Saturday November 24 - Vancouver Canucks 4 - Los Angeles Kings 2
Jacob Markstrom brought back the ear mask, Jake Virtanen laid the hurt on Dion Phaneuf and Elias Pettersson's 13th of the year proved to be the game winner as the Vancouver Canucks snapped their eight-game losing streak with a win over Willie Desjardins and the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night at Staples Center.
Here are your highlights:
After being thoroughly stifled by the San Jose Sharks on Friday, the Canucks found some room to move in L.A. (while San Jose went on to get crushed 6-0 in Vegas. Go figure.) I liked Travis Green's strategy of inserting fresh bodies for the second game of the back-to-back—not just Markstrom, but also Reid Boucher in for Tim Schaller up front and the Alexes, Edler and Biega, playing together in place of Derrick Pouliot and Troy Stecher.
Boucher played just 5:28 and Edler played a low-for-him 16:19, so Travis Green eased both players into the lineup.
To make room for Edler, Darren Archibald was placed on waivers on Sunday morning, having just hit the 30-day threshold where he's required to clear again before he can be assigned to Utica. I don't imagine he'll be claimed, but it's interesting that the Canucks didn't go out of their way to protect his rights; he was a healthy scratch against San Jose on Friday so he could have been re-assigned sooner—even, potentially, in place of Brendan Gaunce. Gaunce was at only 22 days when he was sent down last week, so he was still waiver exempt.
Archibald is on a two-way contract that pays him $650,000 at the NHL level and $250,000 in the minors.
Anyway: the game.
After an evenly-matched, scoreless first period, Adam Gaudette got things started with his first career goal, converting on a nice feed from Jake Virtanen.
Virtanen on Gaudette's goal: "I felt like I had my speed going there and ended up turning the puck over... I was actually gonna turn and fire it and then I heard Gauds yelling 'TUNA TUNA TUNA!' so I sent it over to him and it was a tap in for him. We're all jacked up for him." pic.twitter.com/63LI2TNGor
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) November 25, 2018
Virtanen was named third star in the game. This assist was his only point of the game, but his quote game was also on point on Saturday.
I liked this one, too, talking about the physicality of his matchup against Dion Phaneuf.
Virtanen on battle with Phaneuf: "Before warm-up I told him he was gonna be mine all night. Then he hit me pretty hard. I let him know that was a weak hit and to hit me harder next time. I stood him up next time. It was a good battle." #Canucks pic.twitter.com/CCMxVoLpoM
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) November 25, 2018
Seems like Virtanen is finally playing—and speaking—with some confidence. Looking back, did his development go sideways when he took all that heat for his bad penalties with Team Canada at the 2016 World Juniors?
Click here for the refresher, if you choose.
Jake is now up to eight goals and 12 points in 26 games this season—mathematically, on pace for 25 goals and 38 points, which is terrific production for a guy who's making just $1.25 million a year for the next two seasons.
I was stunned to hear Nick Kypreos deriding the idea that it would be bad if Virtanen became *only* a 25-or-30-goal guy during one of the game's intermissions on Hockey Night in Canada. Considering he was a 10-goal-guy last year, I'd say 25 would be a huge win, both for Shotgun and for the organization.
From there, talk turned to Tom Wilson—his huge contract, and what a game-breaker he can be when he plays his heavy game within the rules.
I think that's who Nick wants Virtanen to be, and he was concerned that Phaneuf caught Virtanen in open ice in the first period. Not Jake's finest moment, physically, but he came back to even the score.
And it was Phaneuf who made the most glaring error of the game, when Elias Pettersson came out of nowhere to pick off his cross-ice pass and convert it into the game-winning goal, midway through the third period.
No #Canucks assisted on this Pettersson goal 😠pic.twitter.com/5K3rZRyK2E
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 25, 2018
Phaneuf took the responsibility, saying, "I cost our team one point for sure, if not two."
— lisa dillman (@reallisa) November 25, 2018
And: "That's on me. That's a mistake that can't happen."
From LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen, here's what Willie Desjardins had to say when asked if Phaneuf's pass attempt was "ill-advised":
Yeah, and Dion knows that. That’s a tough play to make. I think that our support was a long ways away, as well. If we get a little bit closer support – it doesn’t allow for that much time. Phaneuf played hard. He had a big hit in the first period that got us going in the game. That one was probably one he’d like to have back, though.
In addition to his scoring, I think Virtanen is doing a pretty good job of finding the right spots to exercise his physicality this season. There haven't been too many groan-worthy penalties, and I can't think of any dangerous hits. He may not get all the way to where Wilson is, but last year we weren't even sure that he was a full-time NHL player. On Saturday, he played 20:17—more than any Canucks forward other than Markus Granlund (21:56).
His ice time still varies dramatically from game to game, but last season he averaged 11:59, which was a career high for him. So far this year, he's up to 14:39 a game.
The Canucks' other goals on Saturday came from Sam Gagner—his first of the year, on the power play, on a nice tic-tac-toe play, and an empty-netter by Tyler Motte to seal the win.
Meanwhile, down in Utica, the Comets have now won three straight games since getting their regular goaltenders back.
After Richard Bachman made 43 saves to deliver a 5-4 win in Rochester on Friday, Thatcher Demko returned and picked up his second win of the season in a 4-2 home victory over Belleville on Saturday.
Now that we have some clarity on the nature of the injury that has kept Olli Juolevi out of action this week, the team is not messing around in getting him diagnosed and treated.
Reached out to #Canucks GM Jim Benning pre-game, who confirms club plans to bring Olli Juolevi to Vancouver to see team doctors. He's sat out last 3 games in Utica with knee issue.
— Joey Kenward (@kenwardskorner) November 25, 2018
Juolevi was still in Utica on Saturday, where he took part in a team autograph session.
Also travelling for treatment: Sven Baertschi.
#Canucks Baertschi will head to Detroit on Monday to see same concussion specialist Roussel saw earlier this season
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) November 24, 2018
But Brock Boeser's on the mend here in Vancouver:
Canucks source : Boeser making good progress (groin), getting closer and hopefully he can play next week. #Canucks
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) November 25, 2018
Remember that dog that Boeser adopted at the All-Star Game last year? Coolie finally arrived in Vancouver this week—and took what I assume was his first trip to Quarry Rock.
The Canucks are off on Sunday and will practice Monday before they host the Kings on Tuesday to kick off a five-game homestand at Rogers Arena.
The worst is over, schedule-wise. Before the World Junior Championship moves in to take over near the end of the month, the Canucks will play 10 of their next 13 games at home.