Canucks Recap: 3 stars of the past week (Feb 5th – 11th)

There’s not much love for the Vancouver Canucks these days.

After two more disappointing losses against the Toronto Maple Leafs to round out their six-game road trip, the Canucks returned home to face off against Jacob Markstrom and the Calgary Flames.

Entering the game, very few people pegged the Canucks to come away with a victory. The team had lost the previous two tilts against their Albertan rivals by an aggregate score of 8-2, and it appeared as if the offseason transactions (or lack thereof) were slowly coming back to haunt them in their nightmares.

Cue the disappointing trombone sound.

As has occurred throughout the past few seasons, the team was not been able to put the puck in the back of the net. We’ll give credit to Markstrom and Frederik Andersen, of course, who were both lights out during their respective match-ups against the team. But that can’t be your running, “get out of jail free” excuse card for the remainder of the year.

The Canucks, like any successful club, need their top players to be their top players, and that hasn’t been the case in the first quarter of the season.

In addition to their scoring inabilities, it’s glaringly obvious that the majority of the players have forgotten the basic hockey fundamentals that are needed to win games. Moral victories won’t help the Canucks climb out of the division basement, and we’re all becoming impatient and agitated, waiting for them to rediscover the mindset and determination needed to get back in the win column.

Games played:

• Vancouver Canucks (1) @ Toronto Maple Leafs (5)
• Vancouver Canucks (1) @ Toronto Maple Leafs (3)
• Calgary Flames (3) @ Vancouver Canucks (1)

Canucks record: (6-11-0) 6th in Scotia North Division

Fortunately, there were some bright spots that we can focus on.

Over the past two games, the Canucks were able to outshoot their opponents by a margin of 66-45 and were much better at limiting high-danger scoring chances and neutral-ice giveaways during the span. They looked slightly more dangerous at even-strength and on the powerplay, and are slowly patching up their defensive inconsistencies.

Players, media and management alike all knew that this upcoming homestand would be the most important one of the season, and that still remains the case, even after surrendering the first game.

Despite not getting off to the start that we all adamantly prayed for, there are still tiny, delicate threads of hope that fans can desperately hold onto while they toss and turn at night, trying not to replay Tyler Toffoli’s goal-scoring carnage in their heads.

Will they be able to transform these slight improvements into wins? Most people aren’t holding their breath, but we can dare to dream, right?

In the meantime, let’s take a look at The Canuck Way’s three stars of the week:

1. Nils Höglander

It’s ‘rinse and repeat’ for Nils Höglander these days.

The 20-year-old rookie continues to shine in his inaugural season, averaging just over 14 minutes a game on the second line. His tenacity to win puck battles and wear down his opponents is evident every time he steps over the boards, and he has without a doubt been the most pleasant surprise for Canucks fans throughout their team’s first 17 games of the season.

Although he hasn’t registered a point in the past three games, Höglander continues to provide his team with a much-needed jolt of energy, speed and determination. His playmaking abilities are always on full display, and his vision and creativity are a breath of fresh air for linemates Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson.

Most importantly, however, Höglander continues to be the heart and soul of this team, game in and game out.

He plays well beyond his 5’9, 185-lb figure, consistently knocking players around and winning the physical battles in the dirty areas to create high-danger chances.

He is adapting very well to the North American rink size, and his confidence with the puck is greatly improving each game. Opposing blueliners are starting to have problems containing the “Pepper Pot” every time he enters the offensive zone, and he has been able to draw more penalties as a result.

And did we mention that he can take a puck to the face like a champ?

Of course, Canucks fans would love to see Höglander contribute to the scoresheet a bit more, but that shouldn’t downplay his overall dominant and entertaining style of hockey throughout the first quarter of the season. He currently sits fifth in rookie scoring, and should be making waves in the Calder conversation.

As mentioned before, there is no doubt that Höglander has cemented a rightful place in the top-six forward, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he continues to cement a spot on our list every week.

2. Brock Boeser

Brock Boeser has shown up in a big way this year.

The 23-year-old Minnesota native has been one of the better forwards throughout the first quarter of the season and is putting up numbers to support that cause.

He is currently riding a five-game point streak, registering two goals and three assists during that span, and has bounced back from his dismal performance against the Montreal Canadiens earlier this month, where he went scoreless and posted a minus-three rating.

Don’t get us wrong, there have been moments throughout the season where Boeser and his linemates have looked out of place on the ice, as indicated by their combined minus 13 rating. They still continue to give up the puck in the neutral zone, and desperately need to start outplaying other team’s top lines more in order to make a difference each and every game.

But, for the most part, they have started to regain their successful form from last season, and Boeser continues to be the most dangerous player out of the Lotto Line trio so far.

Boeser currently sits in second place for the league-lead in goals scored with 10 tallies, only trailing Rocket Richard-favourite Auston Matthews, and his 16 points rank second behind Quinn Hughes for team scoring. He has helped pull the team’s powerplay out of the dark, January shadows, notching two points over the past three games while on the man advantage, and sits tied for second for shots registered on net with 43.

Not to mention, he has accounted for two-thirds of the team’s goals in the past three games, including this in-tight goal against his former teammate:

He is currently on pace to finish the year with just over 30 goals, and even though he is bound to cool down at some point, it’s still very exciting and encouraging to see Boeser regain his form, health and release from his Calder-nominated rookie season.

Many people didn’t believe that Boeser would be the difference-maker on the first line, especially playing alongside two of the league’s biggest offensive studs (more on one of them below), but he continues to prove to us that he can be the elite, two-way, goal-scoring winger that we’ve all expected him to be.

Now, all we can do is hope that Boeser’s success will transfer over to the team.