It has been 24 days since the Vancouver Canucks played a game at Rogers Arena, but that growing number snaps on Wednesday when the Anaheim Ducks come to town.
This will be the third matchup of the season between the two Pacific Division teams – each club has picked up a commanding victory on the season. The Ducks won 5-2 last Thursday, while the Canucks had a 5-1 victory back in early November.
Filip Chytil leads the Canucks in shots on net over the previous five games. The 25-year-old centre has had a nice start with his new club, picking up six points in nine games. Chytil has been averaging 18:04 of ice time per game since joining the Canucks – he was averaging 14:20 per game in his 41 outings with the Rangers this season.
No Canucks player has more scoring chances, hits taken, shot attempts, shots on net, or drawn penalties than Chytil since the trade. The young forward has fit in well with the Canucks and is creating pressure on the opposition with his combination of speed and skill at funnelling the puck to the net.
The Ducks come into Wednesday’s game on the second night of a back-to-back. They are in Edmonton to play the Oilers on Tuesday and will travel to Vancouver on Tuesday evening following the conclusion of their tilt with Edmonton.
Quick Hits on the Competition
- The Ducks have had two games with multiple power play goals in their last four outings. They were 0-for-2 against the Canucks last week but scored two against the Chicago Blackhawks and three against the Detroit Red Wings.
- Frank Vatrano leads the Ducks with 18 goals, while Troy Terry leads with six power play goals.
- Jackson LaCombe leads the team with 21:15 of average ice time per game. The 24-year-old defenceman scored his 11th goal of the season against the Canucks on Thursday.
- The Ducks have the seventh-best save percentage in the league this season. Their combination of John Gibson, Lukas Dostal, and James Reimer have combined for a .908% save percentage. They also give up the most shots per game, averaging 32.1 shots per game played.
- The Ducks’ power play ranks 31st in the league with an 11.3% conversion rate.
- On the penalty kill, the Ducks rank 28th with a 73.8% kill rate.
- On the road this season, the Ducks are 9-3-3 when scoring first and 3-10-2 when their opposition scores first.
The Story: Elias Pettersson Focused on Improvement in Final 22 Games
Elias Pettersson was honest with the media on Tuesday following practice. He spoke about his game, the team’s current battle for a playoff spot and the pressure on him to perform.
“It’s good to be home. Playing for our fans, we got 22 games left. Got a good chance to make a push for the playoffs,” said Pettersson.
He was asked about his potential and the player he knows he can be.
“I think about it a lot. To be honest, I haven’t been the way I want to be this year. I haven’t played to the expectations that I have for myself, [or] the franchise has on myself. I’ll be the first one to tell you, but that’s in the past. I just want to take these last 22 games, plus more, and hopefully play my best hockey. I wish we had more wins. I wish that I’d played a lot better. But can’t dwell on that, I’m trying to look ahead,” said Pettersson.
When asked about pressure, Pettersson said it motivates him, and he wants to turn this season around more than anyone.
“I think pressure is good,” said Pettersson. “It means you care, and if I wouldn’t care, I wouldn’t think too much about it.”
He is focused on looking ahead and making self-improvements to help this Canucks team down the final stretch of the season and onwards into the playoffs.
“I’m not perfect. I wish that I was perfect,” said Pettersson. “I’m just trying to grow every day and be a better player.”
Head Coach Rick Tocchet has noticed Pettersson doing more work over the past few days. Tocchet likes Pettersson taking more control during games and being more vocal, bringing ideas to the bench.
“He’s standing on the ice a lot now; he’s meeting with coaches more. [For] the last 72 hours, he’s doing stuff that I’m like, ‘wow, that’s the stuff we need from you. ‘The way I look at it [if] he has a good 22 games for us, we might all forget the 60 games or whatever this year,” said Tocchet.
“I’ve seen players have average years and then have great playoffs... That guy benefits, [and] the team benefits. He reaps the rewards because of that. So don’t waste games. He’s got enough time to turn this thing around and help this team get where they want to get.”
Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games
Conor Garland: 2g-1a-3p
Pius Suter: 2g-1a-3p
Filip Chytil: 1g-2a-3p
Tyler Myers: 1g-2a-3p
Jake DeBrusk: 2g-0a-2p
When and Where to Watch
Wednesday’s game is a 7:30 p.m. PT start, and you can watch it on Sportsnet or listen along to the radio call with Brendan Batchelor on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network.
