joe labate – CanucksBanter

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andrewchernoff By Andrew Chernoff

September 28, 2016

Vancouver (1-0-1) won its first game of the 2016 preseason schedule with a 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers (1-1-0) at home tonight.

Anton Rodin scored the winner on the power play with 4:07 left in the game to lift the Canucks to the victory with Erik Gudbranson scoring a shorthanded empty net goal to seal the game at Rogers Place.

Troy Stecher (1-2=3), Alex Edler (0-3=3), and Anton Rodin (1-1=2) led Vancouver with Brendan Gaunce, Josepth LaBate and Erik Gudbranson picking up goals. Michael Carone and James Sheppard also picked up helpers.

Canucks goalie Ryan Miller allowed two goals and had 15 saves in 30:19 of work before goalie Thatcher Demko came in to finish the game for Vancouver, finishing up with one goal against and 8 saves.

Vancouver outshot Edmonton 29-26, with the Canucks outhitting the Oilers 34-19.

Canucks special teams were 2 for 2 on the power play and 5 for 6 on the penalty kill.

Vancouver was also 29 for 63: 46-percent in face-offs in the game.

The Canucks had eleven players with a positive Corsi For (All Situations) in the game led by Michael Carcone, +9; Jayson Megna +8; Troy Stecher +7. 5-on-5, Vancouver had eight players with a positive Corsi For, led by Michael Carcone and Jayson Megna with a +9; Brendan Gaunce, +6; Olli Juolevi and Alex Biega, +3 each.

For the game, Edmonton finished with a positive Corsi For (All Situations) of +49, Vancouver +47. Both teams 5-on-5, each had a positive Corsi For of +36.

Next Game: September 30, 2016 at Calgary Flames 6 p.m. PST

GAME NOTES

First period:

For the second consecutive game in preseason, Vancouver had the opening goal of the game, a rarity last season.
The opening goal was on the power play, first of the preseason, ending their streak at man advantage futility at 0 for 5.
The Oilers, as San Jose did the night before, came out hard and dominated the game early, out shooting the Canucks 7-2 at one point and controlling puck possession.
Troy Stecher and Brendan Gaunce each had a good opening period, scoring a goal each and Stecher picking up a helper on Gaunce’s goal.
Oilers had a 5 on 3 advantage with 55.9 seconds left in the opening period, and scored to tie the game at 2-2.
Edmonton outshot Vancouver 13-8 in the first period, making it four consecutive periods in regulation play the Canucks have been outshot starting the preseason, giving up 45 while only registering 22 on net.
Troy Stetcher led the Canucks in Corsi For (All Situations) with a +4, with three Canucks at +2 at 5-on-5: Brendan Gaunce, Jayson Megna and Michael Carcone.
Edmonton had a Corsi For (All Situations) of +25; Canucks +12. 5-on-5, Edmonton was a +19 and Vancouver a +9.

Second period:

Canucks continued to stay in penalty trouble in the second period as they received a tripping penalty soon after starting the period, making it three penalties in 3:26 going back to the opening period.
Ryan Miller stopped 15 of 17 shots before being replaced by Thatcher Demko with 9:41 left in the period.
Joe LaBate’s goal in the second period gave the Canucks their third lead of the game.
Oilers made it consecutive periods with a last minute goal, to tie the game at 3-3.
Vancouver outshot Edmonton 9-8 in the period, the first time they have outshot an opponent in a period this preseason, in the second period.
After two period, Michael Carcone led the Canucks in Corsi For (All Situations) with a +4, with Michael Carcone and Jayson Megna at +4 on 5-on-5.
In the period, Vancouver had a Corsi For (All Situations) of +16; Oilers +14. 5-on-5, Vancouver was +13, Oilers a +9.

Third period:

With 12:41 left in the third period, Vancouver was outshooting Edmonton 5-1 and rushing the Oiler net to get scoring opportunities.
Canucks out played the Oilers in the third, getting some excellent scoring opportunities.
Troy Stecher had his second assist of the game on Anton Rodin’s power play goal late in the period. Alex Edler picked up his third assist of the game on the same goal, to go with an assist in the first and second periods.
Canucks had their first shorthanded empty net goal of the young preseason to give the Canucks a two goal cushion for the victory.
Vancouver outshot Edmonton 12-5 in the period.
Canucks had a Corsi For (All Situations) of +19; Oilers +10. 5-on-5, Vancouver was a +14 and Edmonton a +8.

By Tyson Giuriato Tuesday, 09.13.2016

It begins.

Some of the top prospects in the Canucks’ organization will be in beautiful Penticton later this week as the 2016 Young Stars Classic gets underway on Friday.

The tournament not only gives the organization a good look at what they have in the system, but allows fans to get a glimpse of some future Canucks players competing against top prospects from three other organizations. Last year, six players that laced up the skates with the Canucks in Penticton saw action with the big club during the regular season, including Ben Hutton and Jake Virtanen.

This year, the team welcomes a trio of first time participants out of the NCAA, as well as 2016 first round pick, Olli Juolevi.

Five things you should know about the 2016 Canucks Young Stars roster:

Demko’s arrival: NCAA rules forbid players from competing at the Young Stars Classic while still in school (which is way you won’t see Brock Boeser), so Canucks fans have had to wait a few seasons to see their blue-chip goaltending prospect, Thatcher Demko. The 20-year-old turned pro after stellar junior season at Boston College, which saw him win the Mike Richter Award as the top goalie in college hockey and also be named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, opening the door for him to participate in Penticton and show Canucks fans why he is so highly touted.

Homecoming of sorts: The Canucks dipped into the NCAA free agent pool earlier this year when they signed defenceman Troy Stecher out of North Dakota and goaltender Michael Garteig from Quinnipiac. Both will be in action in Penticton and both have spent some time calling the South Okanagan Events Centre home, including one season as teammates. Stecher played three seasons with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, while Garteig started 45 games for the Vees in 2011-12. Both players were key contributors in Penticton’s 2012 national championship season.

Ready for a rebound: This time last year, the excitement around Cole Cassels was sky high. He was coming off a Memorial Cup winning season with the Oshawa Generals that saw him post 81 points (30-51-81) and 100 penalty minutes in just 54 games, plus another 35 points (11-24-35) in 25 post-season games. Unfortunately, his first year in the AHL didn’t go as well as expected. He scored just two goals and seven points in 67 games. Now fully healthy and with a full off-season of training, Cassels is primed for a bounce back season and that will start with his play in Penticton.

The new guys: Led by first round pick Olli Juolevi, the Canucks will have five of their six draft picks from June in the lineup. The lone exception being Will Lockwood, who is off to the University of Michigan. Defenceman Cole Candella and forwards Jakob Stukel, Rodrigo Abols (who played last season as an invite) and Brett McKenzie round out the 2016 draft picks in the lineup.

Returnees: A total of 11 players that suited up at the 2015 Young Stars Classic return this time around: Rodrigo Abols, Cole Cassels, Joe Labate and Dmitry Zhukenov return up front, while defencemen Guillaume Brisebois, Evan McEneny, Carl Neill, Tate Olson, Ashton Sautner, Mackenze Stewart and Jordan Subban return to a crowded 11-player blue-line.

Extra Notes:

-There are 28 players in total on the roster: three goaltenders, 11 defencemen and 14 forwards.

-Rodrigo Abols and Joe Labate share the title as tallest on the Canucks’ roster, each standing at a respectable 6-foot-4.

-At 215-pounds, Evan McEneny and Mackenze Stewart each weigh-in as the heaviest on the roster.

-Goaltender Michael Garteig checks in as the oldest player on the roster at 24-years-old (Nov. 5, 1991), while at 18-years-old (May 5, 1998), Olli Juolevi competes as the youngest player on the roster.

-Eight players on the Young Stars roster saw action with the Utica Comets last season: Cole Cassels (67 games), Jordan Subban (67 games), Joe Labate (66 games), Ashton Sautner (50 games), Curtis Valk (12 games) and Evan McEneny (2 games).

Source: Canucks Young Stars preview – Vancouver Canucks – Features