3. Tyler Myers
It would be an understatement to say that Tyler Myers has had a rough outing since he signed with the Canucks organization last summer.
Often sharing the city’s whipping boy duties with Jake Virtanen, Myers has been repeatedly criticized for his defensive inconsistencies, poor position play in the defensive zone and a colossal amount of trips to the penalty box, all of which were on full display last season.
These problems haven’t disappeared overnight, by any means, and it seemed as if he picked up right where he left off when the 2020-21 campaign began.
He has the overall skill of a third-pairing defenceman, with the contract and salary of a first-pairing defenceman, and management will probably be regretting this signing until the very last day.
Despite all of these flaws and concerns, Myers is still one of the better puck-moving and play-making blueliners on the roster, and he put his full offensive talent on display this past week.
Over the past four games, Myers registered one goal, three assists, 10 shots and a plus-two rating. He played over 22 minutes of ice time during each of those contests, only taking one minor penalty during that span, and has been a solid addition to the second powerplay unit (when they actually get powerplay time).
Myers was also able to use his 6’8”, 229lb frame to its full effectiveness on Friday night.
After Höglander was ruthlessly pummelled by Derek Forbort near the end of the third period, Myers jumped into the scrum without hesitation, even landing some decent punches to stick up for the rookie.
It’s always great to see teammates looking out for one another, especially when the weight class is beyond unequal, and it’s almost guaranteed that Myers will be front and centre if the bad blood spills over into Sunday night’s rematch.
Unlike Höglander, there is a very high chance that Myers won’t find himself on this list again any time soon. But it’s always good to recognize and reward players when they positively contribute to their team’s success, and Myers did just that over these past few games.
Plus, we’ll take any opportunity to look again at this unreal game-winning goal, as well as this even more unreal stat:
“It felt really good to get back in the win column. We deserved better the last couple games, but we stuck with it and it was a huge win for the group.” - Myers pic.twitter.com/7pq9Lawqmu
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 14, 2021
https://twitter.com/ChrisFaber39/status/1360827678140424193?s=20
These belong in your personal Hall of Fame, Tyler!
Honourable Mention #1: Olli Juolevi
It’s been a tough journey to the NHL for Olli Juolevi, but it looks like he is finally here to stay.
The 22-year-old rookie has looked comfortable with Myers on the third pairing and is thriving in his role as the steady, stay-at-home defenceman in that duo. Some fans might still be disappointed that Juolevi hasn’t put up the numbers that many would expect of a first-round blueliner, but that shouldn’t be expected of him, especially with players like Hughes and Nate Schmidt in the line-up.
Over the past few games, Juolevi has been one of the more consistent, physical blueliners on the team, and he is now averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time. There’s no question that Juolevi has solidified his place on the Canucks’ back end over players like Jalen Chatfield and Brogan Rafferty, and if he continues to play this way, he might even land a spot as a top-four defenceman at some point this season.
Juolevi has been making up for his lack of quickness with smarts, body position and a good stick. Impressed by his adaptability since coming back into the lineup
— Satiar Shah (@SatiarShah) February 18, 2021
Honourable Mention #2: Thatcher Demko
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again.
Goaltending has not been the issue for the Canucks this season, and Thatcher Demko continues to put up big, timely saves when the team needs him most.
Overall, the Canucks have shown improvements in different facets of their game over the four games, but are still surrendering 30+ shots each night and are still struggling to put together full 60-minute outings.
Whether they’re trying to climb back into a game, or they’re trying to protect a lead late in the third period, Demko has come up clutch during crucial moments, and he is a big reason that the Canucks were able to claim five points this past week.
Hopefully, the players in front of him can tighten up so he doesn’t have to do his best Markstrom impression on a nightly basis.
Upcoming games:
- Sunday, February 21st – Winnipeg Jets @ Vancouver Canucks (7:00 pm PST)
- Tuesday, February 23rd – Edmonton Oilers @ Vancouver Canucks (7:00 pm PST)
- Thursday, February 25th – Edmonton Oilers @ Vancouver Canucks (7:00 pm PST)
Who do you think played well during the past four games? Make sure to drop a comment below!