For the first time in his young NHL career, Elias Pettersson was struggling to be a consistent point producer. That personal scuffle came early this year and had the Vancouver Canucks‘ best player holding on to just a single assist through his first six regular-season games.
Whatever the man did, he just couldn’t catch a break. Pettersson was clearly frustrated and you could see it in how he presented himself on the ice. He was breaking sticks, hitting posts, ringing crossbars. You name it, he was doing everything but putting the puck in the back of the net.
Pettersson’s first goal of the season finally came in his seventh game against the Montreal Canadiens. And since then, the Canucks best two-way forward has been their best offensive player. He just needed that first goal to help get the monkey off his back.
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He isn’t scoring goals at a rapid pace like Brock Boeser has been this season, but he’s matching that goal-scoring consistency as an overall dependable point producer who can contribute on a nightly basis.
Since scoring that first goal of the season, Pettersson has been producing at exactly a point per game pace. He’s registered 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists) in his last 19 games, putting him right back where he belongs as one of the most consistent point producers on the team and in the NHL.
Realistically, Pettersson has erased all doubt about his abilities that had crept in during his cold stretch of hockey at the start of the year. Continually, Pettersson just keeps finding ways to prove himself as one of the best.
He’s battled through doubts about his size at the NHL level. He put together a solid sophomore campaign after people thought he might struggle to do so. In the 2020 Playoffs, he proved that his size wasn’t going to be an issue. He didn’t whine, he never complained. He just found a way to adapt in order to continue growing as a good NHL player.
This latest achievement is just another speedbump in the road that ultimately made him a better hockey player in the long run. Pettersson welcomes the struggle. That’s where he digs deep and finds a way to persevere. He loves to prove people wrong.
Pettersson will be a huge part of the Canucks success as they start to move into the second half of the season. They have a difficult road ahead of themselves, but a playoff berth is still on the table. Pettersson’s consistent play could help narrow the gap between the draft lottery and a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
What do you think Canucks Nation? Has Pettersson found enough consistency to help this team get back on track? Let us know in the comment section below.
*All stats were taken before the Canucks vs. Jets game on March 2nd, 2021*