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Elias Pettersson "banged up" and missing from Canucks practice

Noah Strang
Noah Strang
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Oct 18 2023, 9:44 pm
Elias Pettersson "banged up" and missing from Canucks practice
Bob Frid/USA TODAY Sports

Elias Pettersson was missing from practice today following the Vancouver Canucks’ first loss of the season last night.

Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet called Pettersson’s absence “maintenance” but did admit that he’s “banged up” from the last game.

Pettersson did wince after being hit by a Tyler Myers slap shot during the third period of the team’s 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last night.

It has not been confirmed if this incident is related to Pettersson missing today’s practice. He continued to play the rest of the game after taking the shot to the side and did not seem extremely affected.

Tocchet did not seem overly concerned that Pettersson would miss the team’s next game against the Lightning on Thursday night.

“No, I don’t think so. I think he should be fine,” Tocchet said when asked if the Swedish star’s status was in jeopardy for the next game.

Sam Lafferty skated in Pettersson’s place on the first line in practice today. The fourth-liner’s use as a placeholder indicates that the Canucks’ best forward is not in serious danger of missing tomorrow’s game.

The news that Pettersson is banged up comes at a bad time for a Canucks team that had a brutal performance against the Flyers last night. Tocchet had some very honest post-game comments, and the team will definitely be looking to bounce back in a big way tomorrow night. Potentially not having Pettersson at 100% for that game is a tough break.

Pettersson had a breakout season last year, scoring 39 goals and recording 102 points in 80 games. Through three games this year, he has one goal and five assists.

The Canucks are about to begin the Florida portion of their five-game road trip. The team has managed a 1-1-0 record through the first two games of the stretch away from home.

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