiefer Sherwood scores his 9th goal of the season! It&#39;s 1-0 Vancouver! 
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAvsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAvsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/9G8DHWzFdB">pic.twitter.com/9G8DHWzFdB</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868871046025429145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Canucks closed out the first period with JT Miller taking a cross-checking penalty.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
J.T. Miller is called for cross checking&#8230; 
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAvsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAvsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/eStMqmBd7l">pic.twitter.com/eStMqmBd7l</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868872520918876213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Remember folks, that&#8217;s a penalty, but this one from this past weekend isn&#8217;t:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
jack eichel lays a very dangerous cross check to mattias ekholm, sending him into the boards, and doesn’t get penalized for it. 🥴 <a href="https://t.co/2UOph9tgS9">pic.twitter.com/2UOph9tgS9</a>
&mdash; zach (@zjlaing) <a href="https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1868064290936090785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Got it.
The Canucks killed that penalty off, thanks to some solid work from Thatcher Demko.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Thatcher Demko makes a couple big saves early in the 2nd period! 
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAvsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAvsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/dptV4A1wXw">pic.twitter.com/dptV4A1wXw</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868877478787477966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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They got a power play of their own shortly after, and the best chance of the man advantage came for Conor Garland, who was a busy man in the second period. Garland had a few chances to push the Canucks&#8217; lead to two, but was denied by Blackwood and then missed the net. Tyler Myers found Elias Pettersson with a beautiful backhand saucer pass later in the period, but Mackenzie Blackwood continues to stand tall in the Colorado goal.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Tyler Myers makes a brillant pass to Elias Pettersson
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAvsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAvsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/7KVSmJPJpB">pic.twitter.com/7KVSmJPJpB</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868881340902539273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Canucks got another power play chance before the end of the second, and it was worth noting that JT Miller was skating on the second unit. This was an interesting strategy, as both units were dangerous since Quinn Hughes seemed to be the quarterback on both. Hughes found Kiefer Sherwood for another great chance in close after a beautiful spin-o-rama behind the back pass to the goal mouth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Quinn Hughes makes an incredible pass to find Kiefer Sherwood alone in front of Mackenzie Blackwood.
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAvsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAvsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/So2SEWFODB">pic.twitter.com/So2SEWFODB</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868882811819901363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Danton Heinen found himself with a chance to score, but took a tripping penalty instead. Fear not though, because tonight was one of the greatest nights of Kiefer Sherwood&#8217;s career.
Sherwood perfectly anticipated the Avalanche power play&#8217;s zone entry and picked off the dish from Nathan MacKinnon to go the other way and push the Canucks&#8217; lead to two when he ripped a breakaway chance past Blackwood to make it 2-0 Canucks.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🚨CANUCKS GOAL🚨
Kiefer Sherwood scores his second goal of the game! He ties his career high with his 10th goal of the season! 
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAvsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAvsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/SGJAtcCRNc">pic.twitter.com/SGJAtcCRNc</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868884755535806892?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Rogers Arena faithful then chanted Kiefer Sherwood&#8217;s name as the Canucks entered the third period up by a pair of goals.
The Canucks did a great job of locking this game down and withstanding the pressure we all knew Colorado would bring in their attempt to come back. Thatcher Demko continued to be excellent, which allowed the Canucks to bend but not break.
The Avs got their fourth power play of the night with just under ten minutes to go when Tyler Myers was called for running interference on Nathan Mackinnon. And once again, Demko and the Canucks&#8217; PK stood tall.
The Avs pulled Blackwood, and that&#8217;s when Sherwood added an empty netter to make it 3-0 Canucks. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🚨CANUCKS GOAL🚨
KIEFER SHERWOOD HAT TRICK!! 🎩🎩🎩
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAvsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAvsGo</a> <a href="https://t.co/EKhHbNcFGi">pic.twitter.com/EKhHbNcFGi</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868898630356418901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Avs pulled their goalie again, and this time, they broke up Thatcher Demko&#8217;s shutout bid.
3-1 final.
Some other takeaways from tonight:
-Uninspiring performance from Danton Heinen tonight, I thought. 
-Both JT Miller and Elias Pettersson came to play tonight. When the Canucks&#8217; two top lines play the way they did tonight, they&#8217;re more often than not going to walk away with two points. 
-So nice to see the Canucks actually show up to play in front of Thatcher Demko. Honestly, it&#8217;s pretty embarrassing that it took three starts and that Demko&#8217;s season numbers don&#8217;t look pretty as a result, but hey, at least they showed up for him tonight. 
-Great game for Thatcher Demko. 
-Pulling the goalie down 3-0 kind of feels like the hockey equivalent of bunting to break up a perfect game or no hitter. 
-Max Sasson isn&#8217;t going to be on Elias Pettersson&#8217;s wing for too long, but I liked what I saw from him once again tonight. His hustle, offensive IQ, and playmaking ability make him an intriguing player for sure. 
-It really felt like JT Miller set up Conor Garland with more than a couple of grade-A looks that Garland either missed the net on, failed to pull the trigger on, or fanned on. Pretty uncharacteristic of him, but I&#8217;m going to guess these line combos will remain the same for the upcoming two game road trip. 
-Kiefer Sherwood tied his career-high goal total of 10, and he did it in just 30 games. 
-Kiefer Sherwood recorded a career-high goal total of 11, and he did it in just 30 games. 
-Kiefer Sherwood might just be the greatest free agent signing of all time.
What are your thoughts on tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below! Also, be sure to tune into Rink Wide Vancouver with Jeff Paterson moments after the final horn!
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Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
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&nbsp;

This game almost got started on a high note for the Canucks, as JT Miller motored past Nathan MacKinnon to get a shot in tight on Mackenzie Blackwood:

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868864284803076387

The Canucks' energy to start this game was phenomenal, as they got in on the forecheck and managed to spend most of the opening five minutes in the Colorado end. They came close to opening the scoring once again when Max Sasson dished off for Elias Pettersson, who ripped a shot off the post.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868865770140422552

Erik Brännström took a puck over glass penalty to give the Avs' power play an early opportunity. With all their firepower, you might have been surprised to know that they've got just one goal over their last 15 opportunities over the past 15 games. Colorado's PP continued to struggle in this instance, as the Canucks managed to give up just one shot and prevent them from really getting set up.

The Canucks kept up their pressure on the Avs back at 5v5, and eventually broke through when Kiefer Sherwood opened the scoring to make it 1-0. 

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868871046025429145

The Canucks closed out the first period with JT Miller taking a cross-checking penalty.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868872520918876213

Remember folks, that's a penalty, but this one from this past weekend isn't:

https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1868064290936090785

Got it.

The Canucks killed that penalty off, thanks to some solid work from Thatcher Demko.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868877478787477966

They got a power play of their own shortly after, and the best chance of the man advantage came for Conor Garland, who was a busy man in the second period. Garland had a few chances to push the Canucks' lead to two, but was denied by Blackwood and then missed the net. Tyler Myers found Elias Pettersson with a beautiful backhand saucer pass later in the period, but Mackenzie Blackwood continues to stand tall in the Colorado goal.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868881340902539273

The Canucks got another power play chance before the end of the second, and it was worth noting that JT Miller was skating on the second unit. This was an interesting strategy, as both units were dangerous since Quinn Hughes seemed to be the quarterback on both. Hughes found Kiefer Sherwood for another great chance in close after a beautiful spin-o-rama behind the back pass to the goal mouth.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868882811819901363

Danton Heinen found himself with a chance to score, but took a tripping penalty instead. Fear not though, because tonight was one of the greatest nights of Kiefer Sherwood's career.

Sherwood perfectly anticipated the Avalanche power play's zone entry and picked off the dish from Nathan MacKinnon to go the other way and push the Canucks' lead to two when he ripped a breakaway chance past Blackwood to make it 2-0 Canucks.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868884755535806892

The Rogers Arena faithful then chanted Kiefer Sherwood's name as the Canucks entered the third period up by a pair of goals.

The Canucks did a great job of locking this game down and withstanding the pressure we all knew Colorado would bring in their attempt to come back. Thatcher Demko continued to be excellent, which allowed the Canucks to bend but not break.

The Avs got their fourth power play of the night with just under ten minutes to go when Tyler Myers was called for running interference on Nathan Mackinnon. And once again, Demko and the Canucks' PK stood tall.

The Avs pulled Blackwood, and that's when Sherwood added an empty netter to make it 3-0 Canucks. 

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1868898630356418901

The Avs pulled their goalie again, and this time, they broke up Thatcher Demko's shutout bid.

3-1 final.

Some other takeaways from tonight:

-Uninspiring performance from Danton Heinen tonight, I thought.
-Both JT Miller and Elias Pettersson came to play tonight. When the Canucks' two top lines play the way they did tonight, they're more often than not going to walk away with two points.
-So nice to see the Canucks actually show up to play in front of Thatcher Demko. Honestly, it's pretty embarrassing that it took three starts and that Demko's season numbers don't look pretty as a result, but hey, at least they showed up for him tonight.
-Great game for Thatcher Demko.
-Pulling the goalie down 3-0 kind of feels like the hockey equivalent of bunting to break up a perfect game or no hitter.
-Max Sasson isn't going to be on Elias Pettersson's wing for too long, but I liked what I saw from him once again tonight. His hustle, offensive IQ, and playmaking ability make him an intriguing player for sure.
-It really felt like JT Miller set up Conor Garland with more than a couple of grade-A looks that Garland either missed the net on, failed to pull the trigger on, or fanned on. Pretty uncharacteristic of him, but I'm going to guess these line combos will remain the same for the upcoming two game road trip.
-Kiefer Sherwood tied his career-high goal total of 10, and he did it in just 30 games.
-Kiefer Sherwood recorded a career-high goal total of 11, and he did it in just 30 games.
-Kiefer Sherwood might just be the greatest free agent signing of all time.

What are your thoughts on tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below! Also, be sure to tune into Rink Wide Vancouver with Jeff Paterson moments after the final horn!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xsrnkW7MDI

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