Pushing Petey to go on the attack
Tocchet urges slick Swede to take matters into his own hands heading into playoffs
Vegas Golden Knights (42-26-8) at Vancouver Canucks (47-22-8)
When/where: Tonight, 7 p.m.,
Rogers Arena
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: 650 AM
The buzz: While sifting through the embers of a smouldering and error-filled 6-3 loss in Los Angeles on Saturday, the Canucks found a spark — a more engaged and effective Elias Pettersson.
The slick Swedish centre played at pace. He amassed six shots. He had a breakaway. He dished some sweet feeds. He set up a goal and threw three reverse hits.
And he hustled on the back check.
All that didn't make the highlight reels, but it was appointment viewing in Vancouver because of the upcoming second season.
For the Canucks to do some real damage and not be a one-and-done playoff disappointment, they'll need more than the big three of Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller and
Brock Boeser. They'll need stronger special teams play, more defensive awareness, and elite goaltending.
And they need Pettersson's mind and body in total sync.
He hasn't been an offensive juggernaut with 11 points (4-7) in his last 15 games — including four pointless outings — and his bursts of speed through the neutral zone were missing as he hesitated to shoot and do his dekes. A groin issue may have contributed to that.
Pettersson seemed removed from an amazing 12 points (7-5) in four games when the Lotto Line was briefly reunited in early January, but he still remains a fixture in NHL scoring.
He was tied for 13th heading into play Sunday with 86 points (3353), was tied for second overall with 10 game-winning goals and leads his club with 12 power play markers.
“It's my job to figure ways to get him going,” said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. “When he moves his feet, he drives plays. He's a hell of a player.
“We have to keep reminding him to get in those situations and attack.”
Pettersson responded Saturday, even when matched against twotime Selke Trophy winner Anze Kopitar.
When Ian Cole stepped up in the neutral zone to take a Boeser feed, he then found Pettersson in the high slot with a drop pass.
He had a shooting option, but with a defender falling to take it away, he quickly found Boeser, who walked in from a sharp angle and went to the deke for his career-high 39th goal to narrow the deficit to 2-1.
Pettersson was then denied on a wrister from the slot, set up Conor Garland with a Grade A backhand chances in the second period, and then drew his 28th penalty of the season with a spin move.
The history: The Canucks allowed four goals on the first eight shots they faced Tuesday and were spanked 6-3 in Sin City. They're 1-2-0 in the season series and have been outscored 11-7.
The hope: Centre Elias Lindholm returns soon after missing six games with a wrist injury. He's not putting up points with just nine (5-4) in 22 games, but his 60.4 per cent faceoff efficiency as a dominant right shot in the dot, and his chemistry with Teddy Blueger on the first penalty-kill unit has been missed.
The fear: Chasing the game once again. Slow starts are crippling the quest to secure home ice advantage in the playoffs. The Canucks have coughed up the first goal in four of their last six outings.
The top guns: Miller has 27 points (11-16) in his last 23 games and is ninth in NHL scoring with 97 points (35-62). Hughes is tied for 13th with 86 points (16-70) and leads all defencemen in scoring. The wounded: Canucks: Elias Lindholm (wrist, day-to-day), Thatcher Demko (knee, day-to-day, LTIR). Golden Knights: Mark Stone (lacerated spleen, IR), Tomas Hertl (lower body, IR), Robin Lehner (hip, IR), William Carrier (upper body, day-to-day), Nicolas Roy (undisclosed, day-to-day), Alex Pietrangelo (illness, day-to-day). The quote: “We had some chances. They converted. We didn't. Just too many egregious errors, then (the puck) is in your net.” — Tocchet on Saturday's loss to Kings. The prediction: The Canucks learn from their mistakes. They score first, they connect on the power play and grind out a 3-2 win.