Canucks Wrap: More struggles but less panic in Vancouver

In Friday's edition of Canucks Wrap, we’ll be talking the latest Vancouver Canucks news, NHL news, stories, highlights, and more from the last day.

Canucks News

The Vancouver Canucks finally got that first win they were looking for, taking down the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night. Star forward Elias Pettersson is still missing in action, but the rest of the Canucks managed to pick up the slack.

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes led the way with one goal and one assist, while J.T. Miller cashed in on Hughes's assist in overtime to seal the deal and win the game. Getting a goal from Teddy Blueger, Kiefer Sherwood, and the fourth line was an added bonus, too.

Perhaps most importantly, recent defense call-up Erik Brannstrom held his own in place of Derek Forbort, albeit in only 11 minutes of ice time, as did his partner, Vincent Desharnais. With Thatcher Demko still recovering and preparing to return to the ice from his unprecedented injury, free agent goalie signing Kevin Lankinen stole the show between the pipes once again.

Lankinen and Arturs Silovs have each played two games for Vancouver so far, though Lankinen has clearly outplayed his Latvian counterpart, posting a 1.89 GAA and a .932 save percentage in his two starts.

One Canucks player who was not a part of Thursday's winning squad was newcomer Daniel Sprong, who finds himself benched by head coach Rick Tocchet just two games into his career in Vancouver.

Now, Sprong has historically been a player with absolutely abysmal defensive metrics, and though I cannot say I have personally watched Sprong a ton, the times I have seen him play, he has backed up those metrics. It is not necessarily so much for a lack of effort as it is just lacking the instincts necessary to play without the puck.

That's been fine for Sprong in the past, as he has been able to serve as a bottom-six offensive spark plug who does not command a lot of money against the salary cap. The Canucks do not have the luxury of letting Sprong run around and do his thing, however, because of a defensive core that lacks depth and an injured starting goalie. They do not have the facilities to potentially make up for his or others' defensive miscues.

Sprong has impressively scored 39 goals and 89 points over the last two seasons, but he is also on his fourth team in as many seasons for a reason. He is on a one-year, $975,000 contract with the Canucks and will likely draw back into the lineup at some point in the near future, but Tocchet needs him to get going along with a number of his teammates.