Vancouver Goldeneyes: Another big crowd, another close loss

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The Vancouver Goldeneyes’ business side is coming along nicely. Their win-loss record needs to catch up.

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The expansion squad strengthened their hold atop the PWHL attendance column Sunday afternoon in their first game back from the Olympic break, with an announced crowd of 13,264 for a visit to the Pacific Coliseum by the Toronto Sceptres. There’s been an abundance of people in the stands wearing Goldeneyes gear all season long, and there were still fans in the team store an hour after the game Sunday purchasing merchandise.

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Vancouver lost the contest 2-1, and the Goldeneyes (5-1-2-9) sit seventh in the eight-team pro women’s loop. They’re five points out of the fourth and final playoff post.

There was a school of thought that Vancouver and the Seattle Torrent, who also came into being this season, would be instant contenders, since expansion rules included the original six teams being permitted to protect a mere three players each to start the proceedings. Seattle (4-1-2-8) has had its struggles in the standings as well so far, and they’re currently in the cellar.

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There’s time. Vancouver has 13 games left in the regular season, and you can wrack up points quickly in the PWHL since it’s three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime or shootout win, and a single point for an OT or shootout loss. (Team records in the league are listed by regulation wins, OT/shootout wins, OT/shootout losses and then regulation losses.)

It’s also clear, though, that there’s ample work to be done by the Goldeneyes. Sunday marked the ninth time this season that Vancouver has been held to one goal or less, which is a league-high. They controlled the majority of the possession against the Sceptres but played on the outside far too often.

“As much as the game has evolved with individual skill and ability, hockey at its core is a one-on-one physical competition,” Vancouver coach Brian Idalski said. “And, so, having a little more of a chip on our shoulders, a little more grit and sandpaper to go along with our skill, to get to the inside and get to the net is the missing piece for me. We start stringing some of that together and we’re a good hockey club. And I think we still have faith in that.

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“It’s a matter of — I don’t want to say being selfish — but being a lot more shot-heavy in our mentality. We are still far too perimeter. The possession is nice but unless you’re getting inside the dots and getting shots inside the house and you’re getting retrievals and second-chance opportunities, it makes it a little harder.”

It was likely as uptempo a game as the Pacific Coliseum faithful have seen this year. The Goldeneyes were able to get the puck up the ice consistently, despite missing Canadian Olympic rearguard Claire Thompson (upper body injury, day-to-day).

It was Vancouver’s first outing since a Jan. 28 contest on the road against the Minnesota Swarm, and their first game at home since a Jan. 22 matchup against Toronto. The Goldeneyes had eight Olympians — Canadians Thompson, Jenn Gardiner, Sophie Jaques, Emerance Maschmeyer and Sarah Nurse, along with Finland’s Michelle Karvinen, Czechia’s Tereza Vanišová and Germany’s Nina Jobst-Smith.

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Shots on Sunday were 26-24 in Vancouver’s favour, but the game had more energy than those totals might imply.

“Coming off the break, normally you’re a little concerned about being sloppy,” Idalski said. “Unfortunately, they got a couple (of goals) quick and we were playing from behind and chasing the game. But, overall, for the first day, I thought we were doing pretty well.”

Maschmeyer added: “There’s a lot that we can build off of in a really positive way.”

Sunday’s game opened up a five-game home stand for the Goldeneyes. They’re back at it March 10, when the Boston Fleet provide the opposition at the Coliseum. Tickets and a schedule are available at the team website.

Considering the crowds they’ve been getting all season at the Coliseum, this stint should be a boost to Vancouver’s chances to climb up in the standings. They’re 3-1-1-2 at the Coliseum to date, compared with 2-0-1-7 on the road.

After Sunday, Vancouver’s announced attendance average this season is 12,185. Seattle’s next in line at 11,949, buoyed by a 17,335 house at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday for a visit from the Sceptres.

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Coliseum officials are listing hockey capacity this season at 15,041.

Crowd highlights Sunday included a spirited standing ovation for the league’s Olympians in the pre-game, and the crowd spontaneously chanting “goal, goal, goal,” when Izzy Daniel’s third-period marker was under video review for netminder interference. Officials wound up ruling in Vancouver’s favour.

Idalski didn’t have a timeline Sunday on a possible return for Thompson, saying simply that “we’re waiting for some information and then we’ll see where that goes.” She’s Vancouver’s leading scorer, with nine points, including three goals, in 15 games.

SEwen@postmedia.com

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