BO PUTS ON A SHOW
Horvat makes his mark against Kings
After a pair of tepid pre-season tests that provided more questions than answers, the search for an exclamation point was supposed to end Thursday at Rogers Arena.
Not only did the Vancouver Canucks get tongues wagging in anticipation by deploying Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson as potent shot options on their first power-play unit, the Los Angeles Kings iced a split-squad missing Anze Kopitar, Ilya Kovalchuk, Drew Doughty, Jeff Carter and Dustin Brown.
And as much as coach Travis Green tried to temper the enthusiasm of what could be with the man advantage this NHL season, Ben Hutton wasn’t
holding back as the first-unit quarterback.
“It’s obviously making the right play at the right time, but I’ve got two pretty hot guns on both flanks,” Hutton said following the morning skate. “I just have to hit the right one at the right time. It’s going to be difficult to defend and teams are going to have to cheat one way or the other.
“And when you do that, it’s finding the low play to Bo (Horvat) or working with Peety (Pettersson) to get pucks to Brock or loading Sven (Baertschi) up on the far side.”
In theory, it sounded great. In reality, it was looking like a work in progress. However, after two failed first power-play unit deployments in the first period and just two shots, Horvat finished off a terrific three-way play to get the imagination racing again.
The power play was only 1-for6 with five shots when it struck again in the third period to make it 3-3. Another three-way passing play and Baertschi finishing it off to force overtime. Dare to dream.
Horvat would also score at even strength off the fly for a three-point night.
Here’s what we learned as the Canucks won 4-3 in a shootout as Horvat and Nikolay Goldobin scored:
PETTERSSON PLAYS ON A DIFFERENT PLANET
It was fair to wonder if two games in three nights — even at a pre-season pace — would be too much for the Swedish whiz kid. He appeared like he was having trouble getting his feet under him and the often plodding pace of play didn’t help.
It would have been easy to give the kid a pass.
However, just when you thought this might be one of those learning nights for the fresh-faced centre, he left Kings centre Michael Amadio grasping at air as he exited the defensive zone with a slick stickhandling move that showed off his soft hands.
And just when the new-look power play looked like it had nothing going, Pettersson was the spark to get it going.
He fed a quick pass to a surprised Baertschi, who allowed the offering to go between his skates. But then came Pettersson’s effortless back pass to Baertschi off the wall — just before he got hit — and the winger then fed a back pass to hit a streaking Horvat. He went stick side and the crowd went crazy.
Pettersson also showed off a slick and quick power-play wrister that forced goaltender Jack Campbell to make a tough glove save and finished with two assists.
Still, the Swedish rookie might need help in the circle. He won two of 10 faceoffs and could need a centre on his line to ease that pressure.
BOESER BETTER EQUIPPED FOR GRIND
Losing the final month of last season to a back injury shouldn’t mean a lack of confidence for the Calder Trophy finalist. The hotshot winger is healthy, fit and focused. However, confidence has been a repeated comment from Boeser.
Buoyed by an additional 10 pounds this season, while maintaining his low body-fat level, Boeser believes he’ll be able to stay strong on pucks and battle better because he’ll be targeted after 29 goals in 62 games last season. On Thursday, he fought off checks to get to the net and had a power-play chance go off a defender’s stick.
He had two shots, but nine attempts and six were blocked.
MARKSTROM DIDN’T GET MUCH HELP
Jacob Markstrom was beaten three times in regulation, but the starter was only really at fault for one and finished with 29 saves.
Markstrom was on his knees and lunging forward when Tanner Pearson went glove side, a favourite target for shooters last season. But sloppy play was more of an issue. An Adrian Kempe goal was the result of Michael Del Zotto being late in retreat and Alex Biega being caught up in the corner, which allowed the Kings’ winger to easily tap in a cross-ice crease feed. And an Emerson Etem redirect was more about the former Canuck getting too much time and space.