It has been a while since we have seen the Vancouver Canucks in action, but the good news is that we will not have to wait much longer.
The Canucks return to action and do it at warp speed with a pair of road games over the weekend. Vancouver is in Vegas to face the Golden Knights on Saturday night and then will travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday.
We will have a preview of Sunday’s game on the morning of the game, but today’s focus will be on Saturday night’s showdown in Sin City as the NHL kicks off with a big Saturday of hockey that has 14 games on the docket.
The Canucks play the Golden Knights at 7:00 p.m. PT, and it will be the second time these two teams face each other this season. It is also the second time this season that the Canucks will play in a back-to-back against Utah and Vegas.
We were beginning to see the Canucks develop some momentum as they took a 6-1-1 record into the 4 Nations Face-Off break. The team feels good about their defensive game and how they picked up some key victories.
“The ending was great,” said Brock Boeser of the team’s strong record in the final games before the break. “We are really starting to find our game and play well defensively. We got some key wins and went over video to get our brains rolling on how we want to play. I think it starts in practice, making sure we are competing hard and executing while trying to get back into [game] shape.”
Quick Hits on the Competition
- Jack Eichel will be back from his play at the 4 Nations Face-Off and is the leading scorer for the Knights with 69 points. Eichel has 50 assists through 55 games played and currently sits tied for sixth in the league for points.
- Goaltender Adin Hill will also be back from the 4 Nations and has started 34 of the Knights’ 57 games this season. Hill has a 20-10-4 record with a .900% save percentage, a 2.64 goals-against average, and has picked up two shutouts this season.
- William Karlsson is out of the Knights’ lineup with a lower-body injury. He was listed as week-to-week and had to miss the 4 Nations Face-Off.
- Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev lead the Knights with 10 power-play goals apiece. Vegas’ power play ranks second in the league and is clicking at 28%.
- On the penalty kill, Vegas ranks 21st and has killed off 76.7% of their penalties this season. They have five different players who have a shorthanded goal this season.
The Story: Hronek Stays Hot
Filip Hronek found offensive success before the break and led the Canucks with seven points over their last eight games. He was averaging just north of 24 minutes in those eight games before the break and had been on the ice for only two goals against at five-on-five through that stretch.
Hronek has been on the ice for 32 goals scored and 22 goals against, and his team has controlled 56.3% of scoring chances when he is on the ice at five-on-five this season.
Quinn Hughes has been Hronek’s partner for 70% of his shifts this season, and the two players have done an excellent job generating more scoring chances than their opponents this year. When Hughes and Hronek are on the ice at five-on-five, the Canucks have had 193 scoring chances and allowed 124 – that gives them a 60.9% control of scoring chances when they are on the ice.
Canucks’ Top Performers over the Last Five Games
Filip Hronek: 1g-4a-5p
Jake DeBrusk: 2g-1a-3p
Filip Chytil: 1g-2a-3p
Brock Boeser: 2g-0a-2p
Drew O’Connor: 2g-0a-2p
When and Where to Watch
Saturday’s game is a 7:00 p.m. PT start, and you can watch it on Hockey Night in Canada or listen along to the radio call with Brendan Batchelor on Sportsnet 650 and the Sportsnet Radio Network.
