The Vancouver Canucks take the ice on Sunday afternoon for a 3:00 p.m. game against the Pittsburgh Penguins as they embark on the second half of their eight-game homestand.
Sunday will be the only game of the year for fans to get a glimpse of Sidney Crosby in his 21st NHL season. Crosby has 27 goals and 57 points in 50 games this season. He is on pace to have his 21st consecutive season of being a point-per-game player and will be representing Canada at the Olympics next month.
Zeev Buium scored his first home-ice goal as a Canuck on Friday night and is now up to five goals on the season, ranking him fourth in goals from a rookie defenceman. Buium played 23:59 in Friday’s game as he saw time on the first power play unit.
Quick Hits on the Competition
- The Pens are 25-14-11 this season and sit second in the Metropolitan Division.
- They have reeled off three consecutive wins to begin their four-game road trip through the Pacific Division and have 16 goals through those three games.
- 14 Penguins have had two or more points through the first three games of their current road trip.
- Crosby leads a potent Penguins power play that sits third in the league with a 27.4% conversion rate. Crosby has 10 power play goals this season.
- The Penguins are 12-2-3 when scoring first on the road this season. They are 2-5-1 when the opposition scores first.
- Erik Karlsson leads the Pens in ice time per game; he is averaging 23:40 per outing this season. Karlsson has four goals and 29 assists for 33 points in 45 games this season.
The Story: Linus Consistent-sson
Linus Karlsson built off a strong Calder Cup run last season and has come into this season as a much-improved player. He has 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 48 games this season, and has impressed the coaching staff with his willingness to put in extra work to improve as an NHLer.
“He is a very detailed guy. He’s a true pro’s pro. He works on his game constantly. He’s very dedicated, committed, and working on it every day. I do a lot of stuff with him after practice, on game days, a lot of net-work. He’s always looking at video, wants to learn more, and he’s a sponge, and that’s what you want, especially out of the young guys. And it’s obviously paid off for him,” said Assistant Coach Scott Young.
Karlsson has 13 points in his last 17 games, while averaging 14 minutes of ice time through that stretch. He has been given a role on the power play and says that getting that trust from the coaching staff helps boost his confidence.
“That gives me some confidence to be playing with those good players out there,” said Karlsson. “I just try to do the best every time I’m on the ice. So, I mean, it’s an honour to be on that unit, for sure.”
Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games
Brock Boeser: 3g-1a-4p
Drew O’Connor: 2g-1a-3p
Linus Karlsson: 1g-2a-3p
David Kämpf: 0g-3a-3p
Evander Kane: 2g-0a-2p
When and Where to Watch
Sunday’s game is at 3:00 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.
