I Watched This Game: Cootes shines in Canucks preseason loss to Kraken

Only a few of the players wearing a Vancouver Canucks jersey on the ice in Seattle on Saturday night will actually play for the Canucks this season.

But that was definitely Vancouver Canucks hockey.

Falling behind by multiple goals early, clawing their way back into the game to give fans hope late, and then dashing that hope by giving up a crushing goal? That’s the Canucks we all know and tolerate.

Of course, it’s just the preseason. Wins and losses aren’t important, as they’ll have no relevance to the regular season. Like Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the points don’t matter.

That doesn’t mean the stakes are low. While the results of preseason games are meaningless, these games are packed full of meaning for the various prospects and veterans battling for a spot in an NHL lineup.

At stake for those players? Just their childhood dream of playing in the NHL, along with the financial incentive of an NHL paycheck. That’s all.

With the preseason shortened to just four games, there’s little time to catch the eye of the Canucks’ coaches and management. They have to make an impression immediately, because who knows when they’ll get another chance?

With that in mind, a few of the Canucks helped their cause and a few very much did not when I watched this game.

From the source Kraken open the scoring on the power play, as Nyman fires a shot off Tolopilo's glove and in. #Canucks

From the source Sawyer Mynio loses a puck battle to Jacob Melanson down low, and it leads to Ty Nelson roofing the puck from the high slot to make it 2-0 Kraken. #Canucks

Matt Stienburg has made a decent case for himself in a game where no one has looked particularly great for the #Canucks. He's had some energy and created a couple of chances for himself on the power play.

From the source It's now 3-0 Kraken, as Morrison capitalizes on the power play early in the third period with the #Canucks penalty kill running all over the place.

From the source Adam Novotný comes agonizingly close to getting the #Canucks on the board in a mad scramble, but he's robbed by a sliding Cale Fleury.

Outstanding play start to finish by Braeden Cootes, who creates the 2-on-1, then finishes it off at the other end.

From the source Smart work by Arshdeep Bains to open up for the potential one-timer, which had to be in the goaltender's head. #Canucks

lol. lmao.

Superb pass by Braeden Cootes and a great one-timer finish by Arshdeep Bains from a tight angle.

From the source One-goal game now with plenty of time left for the #Canucks.

From the source That might be it for the #Canucks. Lekkerimäki loses the puck to the forecheck, and O'Brien restores the two-goal lead for the Kraken.

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