Canucks Game Day Report – CanucksBanter

2022.23

Andrei Kuzmenko #96 of the Vancouver Canucks scores a goal against Mads Sogaard #40 of the Ottawa Senators during the first period of their NHL game at Rogers Arena. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)

By Andrew Phillip Chernoff CanucksBanter

March 11, 2023

The Vancouver Canucks (28-32-5) handed the Ottawa Senators (33-28-5) a key loss in their run for a playoff spot, by a 5-2 score.

The win was the 4th in a row for the Canucks on their 6-game homestand, after three previous consecutive wins over Toronto, Nashville, and Anaheim.

Vancouver is 5-1-0 in their last six games; 7-3-1 in the last eleven.

KUZMENKO SCORES TWO GOALS

Vancouver received goals from Andrei Kuzmenko(2-0=2 pts); J.T. Miller (1-1=2 pts), Nils Aman (1-1=2 pts), and Sheldon Dries (1-0=1 pts); and were 1 for 6 on the power play and 3 for 3 on the penalty kill.

Assists also went to Tyler Myers (0-1=1 pts), Dakota Joshua (0-2=1 pts), Guillaume Brisebois (0-1=1 pts), Connor Garland (0-1=1 pts), Brock Boeser (0-1=1) and Elias Pettersson (0-1=1).

Vancouver outshot Ottawa 30-20 (10-5, 8-7, 12-8)

Vancouver goaltender Thatcher Demko stopped 18 of 20 shots he faced, for a .900 save percentage (SV%).

GAME REVIEW

Kuzmenko gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead after one period with his 31rst goal, assists to J.T.Miller (36) and Tyler Myers (11) at 15:05.

J.T. Miller, with his 24th goal, from Nils Aman (7) at 4:26 made it 2-0 in the 2nd period. It was Miller’s 4th shorthanded goal in his last 7-games.

Nils Aman (4), assists to Dakota Joshua (7) and Connor Garland (23) at 10:27 in the middle period, extended Canucks lead to 3-0 at the second intermission.

J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks skates up the ice during their NHL game against the Ottawa Senators at Rogers Arena. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)

In the third, Vancouver made it 4-0 with a goal by Sheldon Dries (10), assists to Dakota Joshua (8) and Guillaume Brisebois (2) at 6:50.

Claude Giroux broke Demko’s bid for a shutout late in the final period with his 28th goal of the season, assisted by Thomas Chabot (27) and Tim Stutzle (38) at 13:39, and it was 4-1 Canucks.

Just over two minutes later, Ottawa would pull within two of Vancouver at 4-2, as Nick Holden (2), scored assisted by Tim Stutzle (39) and Travis Hamonic (10) at 15:44.

Penalty issues the rest of the way would plague the Senators from putting a consistent offensive attack to complete a comeback.

An empty net goal by Andrei Kuzmenko, his second of the game, his 32nd of the season, would seal the win at 5-2, assists to Brock Boeser (30) and Elias Pettersson (52) at 19:45.

CANUCKS TAKEAWAYS

Big minutes for #Canucks top players in tonight’s win

Quinn Hughes 28:46

Elias Pettersson 24:10

J.T. Miller 22:22
— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) March 12, 2023

It’s truly incredible how bang on the prediction of a new coach bump, soft schedule and Demko’s return were going to provide yet another false hope ending to a #Canucks season.
— Ryan Henderson (@RJHenderson7) March 12, 2023

J.T. Miller vs the Senators:

1G, 1A
22:22 TOI
60% win rate on 33 face-offs
5 hits
1 penalty drawn
— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) March 12, 2023

94 points is still possible for Canucks
— Dan Riccio (@danriccio_) March 12, 2023

UPCOMING

Vancouver puts its 4-game undefeated streak on the line in their final game of the 6-game homestand, against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, March 14.

2022.23

Thatcher Demko #35 and Kyle Burroughs #44 of the Vancouver Canucks defend against Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)

By Andrew Phillip Chernoff CanucksBanter

March 4, 2023

Canucks Elias Pettersson broke a 1-1 tie in the 3rd period against the Toronto Maple Leafs with his 4th shorthanded goal of the season at 6:49, which was the eventual winner in a 4-1 win.

Vancouver entered the final period even with the Maple Leafs at 1-1, with Canuck Andrei Kuzmenko’s 29th goal late in the opening period at 17:51 (assists to Quinn Hughes (53) and Brock Boeser (28)); and Maple Leafs John Tavares’s early 2nd-period goal at 1:32, the only shots to beat Leaf’s goalie Matt Murray and Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko respectively.

J.T. Miller made the score 3-1 Vancouver, 44 seconds after Pettersson’s 2-1 goal at 7:33, with his own shorthanded goal, his 2nd of the season, and the Canucks were dominating the game.

Miller (35) and Tyler Myers (10) assisted on the Pettersson goal, while Pettersson (49) and Quinn Hughes (54) assisted on the Miller goal.

TWO SHORTYS IN 44 SECONDS IN THE SAME PENALTY KILL 😤 pic.twitter.com/l67kOHQoZP
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 5, 2023

Source: Vancouver Canucks Twitter

Nils Aman would put an exclamation on the game for the Canucks outstanding final period, snapping a shot past Murray with his 3rd goal of the season, assisted by Boeser (29) and Phillip Di Giuseppe (2) at 12:34.

Nils Aman #88 of the Vancouver Canucks scores a goal on Matt Murray #30 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)

Brock Boeser (0-2=2), Quinn Hughes (0-2=2), Elias Pettersson (1-1=2), and J.T. Miller (1-1=2), all picked up two points each.

Kuzmenko (1-0=1), Di Giuseppe (0-1=1), Myers (0-1=1), and Aman (1-0=1) also put their stamp on the game.

Demko slammed the door, bolting it shut and stopping 36 of 37 shots, including being 28 for 28 in the first and last periods combined, to allow Vancouver to get the opening goal of the game as well as insurance goals to put the game away in the 3rd period.

Canucks Scuttlebutt

With two assists tonight, Quinn Hughes became the fastest defenceman in NHL history to reach 200 career assists in 263 games played, beating Brian Leetch who reached the milestone in 264 games played.
Source: Vancouver Canucks Twitter

Canucks have the worst team save percentage in NHL at 87.2%. But in 3 games since he returned from injury, Thatcher Demko has stopped 104/111 shots (93.7%) and led Canucks to wins over Toronto and Dallas. So that’s what elite goaltending looks like.
Source: Iain MacIntyre Twitter

Canucks SHG from Elias Pettersson & J.T. Miller vs Leafs, 44 seconds apart is a new club record.

It breaks previous club record set by Canucks Alumni Petri Skriko who had 2 SHG 1:11 apart on Flames Mike Vernon @ Pacific Coliseum Nov.18/86.
Source: Joey Kenward Twitter