Canucks Alive in Vegas, Vancouver Rolls to a 5-1 Win

Vancouver Canucks 5, Vegas Golden Knights 1

Top Canucks D-man Quinn Hughes is back in Vancouver and misses the game due to illness. Forward Brock Boeser also stayed home due to injury.

Goaltenders:

A rematch from Sunday: Thatcher Demko vs. Robin Lehner

Goal Scorers

1st Period 1-0 Vegas – Jack Eichel (10) – Chandler Stephenson, Brayden McNabb (12:02) Even Strength

((– Off a Canucks icing infraction, the Golden Knights won the O-zone draw and created heaps of pressure, with Eichel scoring on a scramble rebound.))

1st Period 1-1 Vancouver – Bo Horvat (28) – Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Elias Pettersson (16:38) Power Play

((– Pretty simple, Ekman-Larsson finds a lane from the point, fires, and Horvat puts home the rebound.))

1st Period 2-1 Vancouver – Brad Richardson (3) – Jason Dickinson, Conor Garland (16:55) Even Strength

((– As Dickinson tried to make a move in the slot, the puck caromed fortuitously off defenceman Zach Whitecloud’s skate, right to Richardson alone.))

2nd Period 3-1 Vancouver – Tanner Pearson (14) – Elias Pettersson, JT Miller (11:40) Even Strength

((– With two Canucks going to the net, Pettersson delivers a beautiful cross-ice backhand pass on to Pearson’s tape for a one-timer on the rush.))

2nd Period 4-1 Vancouver – Elias Pettersson (23) – Oliver Ekman-Larsson, JT Miller (16:03) Even Strength

((– OEL found Petey all alone in front after curling from behind the net for a tap in goal.))

3rd Period 5-1 Vancouver – Elias Pettersson (24) – Alex Chiasson (1:11) Power play

((– Petey knocked down a clearing attempt in front of the net, Chiasson made a touch pass back to Pettersson and it was in the net.))

Bo Bo Hot Hot

Canucks captain Bo Horvat’s been carrying his share of the offensive load for Vancouver. His first period goal gave him 14 in his last 20 games. He’s added six assists during the stretch. In one of the games he was ill and only played one period.

Special Teams

The Canucks took the first penalty at 4:53 of the first period, JT Miller for slashing while trying to play D on Jack Eichel after Tyler Myers was caught up ice on a rush. Vancouver killed it very effectively.

The chances evened up at 15:59 when Vegas’s Ben Hutton went off for holding and the Canucks capitalized. Horvat tallied on the rebound.

Just after taking a 2-1 lead after even strength the Canucks earned another power play chance, this time with Brayden McNabb hooking Lammikko. Vancouver had trouble with entries and didn’t click.

The second period was penalty-free as the Canucks dominated at even strength.

The Golden Knights didn’t help their cause by going to the box just 1:03 into the third period, McNabb for tripping. Pettersson then created the turnover that led to his power play goal to make it 5-1.

Dickinson went off for delay-of-game at 10:58 of the third period. 1:03 later Richardson went for hooking. The Golden Knights took a time-out to talk over their opportunity to get back into the game with a two-man advantage.

To no avail. The Canucks killed off both penalties.

Vancouver finished 2-for-3 on the power play, Vegas 0-for-3.

Simmer’s Canucks 3 Stars:

3) JT Miller – Played under control, temper-wise, drove the zone, created, two assists. 

2) Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Two primary assists and solid play in the defensive end.

1) Elias Pettersson – Two goals and two assists. Simply put, he looked like vintage Petey. First four-point night since 2019.