The Canuck Way
Fansided

Canucks: 3 takeaways from exhibition game vs. Winnipeg Jets

By Brayden Ursel

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - JULY 29: Antoine Roussel #26 of the Vancouver Canucks scores a third period goal against Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets in an exhibition game prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on July 29, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)
EDMONTON, ALBERTA - JULY 29: Antoine Roussel #26 of the Vancouver Canucks scores a third period goal against Connor Hellebuyck #37 of the Winnipeg Jets in an exhibition game prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on July 29, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

The return of NHL hockey is here. The Vancouver Canucks took on the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night in their only exhibition game. Here’s what happened.

For the first time in nearly five months, the Vancouver Canucks played a hockey game. It was their first and only exhibition game before the 2020 NHL Playoff Qualifiers get underway against the Minnesota Wild, and it turned out to be a 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

Not that the score matters much in a game like this, but overall it was just really nice to see the Vancouver boys back on the ice. It wasn’t a team practice or a team scrimmage, it was real-time puck. It was Canucks hockey right smack-dab in the middle of the scorching summer heat. It’s awesome!

Here are three takeaways from the Canucks versus Jets.

The Canucks top-six looked good

If anything went well for the Canucks last night, it was the fact that the top-six played really well. From Brock Boeser‘s goal-hungry stick to Bo Horvat‘s rushing speed down the wing, they were all hungry for hockey.

Elias Pettersson was probably the best Canucks forward. He looked dialed in, and his lack of size for the playoffs never came into question. A few good scoring threats from the blade of his stick, including an absolute howitzer of a tick-tack-toe power play move. His Ovechkin-like one-timer stopped by the very tip of Connor Hellebuyck‘s glove.

Together with J.T. Miller and Tyler Toffoli, the top-line created good scoring chances, had a positive GF/60. Miller didn’t have a shot on net at the end of 60 minutes, but his passes were crispy clean and his presence on the ice was noticeable. In over 13 minutes of ice-time, despite throwing four pucks on net, Toffoli was unable to solve the Vezina finalist but looks deadset on returning to his goal-scoring form of five months ago.

As for the Horvat line, it was a successful game. The captain led the charge using his body and size to bring pucks close to the net, and like Pettersson, he had a great scoring chance that had no business being stopped. Boeser too had difficulties solving No. 37. He was robbed of a breakaway chance and was turned away by the Winnipeg netminder three other times.

Even though the Canucks top six was unable to score, they look ready for playoff hockey.

Home/Editorials