Canucks: Three Stars of the Week

Every Saturday The Canuck Way is choosing three stars of the week, and we’re going to break down what each player did to receive the honour. Let’s begin!

What a difference 24 hours can make.

The Vancouver Canucks kicked off the shortened 2020-21 campaign with back-to-back away meetings against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. They were able to secure their first win of the season in convincing fashion on Wednesday night, but the victory parade was short-lived.

The Canucks fell to the Oilers the following evening by an almost-identical score from the night before, and are currently sitting at .500 on their four-game Alberta road trip. Despite the split, many Canucks players performed very well in their season debuts. Let’s take a look at how this week broke down.

Games played:

• Wednesday, January 13th – Vancouver Canucks (5) @ Edmonton Oilers (3)
• Thursday, January 14th – Vancouver Canucks (2) @ Edmonton Oilers (5) 

Canucks record: (1-1-0) 4th in the Scotiabank North division.

Let’s dive into The Canuck Way‘s three stars of the week…

3. Braden Holtby

First game as a Canuck. First win as a Canuck. Not too shabby for #49.

Travis Green and company opted to go with Braden Holtby to start the season on Wednesday, and he did not disappoint.

Right from the first whistle, it was evident that Holtby was dialed into the game. He was able to fight through bodies to track down the puck, and had very few issues controlling rebounds.

Unlike previous years, Holtby didn’t have any exhibition games to help shake off the offseason rust, but he was still able to carry over his strong play from training camp into his first game with his new club.

He was sharp during all situations, and made many high-danger chances look routine. In particular, Holtby was one of the best penalty killers for the Canucks throughout the contest, stopping every shot the Oilers threw at him during their four powerplay attempts.

He stopped 28 of 31 shots after 60 minutes, including an outstretched left pad robbery on McDavid halfway through the middle frame, and an in-tight one-timer blast from Kailer Yamamoto.

After posting a dismal 3.11 GAA and a career-low .897 SV% during the 2019-20 season, it’s no secret that Holtby is hoping to rediscover his Vezina-winning gameplay this upcoming campaign. And while some believe that he and Thatcher Demko will have an uphill climb trying to fill the big skates left by Jacob Markstrom, it’s evident that Holtby is already out to prove that he can once again solidify himself as a bonafide 1A netminder in this league.

Of course, this is a small sample size for coaching staff and management to analyze, especially during a shortened, pandemic-driven season, and many are eagerly waiting to see if Holtby can replicate this sturdy performance during his next outing.

Nonetheless, it looks like Holtby’s bounce-back year is off to a splendid start.

2. Brock Boeser

Don’t mess with the flow.

This was the message that Brock Boeser sent to his all-Canadian divisional foes after his two-goal performance against the Oilers on Wednesday night.

Since the first day of training camp, Boeser has impressed both his teammates and coaching staff with his offseason improvements, such as his speed, defensive abilities and shot release, and it’s clear that he wants to regain his rookie scoring touch. It also appears that his lingering back injuries are a part of the past now (knock on wood), which is fantastic news for the 23-year old Minnesota native.

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With the departure of Tyler Toffoli in October, Boeser found himself reunited with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller on the cleverly-named “Lotto Line” at the start of training camp. Despite losing Miller to provincially-mandated COVID-19 protocols earlier this week, Boeser still set out to prove that he was an integral, long-term component on the top line.

As soon as the puck dropped on opening night, it was crystal clear that Boeser was easily one of the most dynamic forwards on the ice. He led multiple rushes into the offensive zone, and he used his effective puck control and skating abilities to dictate much of the game.

Despite not capitalizing on any of their powerplay chances during the two-game span, Boeser was still dominating play almost every shift. He created multiple high-danger scoring chances, and wasn’t afraid to shoot the puck, showcasing his wicked snipe.

Even though Boeser wasn’t as noticeable in the second game, he still finished the first back-to-back of the season with two goals and five shots.

And did we mention how pretty the assists were on those goals?

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