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Quadrelli Report: Vancouver Canucks beat Oilers, Rafferty, Markstrom shine

By David Quadrelli |
EDMONTON, AB - DECEMBER 27: Vancouver Canucks Goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) closing out the game for a 4-2 score in the third period during the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Vancouver Canucks on December 27, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB - DECEMBER 27: Vancouver Canucks Goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) closing out the game for a 4-2 score in the third period during the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Vancouver Canucks on December 27, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The Vancouver Canucks were in Edmonton last night, and managed to beat the Oilers in their second preseason game against them this preseason.

The Vancouver Canucks have had a good preseason thus far. The new additions have played exactly how management hoped they would play and there have been some standout rookies as well.

Brogan Rafferty continues to impress

I’d say Brogan Rafferty has about a five to ten percent chance to be on the Canucks roster come opening night. Before last night, I would have said his chances were closer to one percent. The chances are still extremely slim as the Canucks have more veteran options on the right side of their blue line, but last night marked another solid performance for Rafferty.

Rafferty moved the puck well, played physical, smart, and had a beauty of a goal to boot. In fact, Rafferty scored on the Canucks’ very first shot of the game. J.T. Miller won the faceoff back to the point from the right dot in the Edmonton zone to Rafferty, who let go of a slap shot that had eyes and beat Oilers’ goaltender Mikko Koskinen through traffic.

Later in the first, Rafferty led a rush into the offensive zone and set up Leivo with a perfect cross-crease backhand pass that Koskinen was able to make a sliding pad save on. There were certainly a few teachable moments as well for the young defenceman.

Certainly more times than his coach and goaltender would like, Rafferty was heading out of the Canucks’ zone before the Canucks had gotten it out. Getting a little ahead of yourself is bound to happen when a young player starts to get comfortable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing — the comfort level, that is.

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An audition for Baertschi

Travis Green was honest when he was asked if these preseason games are an audition for Sven Beartschi to once again earn himself a spot in the Canucks top six. Last night, he was on a line with familiar linemate Bo Horvat.

Back when the Canucks were in their darkest of the dark days, Beartschi and Horvat were few bright spots on those Canucks’ teams who finished near the bottom of the standings year after year.

The two were constantly split up mostly due to Baertschi getting injured, but there was a time when the Canucks top two lines were Henrik and Daniel Sedin with Thomas Vanek on the first line, with Horvat, Baertschi, and Brock Boeser on the second line. With the arrival of Elias Pettersson, Horvat lost Boeser as his winger, and saw a carousel of wingers last season, all of whom weren’t exactly on the same level as Boeser.

With the additions of Tanner Pearson and Josh Leivo last season, it was clear that the Canucks wanted to find some stability for Horvat, while a familiar face in Baertschi looked on from the press box and the injured reserve. The hunt for wingers was still on in the summer, and the Canucks went out and got J.T. Miller and Micheal Ferland this offseason.

Now healthy, Baertschi will be sure to make good on every look with Horvat he’s given, because if he doesn’t, someone else certainly will. Last night, Baertschi got that shot, skating alongside Miller and Horvat. Wouldn’t you know, he made good on it, too.

Great patience from Horvat on this play and great thinking from Baertschi to know to sneak in behind the defence to receive the hard pass from Horvat. Baertschi knows it won’t be easy, but he’s motivated and ready to remind his team that he still has the capabilities to be an effective top-six winger.

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First game action for Markstrom

There were multiple times last night where Jacob Markstrom saw an Oilers player with a doorstep chance and not a Canuck defender in sight. It’s not something Markstrom isn’t used to, seeing as the Canucks have had a pretty subpar defence playing in front of him for the past few years.

Surely Markstrom is looking forward to the improvements his team made on the blueline, but in preseason, not all of those new additions are in the lineup. Despite that, Markstrom looked like he hasn’t missed a beat from his stellar performance last season.

The Canucks’ goaltending coach Ian Clark is partly, maybe even mostly, responsible for the new version of Markstrom that Canucks fans are quickly becoming accustomed to seeing. His positioning has improved tremendously, and his ability to keep his team in games is something that wasn’t present in past years.

The Oilers got more than a couple of beautiful power plays chances and many even-strength chances, but it didn’t matter, Markstrom was up to the task. Markstrom’s only blemish on the night was a tough shot to stop and was one that Markstrom actually almost shut the door on — the puck just squeaked past his pad that was hugged up against the post.

Markstrom was named the game’s first star. Maybe Markstrom’s pregame clothing choice had to do with the stellar performance he turned in?

Markstrom was dialed in right from the get-go in this one, and he’ll look to build off this performance, that’s for sure.

dark. Next. Canucks: Can Quinn Hughes be their top defender?

The Canucks will play next this Saturday in Salt Lake City, Utah where they will face the Los Angeles Kings. Puck drop is at 6 p.m.

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