Vancouver Canucks: Brendan Gaunce is a Halloween hero

After several years of defensive horror stories and injury nightmares, the Vancouver Canucks triumphed on Halloween with a very enjoyable 4-2 win over the team’s former rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks. Jake Virtanen scored twice but it was the game-winning effort from Brendan Gaunce that really sent Canucks fans home happy.

Who could ever bet against this team? While we may not have long to find out after Gary Bettman and the NHL agreed to its first sports betting deal, this Vancouver Canucks team has battled hard in every game win or lose, and is winning itself a lot of plaudits for its never-say-die attitude. Combine that with an 8-6-0 record – top of the Pacific Division – and it’s becoming harder and harder to picture Jack Hughes suiting up alongside his brother next season. Did I mention that Brendan Gaunce scored last night?

So, to the action, and to Jake Virtanen‘s first career two-goal game. Shotgun Jake at his finest:

https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1057825372203413505

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1057974375859798016

This kid can really play, and things look like they’re beginning to click for him. I’d like to see Jake settle into a routine roster spot, with regular linemates, but as long as he continues to score goals like last night, that’ll do just fine.

Brendan Gaunce has had his fair share of detractors – myself included – but it looks like some more time in Utica gave him more focus, as he played hard all night and scored his finest goal to date in a Canucks uniform:

Troy Stecher took a hard hit from Brandon Manning, leaving the game under the league’s concussion protocol. Looks like he may be okay, and the hit was unavoidable, but there is far less clamor for ‘revenge’ after this particular hit than there was after others earlier in the season. It already looks like Stecher may miss some time, despite Coach Green appearing positive on his condition post-game. Rick Dhaliwal reported a few minutes ago that Jalen Chatfield is joining the Canucks, leaving the Comets bare on the backend:

In previous years this team was nicknamed the Utica Canucks, and it was a damning indictment of the team’s depth. Looking at how many of those called-up Comets are playing, and playing well, you have to say that Jim Benning, Travis Green and Trent Cull do appear to have built a positive culture throughout the organization. I really hope the Canucks don’t mess with a working recipe and move the Comets closer to home – this relationship works very well.

Finally, let’s give a big shout out to Jacob Markstrom, who has seemingly regained the starters gig from Anders Nilsson by winning four of his last five starts and posting a save percentage of .928% over that time. Keep it up Marky, although we’d love to see those little soft goals erased from your game (like the first goal last night).

Word of warning: the team has as many points from 14 games this year as it did last year. But it feels different this year, right?

Elsewhere in the NHL:

With our game last night the only action in the NHL, it’s stories I bring you today. I always liked Elias Lindholm on the Hurricanes, believing they never utilized him effectively nor gave him the best opportunities to score. He’s being given that chance in Calgary, and he’s scoring well – but is he actually as good as he’s looked in Calgary? A nice read from Matt Larkin here. [The Hockey News]

Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 31 Thoughts are out, with this fantastic story amongst several worthy reads:

"26. Great story from Scott Oake: With the Penguins in Vancouver, Canucks assistant coach (and fishing champion) Nolan Baumgartner asked through the equipment staff for a Sidney Crosby stick. Crosby said he’d do it, as long as Baumgartner returned the favour. The coach thought he was being pranked, but Crosby, who knows everything, was well aware of Baumgartner’s junior success — two Memorial Cups with WHL Kamloops. Crosby, who lost in the 2005 final with QMJHL Rimouski, signed the stick with “jealous of your Memorial Cups!” Baumgartner told Oake he was thinking of signing his stick with, “‘Jealous of your two Olympic Golds, three Stanley Cups, two Hart Trophies, two Rocket Richards, three Ted Lindsays and two Art Ross’ — but there wasn’t enough room on the stick.”"

I never like cheering for players on other teams to be injured, but when a player I don’t like happens to pick up a long-term injury? That, I don’t mind. Take your time healing properly, Jonathan Quick. [NHL]

I like it when under-rated players hit significant milestones. So please be upstanding for Ron Hainsey, who joins the 1,000 GP club today. [Globe and Mail]

Bobby Orr thinks there may be another lockout. We all do Bobby, we all do. [Sportsnet]

Mikko Rantanen is an incredibly talented scorer in the NHL. He failed to pay attention when his coaches were teaching basic hitting techniques:

Surely a Halloween trick, but NHL.com posted an article by Willie Desjardins under the name ‘The Coaches Room’. Read it, then try and work out why he couldn’t bring his understanding of the game to this team. [NHL]

Question for TCWers:

After so many callups have played so well this season, what is your preferred fully-healthy Canucks line-up?