PatDown: Garland deserves credit for role in Canucks' late-season push
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When it comes to goal-scoring, it’s been an underwhelming first season with the Vancouver Canucks for Conor Garland. Of that, there can be no denial: even he is on record as as being disappointed with his output in the goal-scoring department.
And the numbers don’t lie: his second period goal on Saturday night against San Jose was just his 15th of the season and his first in 20 games, while he got number 16 last night.
Certainly, the expectations were that Garland would be more productive and more consistent than he’s shown to this point in his first season with the team.
But hold on. this isn’t another – ‘trade the bum, he ain’t worth the money they’re paying him’ take – and anyone that has followed the Canucks this season knows there have been enough of those.
No, this is actually putting some shine on Conor Garland and his play of late.
While this city can’t get enough of Elias Pettersson right now, the fan base is falling in love with Vasily Podkolzin and there are even debates raging about bringing Alex Chiasson back based on a four-game burst in which he has played well and been productive: let’s just step back for a sec here and recognize Conor Garland’s contributions to the team’s last ditch push for a playoff spot.
At a point in the season when the injury bug has taken a bite out of the line-up particularly at the wing position giving others an opportunity to play more prominent roles, but also requiring others to step up, the diminutive forward quietly has 11 points in his last 12 games and on the club’s current five-game win streak…garland has contributed seven points.
In fact, while headliners Elias Pettersson and JT Miller and Bo Horvat get the lions’ share of praise for their productivity – and it’s been big and its been bold – no one on the team has more even-strength points over the past 12 games than – you guessed it – Conor Garland, who has 11.
Included in that total was an assist on the overtime winner three nights ago…when garland drove hard to the Vegas net and played an instrumental role in Quinn Hughes turning the lights out on the Knights.
Look, Conor Garland is running out of time to salvage the season in the goal-scoring department, but it’s impossible to say that he isn’t stepping up and helping this team win hockey games.
While there have been long stretches where the Canucks would have liked more from the first year winger, with the chips down, and the Canucks still in the mix, one of their smallest players has come up big.
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