1. Nils Hoglander
Recently, Canucks fans have been treated to outstanding rookie performances from Boeser, Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. Nils Hoglander made sure to continue this trend into 2021.
He was without a doubt the most dominant forward on the ice on Wednesday night, and he already seems to be quite comfortable on the second line, slotting alongside Tanner Pearson and captain Bo Horvat.
Throughout the entire game, Hoglander showed numerous flashes of speed and confidence with the puck, and he was willing to engage in hard puck battles along the boards. Even though he wasn’t awarded with the assist, his aggressive and edgy style of play was integral in moving the puck out of the defensive zone and towards the streaking Pearson, who eventually sprung a wide-open Horvat for the game’s opening goal.
Hoglander carried his debut momentum into the 2nd period, and was ultimately rewarded with his first-career NHL goal, potting home an in-tight rebound past Mikko Koskinen. He was all-smiles during the goal celebration, much like Canucks fans who were safely watching from home.
And who was the last Canuck to score his first-ever NHL goal in his first ever NHL game, you might ask? None other than EP40 himself.
Nils Höglander becomes 20th player in #Canucks history to score in his #NHL debut. Last player to do it was Elias Pettersson (Oct.3/18).
— Joey Kenward (@kenwardskorner) January 14, 2021
These are the other 18 players who scored in their first #NHL game with @Canucks ⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fYE91l75Bc
Throughout the rest of the game, Hoglander continued to put his hand-eye coordination, creativity and play-making abilities on full display. He was given valuable minutes for both even-strength and powerplay opportunities, and he even showcased some of his defensive strengths while battling in the corners against McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who combined for only one point during Wednesday’s tilt.
Although Hoglander was quieter during the second round of the back-to-back (then again, which Canuck wasn’t?), he didn’t make any glaring mistakes on either ends of the ice, and was able to hone in on the fundamentals of his game. He finished with one goal, five shots on goal and three blocked shots after two games.
#Canucks controlling nearly 75% of the expected goals with Nils Hoglander on the ice, and he's spent 60% of his 5-on-5 ice-time H2H vs. the McDavid line.
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) January 14, 2021
Whole Hog, right into the fire.
Have Canucks fans already taken to the mean streets of Twitter to unitedly push Hoglander in Calder conversation? No question. Has the bar been raised unattainably high for the 20-year-old Swedish rookie? Possibly. But one thing’s for certain.
Hoglander provided us with a plethora of exciting plays during his first two games in blue and green, and this could very well be the opening act of his soon-to-be-sold-out rookie performance.
Honourable Mentions: Tanner Pearson and Bo Horvat
Pearson and Horvat picked up right where they left off from last season, combining for one goal and three helpers in two games, including assists on Hoglander’s first-ever NHL goal.
Known primarily for their defensive, shutdown style of play against opposing top lines, both Pearson and Horvat are proving that they also have offensive upside to their games. The new-look second line was able to hold their ground against McDavid, Draisaitl and co., and many Canucks fans are hoping that these two players will continue to contribute to the scoresheet on a regular basis.
Upcoming games:
- Saturday, January 16th – Vancouver Canucks @ Calgary Flames (7:00pm PST)
- Monday, January 18th – Vancouver Canucks @ Calgary Flames (6:00pm PST)
- Wednesday, January 20th – Montreal Canadiens vs. Vancouver Canucks (7:00pm PST)
- Thursday, January 21st – Montreal Canadiens vs. Vancouver Canucks (6:30pm PST)
Who do you think played well during the first two games of the season? Make sure to drop a comment below!