The Vancouver Canucks close out their three-game homestand on Tuesday night with the New York Rangers in town for their one and only meeting of the season at Rogers Arena.
After a big overtime win on Sunday night, the Canucks are looking to build some momentum and keep playing to the style that head coach Adam Foote likes from his group.
“Our belief is so much different now. Where, [in the past], we go rogue, get off our belief of how we’re going to play, and when they tied it up, we kept going,” said Foote following his team’s win on Sunday. “We kept being relentless and believing in the system.”
Foote credited Conor Garland for his leadership, which is continuing to grow within the room. He liked the way that the 29-year-old forward recognized the game was starting to turn in the wrong direction, but remained calm, and that helped the team get back to their system and structure.
Tuesday will be the return of J.T. Miller. The now-captain of the New York Rangers played in 404 games with the Canucks over six seasons. He is twelfth in all-time points (437) as a Canuck.
Quick Hits on the Competition
- The Rangers come into Tuesday’s game with a 3-5-2 record and are in game two of a four-game road trip through the Northern teams of the Pacific Division. They lost 5-1 to the Calgary Flames on Sunday night.
- Consistent scoring has been an issue in their first 10 games of the season. The Rangers have scored one or fewer goals in six games this season and rank 31st in the league with 2.2 goals scored per game.
- Miller is skating on the top line with Artemi Panarin and Conor Sheary on his wings.
- Adam Fox and Panarin are tied for the team lead with seven points apiece.
- Taylor Raddysh leads the Rangers with four goals.
- Igor Shesterkin is one of six goalies to make eight or more starts this season. He holds a 2-4-2 record with a .916% save percentage, a 2.25 goals-against average, and has one shutout.
- Their penalty kill ranks seventh in the league with an 88% kill-rate. They have also scored two shorthanded goals this season.
- Will Cuylle’s name will likely be called a lot in the game as he sits sixth in the league for hits.
The Story: Top Line Finding its Groove
Garland has 10 points (3g-7a) in his last seven games and is leading the Canucks in points this season. He has averaged 23:56 of ice time over the past three games and picked up an assist on Kiefer Sherwood’s overtime goal on Sunday.
Elias Pettersson is beginning to get in a groove offensively as well. He scored a goal in both of this weekend’s games and has three goals and three assists for six points in his last five outings.
It’s not just the offence that is shining for Pettersson, though. With four shot blocks on Sunday, he now leads the NHL for blocked shots from a forward with 23 on the season.
“We had a discussion this year about how he wanted to be. He told me he wanted to be a very good defensive forward. And I think he’s just enjoying it,” said Foote. “I think he enjoys the matchup; it gets his juices going. He gets into the game quicker.”
Jake DeBrusk leads the Canucks with an 85.7% control of goal share at even strength. In his 120 minutes of play at evens, he has been on the ice for just one goal against, and his team has scored six goals.
Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games
Conor Garland: 2g-5a-7p
Elias Pettersson: 3g-3a-6p
Kiefer Sherwood: 3g-0a-3p
Brock Boeser: 1g-2a-3p
Filip Hronek: 0g-3a-3p
Quinn Hughes: 0g-3a-3p
When and Where to Watch
Tuesday’s game is at 7:00 p.m. PT, and you can watch the game on Sportsnet or listen to Brendan Batchelor’s radio call on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network.
