Canucks: 3 takeaways from 7-5 win over the Blackhawks

Sporting a five-game winning streak, the Vancouver Canucks rang in the new decade with a clash against their biggest rival of years past. Here’s what we learned.

For a length of time during the 2010s, there wasn’t a fire that burned hotter than the rivalry that was once set ablaze between the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks. These two Western Conference juggernauts  did not like one another. The hatred was real.

Three years, three straight meetings in the playoffs — this only added fueled the fire, but it made for some of the best hockey games of the decade. Since then, the pure hatred between the two clubs has cooled off some, but the coals remain hot.

With the puck dropping in Vancouver, 2020 hockey was underway. A tight Western Conference — from top to bottom–  was bound to rekindle an old rivalry. The Canucks walked into the new decade having won their last five games. They made it six in a row, and having done so against the Blackhawks was the perfect way to start the new year.

The Canucks would have to come to battle fully loaded if they wanted to beat the decade’s leading scorer, Patrick Kane. Head coach, Travis Green confidently turned to Elias Pettersson to lead the team into war. After all, Pettersson has the arsenal to become one of the next decade’s best players. Here’s what we learned.

Pettersson and luck of the lotto line

With his second consecutive selection to make an All-Star Game appearance, Pettersson — the lone Canucks representative — has proven why he is the team’s most valuable player. Pettersson began the new year the same way he ended 2019: As the team MVP.

Three points can be added to the Swede’s career totals after the matchup against the Blackhawks. That’s the sixth time this season Pettersson has tallied at least three points in a single game: Two assists and an absolute laser of a goal.

Pettersson stood at the hash marks of the face-off circle, when Brock Boeser spotted him open and fed the puck. Blink your eyes and the puck was in the back of the net. Pettersson turned and wristed a fast and accurate shot past Robin Lehner.

J.T. Miller, on the other hand, showed the hockey world they shouldn’t have slept on him when it came to All-Star voting. Miller had himself a four-point night. He scored one goal and added three assists, including the helper that have Adam Gaudette the game-winning goal late in the third period.

The lotto line showed up big to kick off January hockey. Boeser, Pettersson and Miller combined for eight points. The deadly trio will have to keep up the hard work as the team pushes for a playoff spot.

All-star performance from Hughes

Shocking a lot of hockey fans, Quinn Hughes was recently snubbed from what was thought by many to be, his first All-Star Game selection.

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The elusive and slippery offensive defender would have been the third consecutive rookie to represent the Canucks. But thanks to the back door, he still has a chance to make it to the showcase of NHL All-Stars.

He wasted no time and went to work on Thursday night trying to earn every vote he could before the ballots close.

Canucks were down 4-2 in the second period when Hughes got his chance to show his goal-scoring ability.

On the power play, where Hughes does his finest work, the standout rookie rippled the back of the net with a beautiful shot from the blueline. Hughes received a blind pass from the stick of Miller, who dished it behind his back for a very pretty assist that brought Vancouver within a goal.

That goal that came on the power play opened the floodgates for more goals. Vancouver proceeded to add another four tallies, but it was the ever so important timeout call made by  coach Green. He calmed the startled bunch, got their heads back in the game and found a way to keep the win streak alive.

When the final buzzer went off, Hughes finished the game with a goal, four shots on net and 21:23 of ice time. Some impressive stats for the young stud who still has a chance to be an NHL All-Star. He plays like he deserves to be at the 2020 contest of the elite, and his performance in the win against Chicago was no different.