Vancouver Canucks: 3 takeaways from 4-2 victory over Chicago Blackhawks

It was a spook-tacular evening at Rogers Arena, with the Vancouver Canucks defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Halloween night. Here’s what we learned from the victory.

The Vancouver Canucks pieced together yet another excellent 60 minutes, defeating the Chicago Blackhawks thanks to a pair of goals from the red hot Jake Virtanen.

With the victory, the surprising Canucks move to 8-6-0 on the season and sit atop the Pacific Division, though the San Jose Sharks trail by just a point and have two games in hand. But hey, nobody expected the Canucks to lead their division after October. This is something for fans to cherish right now.

Vancouver has now won five consecutive games against their former rivals, but this one did not come easy. The relentless Blackhawks kept pushing the younger and faster Canucks, and Jacob Markstrom had to stand on his head to help preserve the win.

Here’s hoping to a even better month of November. Here’s what we learned from Vancouver’s October finale.

1. Jake Virtanen stays hot

After a slow start to the season, 22-year-old Jake Virtanen is showing signs of finally piecing it all together. He was easily Vancouver’s top skater on the night, notching the team’s first two goals and guiding them to the 4-2 win.

Virtanen had gone eight games without scoring, but he potted one in Monday’s victory over the Minnesota Wild. He’s now up to five on the season following the outing against Chicago. But it’s the performance and showmanship more than anything that stands out for Virtanen.

He chased down an errant Blackhawks’ pass for intended for Brent Seabrook, turned on the jets and went top corner. The second one was, well, let’s just say an invitation to the snipe show. Just a perfect shot top cheese.

Virtanen is making the most of his entire skill set. He’s using that lethal release on his shot, tracking down pucks and playing with more confidence than ever before. While most of the hype is on Elias Pettersson right now — and rightfully so — let’s not overlook what’s becoming a breakout season for Virtanen.

2. Jacob Markstrom keeps on rolling

With Anders Nilsson on the IR because of a fractured finger, the pressure is on Jacob Markstrom to hold down the fort in the crease. Judging by his recent performances, that will not be a problem any time soon.

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Markstrom tuned in another excellent performance, making 24 stops in the win over Chicago. Now, 26 shots on goal aren’t that much for a team in one game, but Markstrom did have to make a handful of big-time saves to keep Vancouver in the contest.

The 28-year-old Markstrom has now won four of his last five starts, and he can’t be faulted alone for the 5-0 loss over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Over those five games, he’s allowed two goals or less.

Markstrom is now up to 7-4-3 on the season. His 3.09 goals against average and .909 save percentage aren’t great numbers, but keep in mind that those numbers stem largely from the loss to Pittsburgh.

It’s important to note that both Markstrom and Nilsson got off to strong starts last season, but they both faltered down the stretch significantly. But this is the most calm and poised Markstrom has looked in a Canuck uniform. As long as he plays like this, there’s little reason to worry about the crease in Vancouver.

3. Canucks looked like a complete team in October

Yes, it’s only the first month of the season. But the Canucks played terrific hockey in most aspects throughout October, and there should be some optimism among fans that this team will be better than last season. And the season before.

Through the first month of the season, both Pettersson and Bo Horvat have 10 points. Virtanen is setting pretty at five goals and looks ready to hit 20-plus this season. Brock Boeser will surely turn it around after a rough October.

Vancouver’s penalty kill sits at 83.3 percent, placing them ninth in the NHL. They’re allowing just 32.4 shots against per game, tied for 11th-fewest in the league.

Despite the injuries and many question marks, Vancouver’s blue line has performed better than expected. The goaltending duo of Nilsson and Markstrom has been above-average. More offensive contributions are coming from players not named Horvat or Boeser.

The Canucks displayed little weaknesses or struggles in the month of October. They sit nicely at 8-6-0 heading into November. Fans can only hope they sustain this strong level of play, because it’s been quite a joy to follow.

*Stats courtesy of Hockey Reference and NHL.com*