Well, that looked better! Not just the 3-0 scoreline, but the pace and structure of the Canucks game was well above what we’ve seen most of the year. It was almost fun? Who knew. If you missed it:
It was always going to take some time for the post-JTM team to find some footing. It’s hard to live in that environment for so long, then change over six guys, and be expected to be on top of everything the next day. Hopefully what we’re seeing now with the new players and some team attitude is here to stay and grow. Tocchet is happy with the way things are going, that’s for sure.
“Everybody stuck to the game plan,” said Tocc. “I don’t want to overstate it, but (Filip) Chytil and Drew (O’Connor) with their speed and willingness to take the puck to the middle on a rush is a little breath of fresh air.
“You see Chytil take the puck to the middle and that’s when things happen. Just adding those two guys has helped our rush game. We’re smiling. That’s the stuff we need.
“And with both Petterssons back there on defence transporting the puck, it’s how you get the flow going.”
It’s been discussed at length about personnel versus coaching for the dump and chase, but Tocchet seems to be happy with the possession so maybe it’s a little more the former than the latter. Chytil has been great so far, and the increase in ice time and responsibility seem to fit him. Tocchet and Garland were lauding him after the game.
“When guys are on your back when you have the puck, he doesn’t get rid of it — he holds it,” said Tocchet. “That’s a big thing and hopefully it’s contagious.”
“Fantastic speed, sees the ice well, makes a lot of plays,” added Garland. “A real good pickup. Good zone entries and drive. He’s a winger’s dream.”
It helps to have the puck on your stick, and a big reason for that has been the improved defensive outletting. WIth the two new Petterssons back there, the Canucks don’t seem nearly as hemmed in anymore and are getting the puck up to the forwards better. And this is even without Hughes right now!
“We’re playing a lot better defensively and it starts with our breakouts and they’ve been cleaner,” said Boeser. “I was really proud of the way we played. We knew what their star guys can do in a game and they got some looks, but we kept strong and held the fort. Kudos to all the guys tonight.”
Last night was a team effort win – shutting out the leader scorer in MacKinnon and second best defenseman in Makar is no easy task. The team did well, but more importantly Demko looked a bit like Bubble Demko on the night. It was great to see from someone who has been battling it all year, and sort of quieted the voices who were questioning him. When he’s on like that, it’s a whole other level of goaltending.
“So happy for him,” Boeser said of Demko’s shutout. “You know, he works so hard. He does everything the right way. He's such a good pro, and for him to get a shutout tonight, just as one of his good friends, it's awesome to see. To see him make some saves like that, I'm just happy for him.”
It hasn’t been easy for Demko. Going from second-place Vezina goalie last season to .873 save percentage this year (which is 64th of 67 who have played at least 10 games)... it ain’t easy. But he’s stuck with it and last night was classic. After an amazing second period sequence that saw him rob a couple players, the crowd gave him a standing ovation and were chanting his name.
“Luckily, there was a TV timeout, so I was trying to catch my breath,” Demko said. “Yeah, I mean, it's great to hear. I know it's later in the year, but we're trying to establish that home ice (advantage). We take a lot of pride playing here, and we've struggled at times this year stringing games together. But I don't want them to feel for a single second that we don't take pride and we're not aware of the impact that they have on the game.
“I was just trying to get a piece of something (during the scramble). Yeah, it's a big sequence there, like you mentioned. A lot of bodies flying around, a couple scoring chances. But I thought the guys collapsed (to the low slot) really well and kind of managed the guts of the ice. You know, we’ve got to get through those situations as a six-man unit, and on that one were able to.”
The Canucks got some timely goals from hot-and-cold scorers DeBrusk and Boeser, and an empty netter from newcomer O’Connor. The team played with more speed and assertiveness than they have in a long while. They also seemed to be coming together as a group, as some scuffles broke out in the game and they were there standing up for one another. It was encouraging to see.
“You can tell it's a group that's resilient, and everybody's pulling in the same direction,” new defenceman Marcus Pettersson said. “I've had a really good experience so far. We've just got to keep battling, like I said, and wins like these really help when you've got everybody contributing and playing their hearts out. So, yeah, it was a fun game.”
Hopefully the Canucks can keep this momentum building. They’re now 4-1-1 in their last six and are tied for the last playoff spot currently. They play the Sharks Thursday night, which will be interesting to gauge how they come out against an opponent further down in the standings then them.
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