FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
Tonight, 5:30 p.m., United Center TV: Sportsnet; Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM
1 Hawks heating up
The Blackhawks have won five straight games and are suddenly within striking distance of a Western Conference wild-card spot. Patrick Kane was second in league scoring after 52 games with 78 points while Jonathan Toews is rejuvenated with 53 to crack the top 30 in NHL scoring. They will not only test a re-adjusted Canucks back end, they will get on them with a fast and aggressive forecheck to stymie the breakout. That was a major problem for the Canucks in the first period of Tuesday’s OT loss to the Caps.
2 Can Markstrom handle the load?
Jacob Markstrom has allowed two or fewer goals in five of his past seven starts. He was good again Tuesday, especially in a first period that could have gone sideways for the Canucks, and he understands what’s at play. He made nine straight starts in November with Anders Nilsson injured and lost just twice in regulation and twice in overtime.
3 Can Hutton shoulder more?
Ben Hutton logged a whopping 28:35 on Tuesday. It was his second highest of the season and included 2:41 as the first-unit, power-play quarterback and passing a critical test against the Cup champions. With Alex Edler sidelined with a concussion and Hutton in pairing with the improved Troy Stecher, the Canucks may have a puck-moving duo, which is rare in today’s game — and especially for the Canucks.
4 Capital punishment for Boeser
Brock Boeser was aligned with Bo Horvat and Goldobin on Tuesday and there was plenty of potential for the trio to do a lot off the rush instead of trying to create turnovers and will pucks to the net. However, Boeser was held without a shot for only the fourth time this season and didn’t even have a shot attempt. He had 11 on Monday in Philadelphia. On Tuesday, the Caps played up hard on the winger instead of backing off. Lessons learned.
5 Horvat can’t do it all on his own
Horvat looked like he was taking it upon himself to lead the Canucks to victory against the Caps. He had a failed penalty shot off a bull rush to the net, finished with five shots and three takeaways, yet was only 38% in the faceoff circle. All that bugged the future captain because the club didn’t win. Wasn’t his fault. More players need to tug on the rope.