Cleaner breakouts in Edmonton, a milestone for Filip Hronek, and Elias Pettersson still managed to produce at a point-per-game clip. Victories were hard to come by for the Canucks this week, but the three games did see some promising moments both at home and on the road.
The First Shift
Losing is a challenge, but the Canucks have a lot of trust in their group, and the lessons learned today will help them grow in the future.
In a rematch with the Anaheim Ducks, the Canucks showed pushback and effort in the 5-4 loss. Jacob Quillan showed a lot of grit in this one, leading to a response from the group. Quillan dropped the gloves twice and after each time the Canucks scored.
The tables turned for Vancouver in a 6-2 loss against the Winnipeg Jets, with the Canucks coming up on the short end of puck battles and races. Head Coach Manny Malhotra felt his team put themselves behind the eight ball to start with penalties and didn’t have the pushback he knows his group can produce.
In a tilt against the Edmonton Oilers, the Canucks and Oilers were tied 1-1 after two periods, with a better, more structured effort – and they’re working to carry it through a full 60.
Stick Taps and Takeaways
Stick Taps to Filip Hronek. The 29-year-old defenceman reached 300 career points with an assist on Brock Boeser’s tip-in against the Edmonton Oilers. Hronek is second on the team in assists, and fourth in points, while his 26:06 TOI per game ranks him fifth in the NHL.
After the game against the Oilers, Head Coach Manny Malhotra talked about what Hronek’s leadership means to the team.
“Fil’s done a great job of leading by example, just in his overall demeanour when he comes to the rink, he’s all business and he wants to improve. He wants this group to get better,” Malhotra said.
“Then, his on-ice play, we ask a lot of him in terms of the minutes he plays, the matchups he gets, but he does a great job of playing to his skillset and doing things we ask of him."
The takeaway: the Canucks have the ability to bounce back. After a surprising game against the Jets, the Canucks used that as fuel to play a better game against the Oilers, focusing on the details of their game and improving every day.
In the Spotlight
Forward Elias Pettersson is leading the Canucks with 19 points (4-15-19), and leads all NHL forwards with 24 blocked shots through 19 games. His two-way play stands out, with his defensive play while continuing to drive the top line.
From the Room
Max Sasson got the Canucks on the board against the Oilers, and speaking postgame felt good about their effort, but feels they need to shoot the puck more. Vancouver had 23 shots on goal, while Edmonton had 30 on Saturday.
“I thought it was a pretty good effort. I thought we did a lot of good things. I thought our breakouts looked a lot cleaner, I thought we were using the middle of the ice a lot better. We had some decent looks, but I think including myself, we need to shoot the puck a little bit more. When it’s 1-1 and it’s a race to two, [we’ve] got to get that next one,” Sasson said.
“I thought it looked really good for two periods tonight, and we’ve said it all year, just finding that extra gear in the third. I liked our breakouts a lot tonight, I think we can build on that, that was probably the best we’ve broken out the puck all year, so if we can continue that and spend less time in our d-zone, hopefully the results will come.”
Behind the Bench
Malhotra continues to reinforce the mindset of coming to the rink every day to be ready and prepare to be better. The coaching staff is leading by example and living what they’re preaching to the players.
Malhotra was pleased with how his team started against the Oilers.
“A lot of positives coming out of it, especially the first two periods. In terms of the overall effort that was put forth. The attention to detail was there and because of that we were in a situation going into the third where we had an opportunity to win,” Malhotra said postgame.
With a couple of quick goals scored by Edmonton in the third period, Malhotra said even small mistakes against a top team can lead to goals, and that’s something they’re looking to clean up.
“It comes down to those momentary lapses in detail and small missed assignments and puck battles; those are the things that add up, and against a team like Edmonton, they’re going to make good on them,” he said.
The Work Continues
The Canucks are working on consistent strong starts, playing more predictable hockey, and being more physical. Their ability to bounce back after a tough game against Winnipeg shows they’re working to improve every game.
The Next Wave
The Abbotsford Canucks went 1-1 at Rogers Forum against the Ontario Reign, which extended their win streak to eight, but a 3-0 loss on Saturday ended it. Abbotsford is now 8-3-1 and are second in the Pacific Division standings.
In Friday’s game, Ty Mueller scored his seventh goal of the season, while Try Fix-Wolansky scored the game-winner, and Nikita Tolopilo earned his sixth win of the season, stopping 21 of 22 shots he faced. Since October 10th, Tolopilo has a .923 save percentage and a 1.84 goals-against average.
