FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
Pettersson’s prime-time playmaking
Elias Pettersson will draw added attention on this trip and the best way the 19-year-old rookie centre can clip the Wings is to do what he does best. An amazing three-zone awareness allows the prime-time playmaker to trigger the transition and his quick, laser-like passes are tough to defend. He sprang Brock Boeser twice with long bombs against the Avs on Friday, the first a difficult cross-ice feed and then a Sedin-like long play off the end boards.
Boeser aggravated groin in Friday win
The manner in which the Canucks rallied for an overtime win over the Avs seemed to bode well for Boeser. His goals were akin to last November and he seemed to have more giddy-up in his stride and a shoot-first mentality. He took a “maintenance” day Saturday and after a brief prepractice twirl Monday, the winger felt another twinge of pain from a groin his first injured on Oct. 18 in Winnipeg. Brendan Leipsic took his practice spot Monday.
Markstrom must stay off his knees
Jacob Markstrom is tracking pucks better and that’s a tough task for a towering stopper. However, instead of looking over defenders and opposition forwards crowding his crease, he has added a tweak to his game by peeking around crowds to keep his eyes on pucks. It’s working. He’s better at that, but can’t fall to his knees, make himself look small and allow pucks to through him or over his shoulder. It happened twice Friday.
All hands on the faceoff deck
Bo Horvat got a practice break Saturday. He has logged major minutes and defensive-zone faceoffs in the absence of Brandon Sutter and Jay Beagle. Horvat won 23 of 35 draws Friday (66 per cent) and played a career-high 25:01. Pettersson won nine of 14 faceoffs and Brendan Gaunce won four of seven.
Rasmussen finding his way
At 6-foot-6, Michael Rasmussen is going to be noticed on the wing. More importantly, the Wings have noticed the Vancouver native starting to show promise after they selected the former Tri-City Americans sniper ninth overall in the 2017 draft. He has but two goals in 12 games, but is protecting pucks better, making plays and getting some power-play time. And there was no thought of returning him to the
WHL.