FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

Horvat makes power play potent

Can one player make a power-play difference? He can if he’s Bo Horvat. The centre won 21 of 28 draws on Tuesday versus L.A. and his net presence was a big reason the Canucks struck three times. As much as there was sharp puck movement, Horvat’s willingness to get to the net and stay there — he had three scoring chances on one power-play shift — has helped bump the PP to sixth at 22.4%.

Can Virtanen take another step?

Jake Virtanen bolted through the neutral zone on Tuesday and set up Alex Biega on a 2-on-1 rush. He also dropped the Kings’ Michael Amadio on a zone exit, causing a turnover and leading to O-zone time for Nic Dowd. Virtanen had four hits and three takeaways in 12:47. Said Travis Green: “Jake has to find a way to be hard to play against — it’s wanting to be in the battle.” He was.

Was that an Eriksson mirage?

Loui Eriksson had a career first period Tuesday. He was engaged. He was fast. He went to the net with purpose. He scored twice and then threaded a great long lead pass to set up Thomas Vanek. He had three points before six minutes elapsed. Is it sustainable or is another long drought around the corner?

Status quo, then we’ll know

A six-goal outing on Tuesday matched a season high and there was everything coach Green hoped for. But if it was just a one-off and veterans struggle, will he eventually scratch one? “Yes, I would, he said. “It hasn’t got to that yet. But we’ve talked to our group internally of what expectations are. For me, a lot of it is compete.”

Push-back is a real thing

The Trevor Lewis crosscheck that drove Brock Boeser’s head into the corner boards on Tuesday was met with a tepid response. Words were exchanged, but nobody went after the Kings winger. That’s not good. Boeser is going to be a target most nights. There has to be a push-back.