The Vancouver Canucks battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to beat the Washington Capitals on Pride Night.
The team was composed from start to finish, and Head Coach Adam Foote liked the response and resiliency from his group.
“They were just calm. They hung in there, and they knew it was kind of odd that we were having some success again below the [opposition’s] goal line. It seems like when we dump the puck and forecheck properly, and work as a unit of five, we really have a lot going on for us, and they had that going again. So, I think the players believed in it, and they just stayed calm,” Foote said.
“Our vets, it was, one of the best games I saw Garly [Connor Garland] and [Brock] Boeser play, not just because Boes got points, he was competing, and he was matched against [Tom] Wilson, real tough matchup, and he defended.”
Foote also talked about how well Teddy Blueger played and the impact he had on the game. Foote said Blueger’s return also seemed to give Garland an added spark.
Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist in the win and also put in gritty work on the boards. He said that focusing on the details of the game is the only way they could pull themselves out of a slump.
“I thought we stuck together as a group. We had a good response after they jumped out to that lead, and we kept it going as a group, and had positive vibes out there and just happy we got a win,” Boeser said.
“We can't have that bad body language, and the negative attitude on the bench. We can't show that to the young guys. We’ve got to be good leaders and good role models and be positive and I thought we were tonight, and I felt that that helped us play a better hockey game.”
Filip Hronek liked the fight the team showed and said it was an important win for the group.
“It's big really after I don't know how many losses we had. It's big for the mental side of the things, and just to keep battling,” Hronek said.
Kevin Lankinen stopped 29 of 32 shots he faced, and he earned the second star of the night, but gave credit to his teammates for bearing down.
“Honestly, it's been a tough stretch, but I think that guys battle hard, showed character and we’ve just got to keep building from here,” Kevin Lankinen said in the postgame media availability.
Goals
In the first period, Washington opened the scoring with two power play goals from Dylan Strome and Richmond, B.C.’s Justin Sourdif.
The Canucks got on the board with the help of David Kämpf doing strong work on the forecheck and Brock Boeser sniping a shot from the slot.
