Canucks closing in on first place after dominant win in Nashville
It was the kind of win that surely put a big smile on Rick Tocchet’s face. The Vancouver Canucks dominated the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, winning on the road by a 5-2 score.
This wasn’t merely the Elias Pettersson or Quinn Hughes show, though they were terrific. Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller didn’t register a point.
And Thatcher Demko didn’t play.
Instead, it was a complete team win by Vancouver, with the Canucks getting goals from all four lines, all at even strength. Pettersson, Nils Ć man, Nils Hƶglander, Pius Suter, and Teddy Blueger scored for the Canucks.
Hughes, Pettersson, and Ilya Mikheyev each had two-point nights.
Hughes now has 41 points in 33 games, which leads all defencemen in scoring. He’s also the first Canucks defenceman ever to score 40+ points in fewer than 40 games.
DeSmith made 26 saves in the win, continuing his steady play as Demko’s backup. He has a sparkling 6-2-2 record this season.
Combined with the Vegas Golden Knights’ loss earlier in the night, it sees the Canucks one point away from first place in the Pacific Division, and first place in the NHL.
Here come the Canucks
“I thought we were really connected. I liked our breakouts. I thought each line did something,” Tocchet told reporters after the game. “We had some good plays from different lines. I liked our D. I just liked our overall game… We were really good tonight.”
What a difference from last season.
“I just like the way they play defence. They’re protecting the middle… That’s what I really like about this team,” Tocchet added. “Whether they enjoy it or they buy into it, I just love the way we defend the puck.”
Can you picture anyone saying that about them one year ago?
No problem scoring without Kuzmenko
The storyline coming into the game was Tocchet deciding to make Andrei Kuzmenko a healthy scratch. It’s the third game the star sniper has sat out this year due to a coach’s decision, but they didn’t miss him.
Elias Pettersson rips one off the rush to open the scoring! š³ pic.twitter.com/eXKIkosp7x
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 20, 2023
Suter, who took Kuzmenko’s old spot on a line with Pettersson and Mikheyev, scored a goal.
Ultimately the Canucks are a better team with Kuzmenko playing up to his potential, but it is nice to know they can win without him in the lineup. Their power play, which featured Filip Hronek instead of Kuzmenko on PP1 tonight, didn’t score in three opportunities.
Timely goals
The Canucks were as opportunistic as you could hope for, with Pettersson and Ć man scoring 33 seconds apart late in the first period. Jeremy Lauzon answered for Nashville in the second period, which gave the Predators life for precisely 15 seconds when Hƶglander answered for the Canucks. Then 46 seconds after that, Suter scored the 4-1 dagger.
Juuse Saros gets the hook and he is NOT pleased š³ pic.twitter.com/UsOiFalcTF
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 20, 2023
Those were soul-crushing goals to give up for a Nashville team that had won seven of their previous eight games coming into the night.
LOL
š·: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports pic.twitter.com/SOBjUWzIx4
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) December 20, 2023
The Canucks have now won seven of their last eight games and earned a point in the lone loss during that streak. Their road trip wraps up Thursday against the Dallas Stars.
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