03/23/2022 – Page 3 – CanucksBanter

CANUCKS VS AVALANCHE PREVIEW

TV: Sportsnet Pacific & Sportsnet One
Radio: SN650

MATCH-UP INFO

Tonight marks the third and final meeting between Vancouver and Colorado this season: Nov. 11 (7-1 L), Nov. 17 (4-2 L) Mar. 23 (away).
The Canucks have a 75-65-15-13 all-time record against the Avalanche, including a 35-34-8-6 record on the road against Colorado.
The Canucks are 4-3-3 in their last 10 games vs Colorado (1-2-2 in their last 5).
Among active Canucks skaters, Oliver Ekman-Larrson leads the team in career scoring vs Colorado with 20 points (8-12-20) in 39 games.
Thatcher Demko has faced the Avalanche four times in his career (1-2-1), owning an .845 SV% and a 4.72 GAA.
Jaroslav Halak has a record of 6-6-2 in 15 games vs Colorado, posting a .906 SV% and a 2.77 GAA.

QUICK NUMBERS

J.T. Miller has 29 points (9-20-29) in his last 16 games.
Elias Pettersson has 16 points (5-11-16) in his last 14 games.
Brock Boeser has eight points (3-5-8) in his last 12 games.
Quinn Hughes has 17 points (3-14-17) in his last 15 games.
Tanner Pearson has 12 points (6-6-12) in his last 13 games.
Bo Horvat has 15 points (9-6-15) in his last 14 games.

LAST MEETING – NOV. 17/21: VAN 2 vs COL 4

Conor Garland evened the score with his fourth goal of the season at 8:52 in the second period…Jason Dickinson and Tucker Poolman registered the assists…Tucker Poolman notched his first goal as a Canuck at 1:30 in the third period for his second career multi-point game (1-1-2)…Tyler Motte and Juho Lammikko each recorded their first points of the season with assists on the play…Conor Garland led all Canucks in shots (5)…Travis Hamonic led the team in blocked shots (5) and tied Jason Dickinson for most hits (3)…Bo Horvat won 17 of 26 face-offs…Thatcher Demko made 26 saves.

LAST GAME PLAYED – MAR. 20/22: VAN 2 vs BUF 3 (OT)

J.T. Miller opened up scoring for the Canucks with a goal at 2:31 in the second period…Conor Garland and Luke Schenn registered assists on the play…Bo Horvat scored a power play goal assisted by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes…Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson led the team in shots (4)…Horvat led the team in blocked shots (3) and won 13 face-offs (72%)…Quinn Hughes led the game in TOI (26:13)…Thatcher Demko faced 29 shots.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

Sheldon Rempal and Noah Juulsen assigned to Abbotsford, Mar. 21
Vasily Podkolzin and Nic Petan transferred to Abbotsford and recalled to Vancouver for the purpose of making them eligible to play in the AHL Calder
Cup Playoffs, Mar. 21
Brad Richardson claimed off waivers from Calgary, Mar. 21
Travis Dermott acquired from Toronto in exchange for 3rd round pick (2022, via WPG), Mar. 20
3rd round pick (2022) acquired from Ottawa in exchange for Travi Hamonic, Mar. 20
Sheldon Rempal and Noah Juulsen recalled from Abbotsford, Mar. 17
Sheldon Rempal and Noah Juulsen reassigned to Abbotsford, Mar. 16

HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?

J.T. Miller (25-50-75 in 62 GP) recorded 50 assists in a season for the first time in his career. Only three players in franchise history have reached the mark in fewer contests: Henrik Sedin (49 GP in 2010-11, 50 GP in 2009-10, 58 GP in 2011-12 &60 GP in 2007-08), Daniel Sedin (52 GP in 2009-10) and Andres Boudrias (59 GP in 1974-75).

MAGNIFICENT MILLER

Contributing to both his team’s goals with a goal and assist in a 3-2 overtime defeat to the Sabres on Mar. 20, J.T. Miller’s 21-22 has seen him reach 75 points. Only 6 times in Canucks franchise history has a player hit the mark in fewer games.

STREAK-KING

With three assists on Mar. 15 vs NJD, J.T. Miller extended the NHL’s longest active point streak to 13 games (8-19-27) becoming the seventh player in Canucks history to record a point streak of 13 or more games and first since Ryan Kesler extended his stretch to 13 games over 12 years ago (6-9-15 in 13 GP from Feb. 6 – March 14, 2010).

Miller tied Stan Smyl, Pavel Bure, and Ryan Kesler on Tuesday vs NJD for the third-longest point streak (13 games) in club history.

Previously during this streak, Miller became the second player in 2021-22 to record multiple point streaks of at least nine games, joining Auston Matthews (10 GP &9 GP), and the only player in the NHL to record three separate point streaks of 8+ games this season.

Feb. 6-Mar. 15, 8-19-27, 13 GP
Dec. 6-Jan. 1, 3-10-13, 9 GP
Oct. 30-Nov. 14, 6-4-10, 8 GP

SPEEDY SEVENTY

Extending his point-streak to a career-high 12 games (8-16-24) with a goal on Mar. 13 vs TBL, J.T. Miller reached 70 points (24-46-70) on the season, requiring the ninth-fewest games (58) in club history to reach the milestone, and the fewest since Daniel Sedin (55) in 2010-11.

BO KNOWS GOALS

Potting consecutive goals on Mar. 11 vs WSH, Bo Horvat recorded his fifth career 20-goal season and his fifth in the last six seasons, becoming just the 13th player in franchise history to do so. He now has sole possession of third-most 20-goal seasons among primary centres in Canucks history (Gradin [7], Kesler [6])

QUINNTASTIC

Quinn Hughes (1-2-3) recorded his 11th career three-point outing on Mar. 11 vs WSH, tying Dennis Kearns for the third-most in Canucks history by a defenseman, behind Jyrki Lumme (16) and Alexander Edler (12).

On Mar. 5 at TOR, Hughes also joined Pavel Bure as the only player to get two career 40+ assist seasons with the Canucks by age 23 or younger.

POWER PLAY PETEY

Netting the GWG on the power play on Mar. 9 vs MTL, Elias Pettersson tied Dennis Ververgaert for fifth-most PPG (29) by a Canucks player before age 24 (Tanti [69], Linden [59], Bure [47], Blight [33]).

FOUR POINT FRENZY

Collecting four-points (1-3-4) on Mar. 9 vs MTL, J.T. Miller became the first Canucks player with three four-point games in a season since Markus Naslund in 2003-04.

CURRENT INJURIES