GAME DAY PREVIEW | Canucks at Blackhawks :: January 31, 2022

On By CanucksBanterIn Canucks Game Preview

by Canucks Communications @Canucks / Vancouver Canucks

CANUCKS AT BLACKHAWKS PREVIEW

TV: Sportsnet Pacific

Radio: SN650

MATCH-UP INFO

  • Tonight marks the third and final meeting between the Canucks and Blackhawks this season: Oct. 21 (4-1 W), Nov. 21 (1-0 L), Jan. 31 (away).
  • Vancouver is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games vs Chicago (3-2-0 in their last 5).
  • The Canucks have an 85-83-22-7 all-time record in 170 games against the Blackhawks. Vancouver holds a 32-52-7-6 record on the road againstChicago.
  • Among active Canucks skaters, Bo Horvat leads the team in career points vs Chicago with 18 points (9-9-18) in 19 games.
  • Thatcher Demko has faced the Blackhawks three times (2-1-0), posting a .953 SV% and 1.34 GAA.
  • Jaroslav Halak has faced Chicago 15 times (9-2-3), recording a .930 SV% and 2.05 GAA.
  • J.T. Miller and Alex Chiasson are each set to play in their 600th career NHL game.

QUICK NUMBERS

• Bo Horvat has seven points (6-1-7) in his last 10 games.
• Brock Boeser has five points (2-3-5) in his last seven games.
• J.T. Miller has 15 points (6-9-15) in his last 12 games.
• Quinn Hughes has five points (0-5-5) in his last seven games.
• Elias Pettersson has seven points (5-2-7) in his last seven games.
• Tyler Motte has six points (3-3-6) in his last 11 games.
• Thatcher Demko has posted a .935 SV% and 1.98 GAA in his last 13 games (9-3-1).

LAST MEETING – NOV. 21/21: VAN 0 vs CHI 1

Conor Garland led all skaters in shots (6) as Vancouver outshot Chicago 40-24…Tyler Motte registered a team-high in hits (4)…Travis Hamonic led the Canucks in blocked shots (4)…Quinn Hughes paced all Canucks in TOI (24:19) for the 13th time this season…Bo Horvat won 15 of 23 face- offs…Thatcher Demko made 23 saves.

LAST GAME PLAYED – JAN. 29/22: VAN 0 at CGY 1 (OT)

Thatcher Demko denied Johnny Gaudreau on a second period penalty shot to keep the game scoreless…Quinn Hughes set Canucks season-highs and personal career-highs in TOI (31:07) and shifts (38), including a career-high in shorthanded TOI (5:09)…Brock Boeser registered a team-high in shots (4)…Oliver Ekman-Larsson led all Canucks in blocked shots (4)…J.T. Miller went 17-for-27 in face-offs…Thatcher Demko made 31 saves.

LAST 5 vs CHICAGO

• Nov. 21/21: VAN 0 vs CHI 1

• Oct. 21/21: VAN 4 at CHI 1

• Feb. 12/20: VAN 3 vs CHI 0

• Jan. 2/20: VAN 7 vs CHI 5

• Nov. 7/19: VAN 2 at CHI 5

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

• Spencer Martin reassigned to Abbotsford, Jan. 29
• Noah Juulsen recalled from Taxi Squad, Jan. 29
• Ashton Sautner, Spencer Martin, and Justin Bailey transferred to Taxi Squad, Jan. 29
• Bo Horvat removed from COVID non-roster, Jan. 29
• Noah Juulsen recalled from Abbotsford to Taxi Squad, Jan. 29
• Sheldon Dries and Michael DiPietro assigned to Abbotsford, Jan. 28
• Michael DiPietro transferred to Taxi Squad, Jan. 27
• Thatcher Demko, Jaroslav Halak, and Conor Garland removed from COVID non-roster, Jan. 27

MINUTE MUNCHER

Logging 31:07 in time on ice on Jan. 29 at CGY, Quinn Hughes set both a Canucks season-high and a personal career-high in the category. Hughes has led the Canucks in TOI in 27 of 44 games so far this season, with the next closest player (Tyler Myers) leading in 10 games.

HATS OFF TO MILLER

J.T. Miller recorded his second career hat trick on Jan. 27 vs WPG, matching career-highs in goals (3) and points (4). He became just the third American player in team history to register a hat trick, joining Ryan Kesler (3x) and teammate Brock Boeser (3x).

QUICK STRIKES

Going 2-for-2 in just 0:17 of cumulative power play time on Jan. 27 at WPG, Vancouver set an NHL record for least power play time (tracked since 2009.10) required in a game to register two power play goals and became the only team to score twice in under 20 total seconds on the man-advantage.

SPENCE-TACULAR

Registering his first NHL win during a 5-1 win on Jan. 27 at WPG, Spencer Martin became the 10th goaltender in Canucks history to earn at least a point in each of his first three starts with the club (1-0-2) and the first since Ryan Miller in 2014.15 (3-0-0).

FRONT OFFICE REFRESH

Vancouver Canucks President, Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford announced Wednesday that Patrik Allvin has been named the 12th General Manager in franchise history. Since Rutherford joined the club on Dec. 9, he has also filled two Assistant General Manager positions (Derek Clancey &Émilie Castonguay) and also added to the team’s Analytics department (Rachel Doerrie).

A GRAND ACCOMPLISHMENT

Head Coach Bruce Boudreau coached his 1,000th NHL game (577-306-117) on Jan. 23 vs STL, becoming the 29th coach in NHL history and sixth active Head Coach (Trotz, Ruff, D. Sutter, Laviolette, Tippett) to reach the milestone. Only one head coach in NHL history (Scotty Bowman, 598 wins) had more wins than Boudreau’s 577 at the 1,000 game mark.

PASSER PETEY

Assisting on Tanner Pearson’s opening goal on Jan. 23 vs STL, Elias Pettersson recorded his 100th career assist in his 206th game, marking the sixth- fewest games needed to reach the milestone by a Canucks skater who debuted with the team, trailing teammate Quinn Hughes (151), Pavel Bure (187), Thomas Gradin (187), Stan Smyl (191), and Patrik Sundstrom (195).