Game Notes: Canucks @ Sabres

The Canucks face off against the Buffalo Sabres for their first of two matchups this season. The Sabres visit Rogers Arena on Jan. 18. Vancouver plays its third of a six game road trip that sees further stops against the NY Rangers (Nov. 12), NY Islanders (Nov. 13) and Minnesota (Nov. 15).
Today marks Erik Gudbranson's 100th career game as a Vancouver Canuck.

VERSUS SABRES TIDBITS:

• Alex Biega was drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Sabres.
• Michael Del Zotto has 13 assists (0-13-13) in 27 career games versus Buffalo.
• Loui Eriksson has 14 points (3-11-14) in 19 career games versus Buffalo.
• Markus Granlund has four points (2-2-4) in six career games versus the Sabres.
• Bo Horvat has two goals and an assist in eight career games versus the Sabres.
• Jacob Markstrom has a record of 4-2-0 along with a 2.32 GAA and .914 save percentage in six career games versus Buffalo.
• Antoine Roussel has six points (2-4-6) in 10 career games versus Buffalo.
• Tim Schaller began his professional career with the Sabres recording five points (2-3-5) in 35 games over parts of two seasons with the team. Against his former team, Schaller has three points (2-1-3) in eight career games.

LAST MEETING - JAN. 25/18: VAN 0 vs BUF 4

The Canucks went 2/3 on the power play...Alex Biega recorded five shots...Brandon Sutter won 56% of face-offs taken (9-7)...Jacob Markstrom faced 25 shots.

LAST GAME - Nov. 8/18: VAN 8 at BOS 5

Bo Horvat had two goals (including a SHG) and two assists...Loui Eriksson had two goals and an assist...Ben Hutton and Erik Gudbranson each netted a goal and an assist...Gudbranson extended his point streak to a career-high four games and netted the GWG...Markus Granlund and Nikolay Goldobin each registered two assists...Jacob Markstrom made 23 saves...The eight goals was the most the Canucks have scored in a game since Nov. 14.09 (8-2 vs COL).

PERFECT 10

-With this 10th goal on Nov. 6 at DET, Elias Pettersson became the fifth player outside of the NHL's inaugural season to score 10 or more goals through his first 10 career games (NHL PR)
-He became the 17th player in NHL history to record 16 or more points through his first 10 career games and first since 1992.93 (NHL PR)
-Elias Pettersson registered a career-high five points on Nov. 2 vs COL to set a franchise record for most in a regular-season game by a rookie, eclipsing the previous mark of four last achieved by teammate Brock Boeser on Dec. 28, 2017 (1-3-4 vs CHI) (NHL PR)
-Pettersson became the youngest player in franchise history to record at least five points in a regular-season game, eclipsing the previous mark set by Trevor Linden (20 years, 253 days) on Dec. 20, 1990 (3-3-6 vs. EDM).
-Only 17 different players in NHL history have collected at least five points in a game at a younger age (NHL PR) Pettersson leads all rookies in goals and points this season (10-6-16 in 10 GP).
-Pettersson was named the NHL's second star of the week ending November 4th. He shared the League lead with four goals and ranked third overall with seven points in three games to also help lead the Canucks to a perfect week.

MR OCTOBER

Elias Pettersson, who led all rookies with seven goals and 10 points in eight games (7-3-10), was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October. Pettersson, who paced rookies in goals and points despite missing six games due to injury, registered 1-1-2 in his NHL debut Oct. 3 and 2-1-3 in his second outing Oct. 6. He became the fourth player in Canucks history to collect multiple points in his League debut and the second - along with Thomas Gradin (4-1-5 in 1978-79) - to record five points through his first two NHL appearances. Pettersson ultimately extended his career-opening point streak to five games (53-8), becoming the second player in Vancouver history - along with Don Tannahill (3-2-5 in 5 GP in 1972-73) - to achieve the feat. Pettersson added his sixth and seventh goals Oct. 29, making him the 21st player in League history - and eighth in the modern era - to reach that total through seven career NHL contests.

FACE THE FACTS

-Bo Horvat ranks tied for first in the NHL in face-off wins (226), first in even-strength face-off wins (186) and first in faceoffs taken (410)
-Horvat notched a season-high 23 faceoff wins on Nov. 2 vs COL and had 40 total faceoffs on Nov. 6 at DET

THE GOING RATE

-Elias Pettersson has registered at least a point in nine of 11 career games; He has seven points (3-4-7) over the past three games
-Bo Horvat has six points (2-4-6) over the past five games
-Brock Boeser has five points (2-3-5) over the his last three games
-Jake Virtanen has four goals (4-0-4) over his past five games
-Erik Gudbranson has a career-high four game assist/point streak (1-4-5 over that span)
-Markus Granlund has at least a point in four of the past five games (2-3-5 over that span)
-Brendan Gaunce has an assist in two straight games
-Antoine Roussel has at least a point in four of the past five games (2-2-4 over that span)
-Alex Biega has an assist in two of the past three games
-Nikolay Goldobin has five assists over the past three games
-Ben Hutton has four points (2-2-4) over the past three games
-Loui Eriksson has five points (3-2-5) over the past three games (points in three straight games)