#3 Garland and Höglander have a strong game
Conor Garland was acquired as part of the Ekman-Larsson trade to help bolster the top six.
It’s only been two games but he has impressed.
Garland displayed his skill and tenacity. He was taking away pucks from the Flyers and making moves all night. (He really loves the spin-o-rama.) Garland managed two shots on goal and was a thorn in the Flyers’ side for the whole game. He was like the Energizer Bunny all game.
Konecny seemed frustrated playing against him and called Garland “an angry little elf.”
He got an assist on Miller’s second period goal and finished the night with a 42% CF.
Like Garland, Höglander was winning puck battles and made the right play with the puck when he got. It felt like Höglander was everywhere. Every time, he was on the ice you couldn’t miss him. The 20-year-old was making crisp passes and displayed a fair bit of speed.
Just like the game in Edmonton, Höglander started the night on a line with Jason Dickinson and Highmore. Also, like the game in Edmonton, the Canucks got going when he was put on Miller and Pettersson’s line.
Satiar Shah of Sportsnet 650 described the Swede perfectly.
Höglander's like a defibrillator, bringing life back to every line he's on
— Satiar Shah (@SatiarShah) October 16, 2021
Höglander should be riding shotgun with Miller and Pettersson until Brock Boeser come back. He finished the night with a 52.94 CF percentage.
Other Notes
- Speaking Boeser, he did skate with his teammates on Friday morning. It is still unclear if he will be ready for Saturday’s game in Detroit.
- Kyle Burroughs looked good again. He was making simple but effective defensive plays.
- Juho Lammikko is impressing on the fourth line so far. He was displaying good stick work and defensive awareness.
The Canucks are right back at it on Saturday when they visit the Detroit Red Wings. Puck drop is at 4:00 PM