The Canuck Way
Fansided

Canucks: The Lotto Line needs to solve Jacob Markstrom

By Brayden Ursel

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 30: J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks speaks with Brock Boeser #6 and Elias Pettersson #40 before a faceoff during a 5-3 Canucks win over the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on October 30, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 30: J.T. Miller #9 of the Vancouver Canucks speaks with Brock Boeser #6 and Elias Pettersson #40 before a faceoff during a 5-3 Canucks win over the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on October 30, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Vancouver Canucks need to find a way to turn this season around and it all starts by solving their former MVP goaltender, Jacob Markstrom and the rest of the rivalled Calgary Flames.

Back at Rogers Arena after a failed six-game road swing, the Canucks are desperate to get back inside the win column. The first of three home games and four straight matchups against their Alberta foes begins on Thursday night, and a win would be the perfect way to begin turning the ship around.

After losing their first two battles with Calgary early in the season, the Canucks find themselves down in the season series 2-0. Chris Tanev, Josh Leivo and Markstrom have gotten the best of the Canucks to this point, so Vancouver will need a high-quality performance from their best players, especially if they want to beat one of the most gifted goalies the NHL has to offer.

In particular, the Lotto Line needs to remind Markstrom why they are one of the best offensive trios in the National Hockey League. If anyone knows how to solve the 31-year-old Swedish netminder, it’s former teammates Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller.

The numbers

The first two meetings between Markstrom and the Lotto Line weren’t pretty. Markstrom got two wins and a shutout while Miller was the only player of the Canucks’ main three to collect a point (1 assist), despite only playing in the second of two contests.

While Miller was unavailable for the first meeting due to COVID-19 protocol, Boeser finished the two games with four shots on goal, but nothing more to show for it. Pettersson, on the other hand, wasn’t any better. He registered just two shots on net in two full games. Simply, not good enough to beat a back-to-back MVP.

But since then, Boeser has been a one-man goal-scoring machine, Pettersson has collected 10 points in his last 10 games, and Miller has been a point per game player since his return to the lineup. With that in mind, the Lotto Line is slowly returning to their 2019-20 form — something they need to do if they want to stand a chance against the Flames, let alone the rest of the division.

The Lotto Line hasn’t been the problem for the Canucks, but in a situation like this, sometimes calling upon your best players is the only card you have to play that can actually get you out of such a mess. Despite the fact that the Lotto Line has been putting up points lately, they need to keep doing it to help break the slump.

The answer

The 649 line does their greatest work on the man-advantage. To do what they do best, they’ll have to pull the trigger when a power play chance presents itself. With Pettersson in position, Miller his opposite, Quinn Hughes playing quarterback, and Boeser and Bo Horvat down low… this power play can do some pretty incredible things.

But power play or not, it’s these three players that need to rise above the losing streak, get pucks in deep, and find a way to win some hockey games. What’s a better source of motivation than to do it against your former goaltender?

Next. Canucks return home in search of answers. dark

The Canucks and Flames showdown begins at 7 PM Pacific time on Thursday night. Will the Lotto Line find a way to get the best of their former ally? Read The Canuck Way post-game report to find out.

Home/Editorials