The Vancouver Canucks sent the fans home happy on Tuesday night as they defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-0. Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser and Drew O’Connor scored the goals, while Thatcher Demko made 25 saves for his first shutout of the season. With the victory, the Canucks find themselves tied with the Calgary Flames in points percentage but are still outside the playoffs due to the tiebreaker.
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Tuesday night’s game was arguably one of the best home performances from Vancouver this season. They held the Avalanche to 25 shots and became the second team this year to shut out Colorado. Ultimately, the Canucks were able to frustrate the Avalanche and were able to hold them to six high-danger chances on the night.
While the team as a whole played well, Vancouver’s best player was arguably Demko. The Canucks goaltender looked like his old self, pulling off highlight-reel saves and looking in control throughout the night. Overall, this was another impressive performance from Demko, who earned his fifth win of the season and 121st of his career.
“Oh, so happy for him,” said Boeser when asked about Demko’s shutout. “You know, he worked so hard. He does everything the right way. Such a good pro, and for him to get a shut out tonight, you know, just as one of his good friends, it’s awesome to see, and to see him make some saves like that, I’m excited for him.”
Another standout from the game was defenceman Elias Pettersson. Junior, as he is called in the dressing room, logged 13:57 of ice time and finished the night with four hits and a shot on goal. Based on his first four games, it is hard to see Pettersson coming out of the lineup as he has earned a spot on Vancouver’s third pair.
Yeah, I like Pete,” said Demko about the young blueliner. “He’s a guy that wants to do everything the right way. He’s young, but his attention to detail is great. I’ve enjoyed having him around as a guy, too. Obviously, we have a lot of Swedish guys, so we’re getting used to the culture and the type of guys that those guys are. But, yeah, he’s been good. I think he’s only going to get better, and I think his potential is enormous.”
As for Filip Chytil, he continues to make a strong impression with his new team. The former New York Rangers center had an assist, two takeaways and won 72.7% of his 11 faceoffs during his 20:45 of ice time. Two games into his Canucks career, Chytil is already a fan favourite and looks set to play a key role for Vancouver the rest of the season.
From a team perspective, arguably the most impressive part of the game was the third period. The Canucks were able to build on their lead through the power play and kill the clock while outshooting Colorado 8-4. This was a refreshing change as throughout the season, Vancouver has often elected to defend rather than attack when they enter the third period with a lead.
Ultimately, there were a lot of positives to take from this game. The defence was able to transition the puck well, which led to scoring chances throughout the night. If the Canucks are going to not only make a run to the playoffs but have eyes on getting past the first round, they will need their group to match the cohesiveness they showed on Tuesday against the Avalanche.
Stats and Facts:
– Brock Boeser’s 70th career power play goal passes Pavel Bure for the seventh most in franchise history
– With his ninth shutout, Thatcher Demko ties Cory Schneider for the sixth most shutouts in Canucks history
– Jake DeBrusk records his fourth multi-point game with at least one goal and one assist this season
– Filip Chytil logs over 20 minutes for the second straight game
Scoring Summary:
First Period:
No Scoring
Second Period:
4:26- VAN: Jake DeBrusk (19) from Filip Hronek
Third Period:
8:20- VAN: Brock Boeser (17) from Jake DeBrusk and Filip Hronek (PPG)
19:51- VAN: Drew O’Connor (7) from Filip Chytil (ENG)
Up Next:
The Canucks hit the road for one game when they visit the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. This will be the third meeting between these two Pacific Division rivals, with Vancouver already holding a 2-0 season-series lead. Game time is set for 7:30 pm PT from the SAP Center.
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