Pettersson sets Canucks record for most 5+ point games
Never mind Elias Pettersson’s incredible five-point night, for a second.
Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau expressed surprise at the fact that Pettersson even played Thursday night.
“That doesn’t happen,” Boudreau told reporters postgame. “I don’t think you guys realize how much of an anomaly that is, being off the ice six days and just coming in the day of the game and playing.
“It defies the logic of a hockey player.”
Not only did Pettersson play, but he had a game for the ages.
PETEY FLU GAME pic.twitter.com/rmMK1YPP4E
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 23, 2022
The superstar Swede scored twice (including the game-tying goal), registered five points in total, and scored the shootout winner in a 6-5 victory over the Seattle Kraken.
Wow.
Can confirm: Elias Pettersson is back. pic.twitter.com/kFIEFzbduL
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 23, 2022
After the game, Pettersson deflected and talked about the Canucks’ struggles when asked about his five-point night.
“Obviously, it’s a great feeling but I mean, then on the other side we score five goals, we also let in five goals, so we gotta get better in that aspect,” he said.
Pettersson also shed light on how he was feeling throughout the game.
“I mean, I was getting a little exhausted at first but… I was just trying to find energy somewhere,” he admitted.
Pettersson then gave a matter-of-fact answer when asked about if it was hard to watch the two games he didn’t play — both 5-1 losses for the Canucks.
“It was a great win today,” he said.
That it was.
Pettersson sets franchise record for most 5+ point games
It wasn’t even one month ago that Pettersson turned 24 years old. In many ways, he’s just entering the prime of his career.
That makes his record-setting feat from Thursday night that much more impressive.
The five-point outing was the fourth of Pettersson’s career. With his latest effort, he became the first player in Canucks history with more than three 5+ point outings.
There are 25 Canuck skaters who have registered at least one 5+ point game in their careers.
Of those players, only Ivan Boldriev, Cliff Ronning, and Pavel Bure accomplished that feat twice. And, before last night, only Pettersson and Alexander Mogilny had registered at least three five-point games as members of the Canucks.
Now, Pettersson is the lone Canucks to register at least five points in a game on four occasions.
Pettersson also had a chance to become just the fifth player in Canucks history to register more than five points in a game. He hit the post in overtime and, just seconds later, set up Quinn Hughes, who also rung it off the iron.
"This is insane!"#Canucks pic.twitter.com/JmCxJ19rxM
— Lachlan Irvine (@LachInTheCrease) December 23, 2022
Ronning, Markus Naslund, and Trevor Linden are the only Canucks to register six-point games, and Patrik Sundstrom stands alone as the only Canuck with a seven-point game — which he accomplished back in 1984.
Pettersson having the best season of his career
Even though he missed a couple of games, Pettersson is up there among the league leaders in scoring this season. He now has 39 points in 30 games, which is good for 14th overall in the NHL.
His 1.3 points-per-game is actually tied for 11th-best in the league with Kirill Kaprizov and Sidney Crosby.
Not bad.
Pettersson is providing value all over the ice, as evident by comments by goaltender Spencer Martin after Thursday night’s game.
“He’s a superstar in this league,” Martin said. “And not only is he doing it offensive, but he’s playing great in the d-zone as well.
“He’s one of the best players in the league. His impact, right away, showed.
“It’s not just getting the points and the goals and the shootout goal, but he’s an anchor in the d-zone as well.”
The Canucks, as constructed, just don’t have enough good defensive players on the team, but Pettersson is an exception. This team has also struggled to create offence at even strength, ranking 24th overall in the league in terms of scoring chances created.
That’s where Pettersson has made a massive difference for this middling squad.
He currently ranks fourth overall in the NHL with 3.47 points per 60 at even-strength. That trails only Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner of the Buffalo Sabres, and Morgan Geekie of the Kraken.
Geekie, a fourth-liner in Seattle, has fluked into the best even-strength scoring rate in the NHL with a pile of secondary assists.
But, there’s nothing flukey about what Pettersson’s doing right now.
He’s dominating, and last night’s performance was easily one of the best of his young career.
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