Best of the Best

From nifty dangles from an NHL All-Star to a Tryamkin Smash, the Vancouver Canucks kicked off the New Year with a bang. Here is the best of the best from the month of January.

Best Goal

Horvat dangles and finishes vs. Chicago (01/22/17)

Saying Bo Horvat kicked off 2017 with a bang would be an understatement. The 20-year-old center was a force in the opening month of the New Year, netting four goals and being selected to represent Vancouver at the 2017 NHL All-Star Game in the process. One of his best plays came against the star-studded Blackhawks at the United Center. After the Canucks fell behind 2-0, Horvat helped complete the comeback with a beautiful equalizer in the third period. The youngster showed off his nifty elusiveness as he picked up a puck in the corner and undressed defender Michal Kempny as he cut to the net. While his original bid was turned away, Horvat showed great perseverance in following up and tucking home the rebound. The Canucks went on to lose the game, but Horvat's game-tying beauty showed off his elite skill-set and ability to deliver when it matters most.

Best Assist

Horvat dangles and dishes vs. Flames (01/06/17)

The Canucks were looking to end a three-game homestand on a high note when they took on the Flames at Rogers Arena in early-January. Leading scorer Bo Horvat was held off the scoresheet just five times all month. This wasn't one of those times. With Vancouver on a late second-period power play and leading 2-1, Horvat, down low, utilized a slick move to dangle TJ Brodie and get the puck to his backhand in the slot. While he had his chance turned away by netminder Brian Elliott, Horvat tracked the puck to the boards, came up with it and fired a beautiful cross-ice pass to teammate Markus Granlund. Horvat's nifty move and determination led to Granlund firing a rocket past the glove of Elliott to give the Canucks a two-goal cushion in an eventual 4-2 victory.

Best Save

Miller lays out to rob Flyers' Cousins (01/12/17)

With the Canucks and Flyers tied 1-1 in the first period of a matchup at the Wells Fargo Center, Ryan Miller came up with a sensational pad stop to ensure the scored remained even. The play stemmed off a give-and-go from Travis Konecny and Nick Cousins, who broke in 2-on-1 on the Vancouver net. Konecny returned a pass to Cousins, who deked out Miller and appeared to tuck a backhand shot into an empty goal cage. The puck never crossed the line, however, as Miller extended his left toe to make a remarkable desperation save on the goal line. It was just another 30-plus save performance from Miller, who helped the Canucks pick up a critical point on the road. The veteran netminder kicked off the New Year in spectacular fashion, earning Vancouver at least a single point in each of his first seven starts and allowing just 11 goals in that span.

Best Hit

Tryamkin crushes Avs' Martinsen with thunderous bodycheck (01/25/17)

It was the hit that shook the entire building. With the Canucks and Avalanche locked into a tight matchup at the Pepsi Center, 6' 7", 256 lbs blueliner Nikita Tryamkin utilized his monstrous frame to deliver the biggest hit of the night. With Avalanche forward Andreas Martinsen streaking down the wing and trying to get past the Russia rearguard, Tryamkin used the necessary measures to ensure the opposition did not pass. Tryamkin stepped into Martinsen with a thunderous bodycheck, going shoulder-to-shoulder and crushing him into the boards. The 22-year-old leads Vancouver with 100 hits on the season and continues to grow into a key role with the Canucks, as demonstrated by the career-high 21:59 of ice time he logged in a game earlier in the month.

Best Milestone

H.Sedin gets 1,000th point off pass from D.Sedin vs. Panthers (01/20/17)

You couldn't have drawn it up any better. With former Canuck Roberto Luongo and the Panthers in town and Captain Henrik Sedin sitting on 999 career NHL points, there was chance for it to be a special night in Vancouver. That potential turned into reality in the second period when the Sedin twins broke in 2-on-1 on their former goaltender. Daniel sent a beautiful feed to Henrik, who took the pass and deked to the backhand, sliding the puck through the wickets of Luongo for his 1,000th career NHL point. The crowd jumped to their feet and the Canucks poured onto the ice from the bench to congratulate their veteran leader. Luongo also got in on the celebration, showing his classiness by acknowledging and congratulating Henrik as he skated to the bench. It was a night Henrik will never forget, as he became the first player in Canucks history to reach the 1,000-point plateau and seventh active player to reach 1,000 points.
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