Julien insists that having eight different forwards on the roster capable of killing penalties is a huge asset.
"That means that our group is more fresh than usual instead of using the same players all the time. I think there's some confidence building there. Because we've got more players, we're a little bit more aggressive on our penalty kill. That's helped us a lot," revealed Julien. "Having said that, I think we also have to be careful. We played with fire last game taking that many penalties. We have to maybe clean up that part of our game."
Byron is one of those forwards Julien has turned to when his group has found itself in penalty trouble.
In fact, the 31-year-old Ottawa native is the third-most utilized forward under those circumstances.
"The game is generally played at 5-on-5, but special teams are an important aspect of the game as well," explained Byron. "We did good work to add players who can log big minutes when we're short-handed. That gives every guy a chance to be a little bit more aggressive and put more pressure on the opposition. I think it gives us a better chance to kill penalties."
Back in familiar territory
Wednesday night's contest will mark forward Tyler Toffoli's return to Vancouver.
After being acquired by the Canucks on February 17, 2020, he registered 10 points (6 goals, 4 assists) in 10 games.
The 27-year-old Scarborough, ON native also suited up in the playoffs, collecting two goals and four points in seven outings.
Toffoli and the Canucks were ultimately eliminated in the second round, falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in seven games.