01/01/2022 – Page 2 – CanucksBanter

by Canucks Communication @Canucks / Vancouver Canucks

CANUCKS AT KRAKEN PREVIEW

TV: Sportsnet, CBC, City
Radio: SN650

MATCH-UP INFO

Tonight marks the second of four meetings between the Canucks and Kraken this season: Oct. 23 (4-2 W), Dec. 27 (PPD), Jan. 1 (road), Apr. 26 (home).
Vancouver is 1-0-0 all time vs Seattle.
Bo Horvat (2-0-2), Conor Garland (1-1-2), and J.T. Miller (0-2-2) share the team lead in scoring vs Seattle this season.
Thatcher Demko has faced the Kraken once in his career (1-0-0), posting a .935 SV% and 2.01 GAA.
The Seattle Kraken are the only team Jaroslav Halak has yet to face in his career.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson is set to play in his 800th career NHL game.

QUICK NUMBERS

Brock Boeser has eight points (5-3-8) in his last eight games.
Bo Horvat has nine points (5-4-9) in his last 10 games.
J.T. Miller has 16 points (4-12-16) in his last 11 games.
Quinn Hughes has 11 points (0-11-11) in his last 10 games.
Conor Garland has eight points (4-4-8) in his last 11 games.
Thatcher Demko has posted a .958 SV% and 1.30 GAA in his last six games (6-0-0).

LAST MEETING – OCT. 23/21: VAN 4 at SEA 2

Canucks defeated Seattle in their inaugural home opener game by a score of 4-2…Bo Horvat collected a season-high of two goals (2-0-2) and tied the team’s season high in face-off wins (16)…Conor Garland collected two points (1-1-2) and scored the game-winning goal unassisted…Garland extended his point streak to six games…J.T. Miller also recorded a multi-point game (0-2-2)…Justin Dowling scored an empty-netter at the 19:00 minute mark in the third period (1-0-1)…J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser recorded assists on the play…Oliver Ekman-Larsson led the team in shots (5) and TOI (24:26)…Kyle Burroughs led the team in hits (6)…Thatcher Demko made 29 saves.

LAST GAME PLAYED – DEC. 30/21: VAN 1 at LAK 2 (SO)

Jaroslav Halak turned aside a Brendan Lemieux penalty shot 57 seconds into the third period…Bo Horvat capitalized on the Canucks’ first power play of the game at 12:06 in the third period…J.T. Miller extended his point streak to eight games with an assist while Elias Pettersson also assisted on the play…Bo Horvat scored in the shootout to tie the League-lead (3) this season…Luke Schenn registered a team-high in hits (5) and tied Oliver Ekman- Larsson for most blocks on the team (3)…Jaroslav Halak made 34 saves.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Matthew Highmore activated from injured reserve, Dec. 30
Justin Dowling placed into COVID-19 Protocol, Dec. 30
Ashton Sautner and Spencer Martin assigned to the Taxi Squad, Dec. 29
Brock Boeser and Phillip Di Giuseppe placed into COVID-19 Protocol, Dec. 29
Guillaume Brisebois placed on injured reserve, Dec. 27

DECEMBER OF DEMKO

Making 22 saves in the 2-1 OT win at ANA on Dec. 29, Demko extended his career-best winning streak to six games. Earlier in the month, Demko was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week for the week of Dec. 6-12, posting a record of 4-0-0 with a 1.20 GAA, .962 save percentage, and one shutout (4- 0 vs LAK, Dec. 6).
During the month of December, Demko posted a record of 7-1-0 to go along with a .946 SV% and 1.72 GAA, ranking first in the NHL in saves (243), shots faced (257), and t-1st in wins (7).

A SWEDE ACHIEVEMENT

Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s next game will be his 800th career regular season game, making him the 34th skater and 17th defenceman from Sweden to reach that mark in NHL history. He joins fellow countrymen Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Alex Edler, Loui Eriksson, and Markus Naslund as the sixth Swedish player to accomplish the feat in a Canucks uniform.

BRUCE BOOST

Despite falling 2-1 in the shootout on Dec. 30 at LAK, Boudreau (7-0-1) passed Roger Nielson (5-0-2) for most games (8) earning at least a point to start a Canucks coaching tenure. One day prior, Boudreau tied an NHL record for the longest win streak to begin a tenure with a new team (7-0-0) after a 2-1 OT win at ANA, matching Geoff Ward (7-0-0, 2019.20 w/ CGY) and Jacques Lemaire (7-0-0, 1993.94 w/ NJD).

MAGNIFICENT MILLER

Registering his 100th assist as a Canuck in his team’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Kings on Dec. 30, 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

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).

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).

RECENT CANUCKS MILESTONES