Leipsic has instant chemistry with boeser
Squeezed out of Vegas, wing looked golden in Canucks debut, Jason Botchford writes.
It’s been one game and Brendan Leipsic already gets it: When in doubt, pass it to Brock Boeser.
He managed to do it Wednesday. He landed a no-look backhand cross-slot pass to Boeser that was dripping in the sweet stuff.
Bo es er finished it with ago al against the New York Rangers that will make his highlight reel at season’s end. It will be a long one.
It was nearly glorious, but the Canucks went on to lose 6-5 in overtime — not that it matters at this time of the year.
What does matter? Finding out if Leipsic is a gem who was covered up in a role that didn’t play to his strengths.
If he’s half as good as he looked in his first game with the Canucks, the Vegas Golden Knights are going to be a dynasty. Vegas couldn’t find much room for Leipsic to grow, and he spent much of the season playing on a line centred by Cody Eakin.
He’s a fine player and that’s a fine line. It’s just not like living with Boeser.
“I’m not going to play him with (Brandon) Sutter on a checking line, I know that,” Vancouver head coach Travis Green said. “I had envisioned him playing with (Bo) Horvat and Boeser.
“He’s a really good playmaker. He has quick feet and he gets to spaces quickly. He’s got a real good knack of finding open guys.”
He did on that backhand pass to Boeser, who was admittedly surprised Leipsic was able to win a puck battle along the end boards and find the Canucks
rookie wide open, in one motion and with the corner of his eye.
It was impressive, but so was Leipsic’s entire game. He played nearly 18 minutes, which is the most ice time for him this season.
It probably helped that Green coached him on a Portland team that won the WHL title and against him when Green was driving the Utica Comets and Leipsic was a Toronto Marlie. But this transition won’t always look as easy as it did Wednesday. For one, there’s the mental process Leipsic is going through, processing a trade that saw him go from one of the best teams in the league to one of the worst.
“Any time you’re on a firstplace team and you’re leaving it, there are going to be mixed emotions,” said the 23-year-old, who was selected by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2012 NHL entry draft.
“(The Golden Knights) have a great chance this year, but my window of opportunity was closing because they are so good, I’m a younger guy and they were gearing up for a playoff run.”
That manifested in multiple recent healthy scratches for Leipsic. That’s not going to be a problem in Vancouver, as long as he plays well and works hard.
Green announced Thursday that Loui Eriksson is out for the season after suffering a broken rib. That clears up an opening in the lineup, because if he was healthy there wasn’t much chance Green was going to make Eriksson a healthy scratch.
In his 44 games with Vegas, Leipsic had two goals and 11 assists. Scoring just two goals looks like a product of bad luck because he did it with an unusually low shooting percentage of 2.9percent.
There’s reason to believe Leipsic can show enough promise in the final five weeks that he becomes the sort of player that would make the opening night lineup in the fall. Boeser wouldn’t mind that at all, if first impressions are any indication.
“It was awesome. I thought there was a lot of chemistry there ,” Bo es er said .“His energy and speed really caused a lot of turnovers. It’s a lot easier to play the game when you have control of the puck.”
In Leipsic, Boeser sees a player not unlike Thomas Vanek in terms of what he can bring to a team, including playmaking and hockey intelligence.
“I haven’t been used in too many offensive situations,” Leipsic said. “I haven’t really been given a primary role.
“I want to show I can play every shift. I want to show I’ m ready to earn a full-time spot next year.”
The interesting bonus with Leipsic is he has the ability to get under an opponent’s skin. He did it in junior. He did it in the AHL.
“I don’ t see myself as a guy who is going to go out there and hit a bunch of guys,” Leipsic said. “I don’t go looking for it. Sometimes it follows me.
“I want togo out there and work hard, and when I do that I can get chances. That’s when you hope your skill takes over.”
As far as skill goes, the Canucks are always looking for more.