Canucks: 3 takeaways from 9-3 slaughter over Bruins
On Saturday night the Vancouver Canucks eyed their division’s top spot, but in order to get there, they’d have to beat the league’s best, the Boston Bruins. Here’s what we learned.
There’s always a different feeling in the air when the Boston Bruins come to the pacific west coast for a heavily contested battle against the Vancouver Canucks. A feeling deep within the BC fanbase that plants you at the edge of your seat ready to get revenge, your head pounding with anger, the memories fluttering back faster and faster. The hatred of the 2011 Finals loss still driving the strong desire from within to beat the big bad Bruins.
Something felt different this time around. It means more. This is late February hockey, the Canucks are in the thick of things pushing for playoff positioning, going all-in, and they have unfinished business with Matt Grzelcyk. His late hit on Elias Pettersson just over a couple of weeks ago went uncalled and unanswered. Travis Green voiced his displeasure about the attack and since the incident, the Canucks have made an NHL wide statement — answering the bell six times since that game.
The battle was bound to get heated. Watching the game, you just knew it was going to be intense. The Canucks were determined to show Boston some feistiness and bite (we all remember the bite). The Canucks are not to be messed with anymore. A big two points on the line, how would Vancouver measure up when trying to dethrone the league’s best team? Let’s take a look at three takeaways from Saturday night’s Hockey Night in Canada showdown where the Canucks won 9-3.
Tyler Toffoli strikes twice
Tyler Toffoli wasted no time proving his worth to the Vancouver faithful, and he did it against arguably the Canucks’ most hated rival, the Boston Bruins. After an assist in his Canucks debut, Toffoli had a secondary helper on the team’s second goal of the night. A point on the power play, a hard-fought effort that once again found Toffoli holding the line, keeping the puck and creating offence.
Later in the third period, the Bruins were mounting a comeback that was stopped dead in its tracks. Toffoli, the ex-King scored his 19th goal of the season, his first as a Canuck and moments later he added his 20th goal of the year. Exploding onto the scene in Vancouver, Toffoli wraps up a 9-3 win with three points and four total in his first two games after being traded.
.@tytoff16! Welcome to the #Canucks goal club, new guy! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/2OAvFl1u89
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 23, 2020
Toffoli is not only making an impact, but he’s also making this somewhat “questioned trade” by Jim Benning, look now like a no-brainer and a genius move at that. He’s quickly meshing with the style of hockey, head coach Travis Green demands of his players. Early on, this trade is looking like a steal of a deal. Toffoli could be exactly what the Canucks need. He did just have a three-point night against the league’s top team. That has to say something. This Canucks team is serious.
Bo Horvat delivers Gordie Howe hat-trick
If anyone needed to stand up for the Canucks, it was Bo Horvat. If you caught the game on Saturday night, you knew damn well Horvat delivered an all-around tremendous performance. And better yet, he got the message across. Vancouver is a serious hockey club, and aren’t going to be tossed around anymore.
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The captain went to work and made his statement on the ice. A Gordie Howe hat-trick that helped fuel the Canucks to a massive 9-3 slaughter of their 2011 nemesis. Oh, how good it feels to get the best of the Bruins.
Horvat appears to know how much the win means to the fanbase. He was truly excellent. When the team needed it most, he dropped the gloves and took care of business. Exactly what you want from your captain against an Eastern Conference juggernaut like the Bruins.
His power-play goal in the first period, his 19th goal of the season and it was a thing of beauty. With the puck down low, Horvat streaking to the net, wide open in front he had time to bury the puck past the Bruins.
Horvat had time to skate onto the puck and get his best shot off. His foot on the gas from start to finish. He added a primary assist to polish off the perfect start to finish performance. Possibly his best game of the season, and it came at the perfect time.
Troy Stecher scores big before the deadline
With the way his name has been swirling around the Twitter space this past couple of days, some people may believe Troy Stecher could have very well just played his final game in a Vancouver Canucks uniform. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be the worst way to end things for your hometown team. He’s said to want to spend his entire career here, but Stecher may have just skyrocketed interest from other teams.
You can’t do much more to pump your own tires than go out and have a three-point night, and that’s exactly what Stecher did. After a string of bad luck in games prior, Stecher had a great game against Boston. He was on his game from start to finish, you gotta wonder if he’s thinking about the deadline. He put up a goal and two assists with exactly 19 minutes of ice time.
He’s showing his worth, and if he can make himself known against top-end teams like Boston, maybe the Canucks are better off holding onto his rights. He’s an RFA, but maybe a look at what he can bring to the playoffs is worth holding on to. If the Canucks give him up now, the Canucks risk a chemistry imbalance on the back end. If I was Benning, I’d stand pat. As for Stecher, he just has to play his game. The rest of it will work out.
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Final thoughts
The Canucks learned from the first meeting in Boston. Team toughness improvement showed and Vancouver sent Brad Marchand and the rest of the Bruins packing with their tails between their legs. A 9-3 beatdown puts the Canucks back on the map. Puck drops in Montreal on Tuesday at 4 PM.