Game Notes: Canucks vs Leafs (6/9)

Tonight the Canucks return to the ice and the Canucks for Kids Fund is hosting a Telethon themed 50/50 Super Jackpot, presented by TD with a guaranteed minimum jackpot of $500,000 and minimum prize of $250,000. The 50/50 Super Jackpot is being held in lieu of the traditional CFKF Telethon which was cancelled due to the pandemic. Tickets for the 50/50 raffle are on sale now at canucks.com/online5050. Ticket sales will close at 9:30pm tonight (Sunday, April 18th). Fans can also donate online anytime at canucks.com/donate and receive a tax receipt for their donation.

QUICK NUMBERS

LAST MEETING - MAR. 6/21: VAN 4 vs TOR 2

Brock Boeser opened the scoring with his team-leading 13th goal of the season at 4:39 in the first period, on the power play...J.T. Miller and Bo Horvat registered the assists...Bo Horvat tied the game on a power play deflection at 8:49 in the third period...Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller assisted on the play...J.T. Miller put Vancouver back ahead by one with his third point of the night at 9:31 in the third period...Brock Boeser recorded his third point of the game with an assist, while Alex Edler drew the secondary assist...Nils Höglander provided an insurance marker at 16:53 in the third period, assisted by Nate Schmidt...Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller each had a team-high 4 shots on goal...Jake Virtanen led the club with 5 hits...Travis Hamonic blocked a team-high 4 shots...Thatcher Demko stopped 37 of 39 shots faced.

LAST GAME PLAYED - MAR. 24/21: VAN 1 vs WPG 5

Nils Höglander scored Vancouver's lone goal to break the shutout at 18:35 in the third period...Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser recorded the assists on the play...Tyler Myers led all Canucks in TOI (24:47) and tied Jimmy Vesey for the team lead in shots (5)...Tyler Motte, Tyler Graovac, and Jimmy Vesey each registered 3 hits...J.T. Miller went 13-for-18 (72%) in the face-off circle...Thatcher Demko faced 35 shots.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

CURRENT INJURIES

COVID-19 PROTOCOL LIST

LEAF IT TO MILLER

Tallying three points (1-2-3) on Mar. 6/21, J.T. Miller has now recorded five multi-point games against Toronto (3-9-12) in his career, which are tied for his most against any team (Florida). His 18 career points (8-10-18) in 24 games against the Maple Leafs are also his most against any team in the NHL.

SWITCHING SIDES

Canucks forwards Jimmy Vesey and Travis Boyd are both set to play their former team for the first time since being claimed off waivers from Toronto last month. It will also be Boyd's first game as a Canuck. Both players signed with Toronto as free agents in October, with Vesey recording 7 points (5-2- 7) in 30 games and Boyd recording 8 points (3-5-8) in 20 games before being claimed by Vancouver.

DEADLINE DEALS

Vancouver made three trades at the NHL trade deadline on April 12, acquiring two new players in forward Matthew Highmore and defenceman Madison Bowey, as well as two draft picks in this year's upcoming draft. Highmore, 25, has appeared in 73 career regular season games (4-6-10) and played his first nine career playoff games (3-1-4) with the Blackhawks last season, notching the GWG in game four of round one, helping his team stave off elimination against the Golden Knights. Bowey, 25, has appeared in 156 career regular season games (5-35-40), including 51 games with the Capitals (0-12-12) during their 2017.18 Stanley Cup Championship season.

STAYING PUT

The Canucks officially announced on April 8 that the club had signed goaltender Thatcher Demko and forward Tanner Pearson to five-year and three-year contract extensions, respectively. Demko's contract will carry an annual average value of $5 million through the end of the 2025.26 season, while Pearson's will average $3.25 million per season through the end of the 2023.24 campaign. Demko has twice been named one of the NHL's Three Stars of the Week this season, while Pearson is averaging a career-high 16:33 in TOI per game.

A MATTER OF SECONDS

Jake Virtanen's game-tying goal 22 seconds into the second period on Mar. 20/21 at Montreal was Vancouver's fastest goal to start a period (excluding overtime) since Sven Baertschi scored 20 seconds into the third period on Oct. 22/18 vs Washington. Bo Horvat quickly matched Virtanen's mark, scoring 22 seconds into the third period before Tyler Motte added another opening-minute marker 55 seconds into the third period, marking the first time in franchise history Vancouver has scored three opening-minute goals in one game. Horvat and Motte also combined for the third-fastest two goals to start a period in Canucks history.