12/30/2021 – Page 3 – CanucksBanter

by Canucks Communication @Canucks / Vancouver Canucks

CANUCKS AT KINGS PREVIEW

TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: SN650

MATCH-UP INFO

Tonight marks the second of three meetings between the Canucks and Kings this season: Dec. 6 (4-0 W), Dec. 30 (road), Apr. 28 (home).
Vancouver is 8-1-1 in their last 10 games vs Los Angeles (5-0-0 in their last 5).
The Canucks have a 115-101-32-10 all-time record in 258 games against the Kings. Vancouver holds a 47-63-16-4 record on the road against Los Angeles.
Thatcher Demko has faced the Kings twice in his career (2-0-0), posting a .971 SV% and 0.96 GAA.
Jaroslav Halak has faced the Ducks 18 times in his career (6-10-2), owning a .912 SV% and a 2.47 GAA.

QUICK NUMBERS

Bo Horvat has eight points (4-4-8) in his last nine games.
J.T. Miller has 13 points (3-10-13) in his last nine games.
Quinn Hughes has 11 points (0-11-11) in his last nine games.
Conor Garland has eight points (4-4-8) in his last 10 games.
Thatcher Demko has posted a .959 SV% and 1.36 GAA in his last five games (5-0-0).

LAST MEETING – DEC. 6/21: VAN 4 vs LAK 0

Bruce Boudreau made his debut as the 20th Head Coach of the Vancouver Canucks…Brock Boeser opened up scoring with a power play goal at 3:17 in the second period…Tanner Pearson and J.T. Miller recorded assists on the play…Conor Garland collected his 8th goal of the season assisted by Vasily Podkolzin and Elias Pettersson…Juho Lammikko recorded his first goal as a Canuck (5th career goal) unassisted at 6:59 in the third period…J.T. Miller scored a power play goal assisted by Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat at 12:48 in the third period…J.T. Miller (1-1-2) and Brock Boeser (1-1-2) both registered multi-point games…Luke Schenn tied a season high in hits (7)…Tanner Pearson led the game in shots (6)…Thatcher Demko made 31 saves to collect his 2nd career shutout and first of the season.

LAST 5 vs LOS ANGELES

Dec. 6, 2021: VAN 4 vs LAK 0
Dec. 28, 2019: VAN 3 vs LAK 2
Oct. 30, 2019: VAN 5 @ LAK 3
Oct. 9, 2019: VAN 8 vs LAK 2
Mar. 28, 2019: VAN 3 vs LAK 2 (SO)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Ashton Sautner and Spencer Martin assigned to the Canucks Taxi Squad, Dec. 29
Brock Boeser and Phillip Di Giuseppe placed into NHL Covid-19 Protocol, Dec. 29
Guillaume Brisebois placed on injured reserve, Dec. 27
Madison Bowey and Noah Juulsen reassigned to Abbotsford, Dec. 21

RESTED AND READY

With the Dec. 29/21 2-1 OT win in Anaheim, the Canucks have won their first game back from the NHL Holiday Break in five consecutive seasons (2020.21 not included):

Dec. 29, 2021: VAN 2 at ANA 1 (OT)
Dec. 28, 2019: VAN 3 vs LAK 2
Dec. 27, 2018: VAN 4 at EDM 2
Dec. 28, 2017: VAN 5 vs CHI 2
Dec. 28, 2016: VAN 2 vs LAK 1

BROCK STAR

Brock Boeser collected his 14th career game-winning goal on Dec. 16 at SJS, ranking t-4th with Bo Horvat and Patrik Sundstrom for most franchise GWG before turning 25 years old, trailing only Tony Tanti (26), Pavel Bure (26), and Trevor Linden (22).

BRUCE BOOST

Defeating the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 2-1 OT on Dec. 29, Bruce Boudreau tied an NHL record for the longest win streak to begin a tenure with a new team (7-0-0). He joins Geoff Ward (7-0-0, 2019.20 w/ CGY) and Jacques Lemaire (7-0-0, 1993.94 w/ NJD) for most wins to start with a new team. Boudreau also tied Roger Nielson (5-0-2) for most games earning at least a point to start a Canucks coaching tenure.

MAGNIFICENT MILLER

Via registering a goal and assist in his team’s 2-1 overtime defeat of the Ducks on Wednesday, J.T. Miller ranks t-2nd for highest points-per-game by a player with the Canucks franchise (minimum of 20 GP):

1.12- Pavel Bure
0.99- J.T. Miller
0.99- Alexander Mogilny
0.98- Mike Walton
0.91- Patrik Sundstrom

DOWN BUT NOT OUT

Rallying from a 3-0 down after the first period on Dec. 14 vs CBJ, the Canucks earned their first regulation win after trailing by three goals for the first time since Mar. 9/10 at COL. The last time the Canucks achieved a similar regulation comeback at home was Feb. 13/96 vs the original Winnipeg Jets.

TRIPLE THREAT

Contributing assists on three of Vancouver’s four goals on Dec. 14 vs CBJ, Quinn Hughes registered his 10th career game with three or more points, tying Rick Lanz for fourth-most by a Canucks defenceman in franchise history. He now only trails Jyrki Lumme (16), Alex Edler (12), and Dennis Kearns (11).

DEMMER, YOU’RE A STAR

After sweeping the week (Dec. 6-12), Thatcher Demko was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Dec. 13. Demko went 4-0-0 with a 1.20 GAA, .962 save percentage, and one shutout (4-0 vs LAK, Dec. 6. He also led the NHL in wins (4), shots faced (133), and saves (128) for the week.
With 22 saves in the 2-1 OT win at Anaheim on Dec. 29/21, Demko extended his career best winning steak to 6 games.

RECENT CANUCKS MILESTONES