PREVIEW | Canucks at Penguins
MATCH-UP INFO
QUICK NUMBERS
LAST MEETING - OCT. 28/22: VAN 5 vs PIT 1
Tanner Pearson opened the scoring with his first goal of the season at 13:52 in the first period, with Ilya Mikheyev and Conor Garland drawing the assists...Bo Horvat added to Vancouver's lead with a power play tally off the rush just 32 seconds into the second period...Andrei Kuzmenko recorded the lone assist before contributing with a goal of his own at 10:28 in the third period...Horvat deflected home his second power play goal of the evening on a point shot from Oliver Ekman-Larsson at 16:42 in the third period...J.T. Miller potted the empty-net goal at 17:50 in the final frame, with Tyler Myers and Guillaume Brisebois (first NHL point) recording the assists...Horvat (2-0-2), Mikheyev (0-2-2) and Kuzmenko (1-1-2) all registered multi-point outings...Luke Schenn led the team in hits (4), blocks (4), and picked up an assist...Spencer Martin continued his personal eight-game point streak (4-0-4) with 34 saves.
LAST GAME PLAYED - JAN. 8/23: VAN 4 at WPG 7
J.T. Miller scored the first goal for the Canucks at 15:14 in the first, for his 250th point as a Canuck...Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko recorded assists on the play...Jack Studnicka tied the game at two to close out the first...Luke Schenn and Dakota Joshua were credited with assists...Spencer Martin entered the game in relief for starter Collin Delia...Bo Horvat bought the game within one with his 29th goal of the season...Miller and Ethan Bear got the helpers...Sheldon Dries tied the game up again at 9:26 in the second...Miller registered his first 3+ point game of the season with the first assist and Conor Garland got the second assist...The Canucks recorded zero penalties in the contest...Pettersson led the team in shots (6)...Schenn and Curtis Lazar led the team in hits (6).
LAST 5 vs PITTSBURGH
MR. 300
Recording his first of two assists Jan. 5 versus Colorado, Oliver Ekman-Larsson recorded his 300th career assist. He became the ninth player and fourth defenceman from the 2009 draft class to record at least 300 career assists.
HOW ABOUT THAT HORVAT
Potting each of his team's two goals on Jan. 3 vs NYI, Bo Horvat registered his ninth game with 2+ goals this season, to lead all NHL skaters. He also became the first Canuck since Ryan Kesler (9) in 2010.11 to post as many multi-goal performances in a single season. Horvat now has 28 career multi-goal games, passing Petri Skriko and Thomas Gradin for sole possession of eight place in that category in franchise history.
NO FLUKE FOR LUKE
Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn appeared in his 900th career regular season game on Jan. 3 vs NYI, becoming the sixth player and only the fourth defenceman from the 2008 draft class to reach the milestone joining fellow first-round selections Drew Doughty (D), Josh Bailey (RW), Steven Stamkos (C), John Carlson (D), and Alex Pietrangelo (D).
2022 YEAR IN REVIEW
SCHENN'S GREATEST HITS
Recording five hits on Dec. 29 at WPG, Luke Schenn became the first defenceman to reach 3,000 career hits. He currently leads all skaters in the NHL in hits this season (180 in 39 GP).
EXCEPTIONAL ELIAS
Scoring on Dec. 31 at CGY, Elias Pettersson registered his 17th goal of the season, with all 17 having come at even-strength. Pettersson ranks t-8th in the NHL in even-strength goals and was the only player with 12+ tallies to have scored all of his goals at even- strength, joined later by Alex Killorn (12 goals in 38 GP).
• Tallying two goals and three assists, in addition to the shootout winner, on Dec. 22 vs SEA, Pettersson registered his second five-point outing of the season and the fourth such occasion in his career, setting a new Canucks franchise record. The previous mark was held by Alexander Mogilny with three five-point games.
MIKHEYEV'S MOVES
With one goal and three assists on Dec. 27 vs SJS, Ilya Mikheyev set a new career high for most points in a single game (4), with his previous record of three points coming in March of this year (Mar. 3 vs WPG - 1-2-3). Mikheyev also extended his point streak against the Sharks, now recording nine points (4-5-9) in just four career games vs San Jose.
CANUCK'S DOZEN
Thanks to Ilya Mikheyev's 12th goal of the season on Dec. 27 vs SJS, the Canucks have five 12+ goal-scorers on their roster (Horvat [29], Pettersson [17], Kuzmenko [17], Miller [15], Mikheyev [12]) through the team's first 39 games for the first time since 1992.93 (seven total).
• With Mikheyev's goal, the Canucks also became just the 2nd team in the NHL to possess five or more 12+ goal-scorers this season, with Tampa Bay (6), and later joined by the Ottawa Senators (5), Buffalo Sabres, (6), Boston Bruins (5), and Toronto Maple Leafs (5).
SEATTLE CRACKIN'
With a 6-5 shootout victory on Dec. 22 vs SEA, the Canucks improved their record vs the Seattle Kraken to 6-0-0 all-time. This marks only the second time in franchise history that the Canucks have won each of their first six regular season games vs an opponent (also won first nine games vs the Washington Capitals from Dec. 17/74 - Oct. 13/76).
ALL ABOUT APPLES
Assisting on Brock Boeser's third period power play goal on Dec. 22 vs SEA, Quinn Hughes registered his 28th assist of the season in his 28th game of the season and the 32nd team game for Vancouver. In doing so, he became the second player (third occasion) in franchise history to record 28 or more assists in the team's first 31 games, and first since Henrik Sedin (28) in 2011.12.
• With two assists on Dec. 3 vs ARI, Quinn Hughes surpassed Doug Lidster for fourth most multi-assist games among defencemen in Canucks history at 35 games.
