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Canucks show leadership in NHL shutdown, prep for Game 3 vs. Vegas |
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Saturday August 29 - Game 3 - Vegas Golden Knights vs. Vancouver Canucks - 6:45 p.m., Sportsnet, CBC, Sportsnet 650
Best-of-seven series tied 1-1
The Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights should be well rested when they take to the ice at Rogers Place on Saturday night to resume their second-round playoff series.
As I'm sure you know by now, the two teams came together and took the lead as players from all eight remaining teams decided not to play for two days, in support of other leagues and their calls for racial justice in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin last week.
"Black and Brown communities continue to face real, painful experiences," read a joint statement from the NHL and the NHL Players' Association, which was issued Thursday afternoon.
"The NHL and NHLPA recognize that much work remains to be done before we can play an appropriate role in a discussion centered on diversity, inclusion and social justice.
"We understand that the tragedies involving Jacob Blake, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others require us to recognize this moment. We pledge to work to use our sport to influence positive change in society.
"The NHLPA and NHL are committed to working to foster more inclusive and welcoming environments within our arenas, offices and beyond."
There was a good amount of criticism directed at the league for continuing its games as scheduled on Wednesday night, after the NBA cancelled its games and the WNBA, MLS and some MLB teams followed suit. Those shutdowns were triggered by players and, on Thursday, so was the NHL's.
I believe Larry Brooks of the New York Post was the first to report that the Canucks were at the forefront of the conversation on Thursday.
The Canucks reached out to Ryan Reaves and the Golden Knights, and the plan grew from there. It was a stunning scene, watching so many players from the Western bubble pack the press conference room behind Reaves, Bo Horvat, Nazem Kadri, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Jason Dickinson on Thursday.
If you want to read more, here's my story for Forbes:
It's a good look to see Canucks players taking the lead for positive change, a couple of months after the murder of George Floyd seemed to cause an awakening in the hockey world about racial injustice. Hopefully, this is only the beginning.
It's also another example of how this edition of the Canucks has grown into an extremely likeable team.
On the ice, players have shown heart and character as they've risen to the challenge of defeating the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues, and finally finding a way to get the better of Vegas. It's no small thing that their win on Tuesday was their first-ever regulation victory against the Golden Knights in the expansion team's three-year history. Vegas played hard, as they usually do, to try to get back into the game. But the Canucks were able to withstand the pressure. That should be something for them to build off for the rest of the series.
Elias Pettersson also treated us to another one of his signature moments on Tuesday, showing an unwavering desire to do the right thing, even when it's toward an opponent:
I've heard lots of people speculate about what the qualifications *really* are for the Lady Byng Trophy, awarded to the "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."
Byng winners generally have to have been around for a few years, too. Aleksander Barkov won last year at age 24, following his sixth season in the league.
I think Petey is tailor-made for this award.
Being among the final eight teams gives this group of Canucks a level of visibility that they haven't had in the hockey world for years. Their skilled players like Pettersson and Quinn Hughes get discussed on national platforms regularly. The veteran core of players like Jay Beagle, Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli are familiar to fans who have seen them win Stanley Cups before in other markets. And key players like Bo Horvat and Jacob Markstrom are gaining recognition thanks to their strong performances in this postseason.
Another interesting twist — even some Bruins fans are developing an appreciation for the Canucks. They're still salty about watching their team lose in Game 7 to the Blues last year. Now, they have a soft spot for the team that eliminated the defending champs who were unworthy Stanley Cup winners, in their eyes.
For me, that's the truest sign yet that the tides have turned since 2011.
If the Canucks are going to keep their fairy-tale run going, they'll need to buckle down over the next few days — and Markstrom's going to need to show resilience like never before.
Because of the two-day pause, the league has condensed the remainder of the second-round schedule even further. If the series ends up going to seven games, Vancouver and Vegas will play five games in seven nights. That's a tall order, even without travel considerations — especially for a team that's riding one goalie.
Here's how the rest of the schedule looks right now:
Game 3 - Saturday, Aug. 29 - 6:45 p.m. PT
Game 4 - Sunday, Aug. 30 - 7:30 p.m. PT
Game 5 - Tuesday, Sept. 1 - 6:45 p.m. PT
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, Sept. 3, time TBD
Game 7 (if necessary): Friday, Sept. 4, time TBD
Don't expect the Game 3 to have an immediate impact on the potential return of injured defenseman Tyler Myers.
I'm proud of the hockey world for stepping up for human rights. I'm also happy that we're back, and very much looking forward to the rest of this series.
Enjoy the game!
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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