Strong first period helps secure win
During the media availability on Saturday morning, Boudreau also noted that his team’s first period outings need to be much better.
Ask and you shall receive, Bruce.
After Pearson’s tilt with Soucy, the Canucks turned up the intensity right away, making sure to remind Seattle why they’re at the bottom of the league’s standings with their puck possession, speed and physicality on the boards. The Canucks also injected more nastiness into this Pacific Northwest rivalry, large in part to the captain, who didn’t shy away from engaging in the post-whistle shenanigans when on the ice.
The team was also able to kill off majority of Seattle’s late first period powerplay, which could’ve drastically altered the complexion of the contest had the Kraken managed to cut down the lead before the intermission.
Vancouver finished the opening frame with 14 shots on goal, compared to just four from the Kraken, while also creating more high-danger scoring chances. The momentum fell during the middle frame, but Vancouver was still able to hold their ground, and it likely would’ve been a different outcome for the team had they not completely dominated in the first period.
Other notes:
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson suited up for his 800th career game on Saturday night. It wasn’t exactly the best outing for the 30-year-old, who appeared to sustain an injury halfway through the contest that kept him on the sidelines for the final 6:07 of the second period. However, the veteran blueliner was able to return in the final frame, bringing his total ice time to over 21 minutes.
Boudreau on OEL returning to play in the 3rd: "It shows how physically tough he is and how badly he wants to play"
— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) January 2, 2022
- The Canucks and Kraken took the time to thank Nadia Popovici, a Seattle season ticket holder who saved the life of Vancouver assistant equipment manager Brian “Red” Hamilton after noticing a malignant melanoma on his neck back on October 23rd when the two clubs last met. To show their appreciation, both clubs collectively awarded $10,000 to Popovici to be used towards her medical school expenses.
https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1477489305702461440?s=20
https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1477535184941690880?s=20
The Canucks will be off for the rest of the week before going up against the Ottawa Senators on January 8th at Rogers Arena.
What are your thoughts from Vancouver’s 5-2 win over Seattle? Drop a comment below!