Horvat getting it done at both ends of rink
Canucks centre tasked with shutting down opposition’s best line while also providing scoring
WNEW YORK hose team is this?
“I don’t know,” said Bo Horvat. “I guess we’re still trying to find that out and that’s still a good question.”
The Vancouver Canucks centre knows in the absence of the retired Henrik and Daniel Sedin, the transitioning NHL club is searching for its moral compass and leader of the pack. But a pack mentality has fuelled an encouraging 10-6-2 start.
“It’s anybody’s team right now because everybody is pushing each other to get better,” Horvat said. “We’re not relying on one or two guys.”
Well, they are relying on the electric Elias Pettersson, who turns 20 today, and has already turned heads with 10 goals in his first dozen games. A terrific triumvirate that was supposed to include the injured Brock Boeser to complement Pettersson and Horvat, has instead included Jake Virtanen taking his game to another level.
It’s why Horvat parked his normally humble and polite nature when asked about exceeding expectations. He takes issue with the pre-season consensus that these Canucks would be bottom-feeders and are years away from being a contender for a playoff position.
“A lot of guys are buying in,” he said. “Everybody wants to prove everybody wrong, that we can be a contending team and make the playoffs. That’s why we’re pushing that much harder.”
That sounds great, but sustainability is going to be difficult, especially with six injured veterans and games like Tuesday in Detroit and Saturday in Buffalo where they blew two-goal leads and had to settle for a single point. They had passengers against the Sabres. That can’t happen.
“It is the work ethic,” Horvat countered. “We don’t get too high or too down when things aren’t going well.”
Still, Horvat is hard on himself because this is everything he wished for.
Thrust into a first-line role, the 23-year-old is leading by example. He’s logging major minutes — including a whopping 24:32 Saturday — and also took 35 faceoffs as the go-to defensive-zone guy in absence of the injured Brandon Sutter and Jay Beagle. However, maintaining his club-leading 54.8 per cent success rate in the circle isn’t easy.
“You have a game plan before you go in and adjust accordingly,” he said. “For me, it’s quick and short motions.”
If that isn’t enough to impress, nine goals and 16 points are ample proof he can shoulder the difficult demand of being good with and without the puck.
“I love it, to be honest,” Horvat said of being relied on heavily. “I get more engaged in the game and I’m really into it. It is a lot of ice but I still feel fresh and not overworked.”
What got Horvat worked up years ago — and has always served as ultimate motivation — is the trade of Cory Schneider that led to his draft-day selection in 2013. Within minutes, pundits said the Canucks should have pushed for more because, at best, Horvat projected as a plodding third-line centre.
“That’s what pushes me to be better,” Horvat said. “All the negativity that came out in the begging — they should have got more and it wasn’t the right move — pushed me to be better. For me to be just a third-line centre, you hear that. People don’t think you do. To prove people wrong has pushed me to be better.”
Travis Green wasn’t sure where to start when the coach was asked to summarize Horvat’s ascent.
“He has come a long way,” said. “It’s his attention to detail and how he has to play to have success. When he gets away from it, he’s looking to put the team on his shoulders a bit by scoring.
“He’s carrying a bigger load defensively than the past and being relied upon to play against other team’s top centres. The proof is he’s still getting scoring and getting the job done at both ends. And he’s a horse to play against and he’s going to play a lot.”
The quick maturation of Pettersson has helped Horvat. Good teams have a one-two punch down the middle and 19 combined goals from the pair has made it easier for Horvat to concentrate on being that 200-foot player coaches keep harping about.
“With Petey, there’s a lot of pub (publicity) and excitement,” said Green. “But what players value as teammates is doing the right things — the little things and back check and being on the defensive side of the puck. You don’t see that a lot. He (Pettersson) gets his teammates’ respect — especially the older guys. He doesn’t cheat to create offence and still makes a lot of it.”