Ex- Canucks Making Impacts, Sharks Cool Down, Flames Heat Up,

More coming today from the Vancouver Canucks as they look to end their five-game skid with a game at home against the Winnipeg Jets, a team that flew in late Thursday night after losing in a shoot-out in Edmonton 2-1 against the Oilers. As we saw yesterday from Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning during his press conference, he’s looking at every option to solve the problems contributing to the team’s 5-10-and-2 start. He didn’t rule out a coaching change or swapping players with another NHL club. We’ll check the trade market momentarily, but as we await the hockey day to start in Vancouver, let’s scan the Hockey Now world …

Let’s Skate! …

— Pittsburgh Hockey Now tells us about the Penguins win last night and a long awaited goal from Sidney Crosby, who missed the first part of the season in two stints, one while recovering from off-season wrist surgery and the other while in Covid protocols. His Penguins shut-out the floundering Montreal Canadiens 6-0.

— The Vegas Golden Knights handled the Detroit Red Wings in similar fashion Thursday night inside “the Fortress” on the strip by the score of 5-2 as Vegas tries to get on a hot streak. The VGK need to get cranking as they gradually start to get injured players back in the line-up while other Pacific Division teams are off to a hot start. Vegas Hockey Now’s Owen Krepps wonders just how real the Anaheim Ducks might be and how big a threat they could be to the Golden Knights for the top spot in the division.

— Vancouver native Troy Brouwer officially announced his retirement after 14 NHL seasons. The big winger drove his home-town friends a bit crazy during his five years playing for the Chicago Blackhawks organization, which included six-game playoff victories over the Canucks in 2009 and again in 2010, the year his team won the Stanley Cup. In 2011 the Canucks got some revenge in a tense seven-game victory in the first round that propelled Vancouver eventually to the Stanley Cup Final. Washington Hockey Now tells us about his four seasons with the Capitals, prior to him finishing his career with stops in St. Louis, Calgary and Florida.

— The San Jose Sharks have slipped down the Pacific Division standings in recent days after a hot start to the season. They were smoked on the road by the St. Louis Blues 4-1 Thursday night according to San Jose Hockey Now. Former Vancouver Canucks forward Jonah Gadjovich figures prominently in the postgame notes, impressing observer and writer Sheng Peng. The 23-year-old winger was waived by the Canucks and claimed by the Sharks a week before the start of the regular season.

— Speaking of the Pacific Division, the Calgary Flames continued a lengthy road trip with a 5-0 blanking of the Buffalo Sabres Thursday night, with details provided by Calgary Hockey Now. The Flames are 7-2-and-2 on the road this season and former Vancouver Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom now has five shut-outs in just 13 starts. On the current trip Calgary is 2-1-and-2 with stops remaining in New York against the Islanders and in Boston against the Bruins.

More Vancouver Canucks news to come.

Enjoy the Hockey Action !!