Canucks Takeaways: Delia sharp, Hughes and Petterson stay hot vs. Ducks

Rancho Cucamonga cowabunga!

Chances are you’ll not recognize that lede until you’re Collin Delia or a Teenage Mutant Turtle. Go forward, Nobel laureates for literature, criticize if you want. 

However bear in mind, Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks was Recreation 69 for the Vancouver Canucks, who’re two months into rubbish time, and these are our third post-game “Takeaways” in 4 nights. So lower us some slack, and present a bit respect for Delia, the backup goalie who grew up a couple of half-hour northeast of the Pond in Anaheim and on Sunday, in his first begin since Feb. 21, stopped 17 of 18 pictures for his first win since Feb. 9.

Delia got here inside seven minutes of turning into the primary California-born goalie to submit a Nationwide Hockey League shutout in his dwelling state. The Californian who may need performed it by now, Thatcher Demko, watched Delia from the Canucks’ bench after beginning 5 straight video games, together with Saturday’s inconceivable 3-2 shootout win in opposition to the Los Angeles Kings.

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Taking part in for the second time in lower than 24 hours, the Canucks dominated the Geese to increase their profitable streak in opposition to California groups to 10 video games.

Anaheim generated solely 11 even-strength pictures and was outshot 21-5 and outscored 2-0 by the Canucks within the first 25 minutes. Vancouver’s defensive gem got here after the Kings peppered Demko with 40 pictures and held the Canucks to simply six pictures on internet by means of 48 minutes.

Pictures on Sunday completed 40-18 for the Canucks. However as a result of Geese goalie John Gibson was so sharp, Delia additionally wanted to be. He received throughout his internet to cease Trevor Zegras’ baseball line drive within the second interval, when he additionally stuffed Frank Vatrano on a breakaway.

The one puck that beat him was a financial institution shot by Ryan Strome that dribbled by means of Delia with 6:50 remaining after Canuck J.T. Miller had the puck bounce over his stick when he was going to strive stickhandling out of hazard close to the Vancouver internet.

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However Miller additionally rocketed a missile previous Gibson to open scoring on a delayed penalty at 9:05 of the primary interval, earlier than Elias Pettersson made it 2-0 on an influence play at 1:31 of the second with an unscreened and unstoppable wrist shot over the goalie’s shoulder from the right-wing faceoff dot.

The Canucks have gained seven of their final eight video games to inch nearer to .500 (31-33-5) and farther from Connor Bedard (generational draft prospect who would like to play at dwelling in Vancouver).

Vancouver opens a two-game homestand Tuesday in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights.

GREAT PLAYERS IN GRATING SEASON

Pettersson’s objective and help moved him right into a tie for seventh in NHL scoring with 88 factors in his 67 video games. And his 33^rd objective is a brand new career-high for the 24-year-old centre. With 13 video games remaining, Pettersson ought to turn into the primary Canuck to surpass 100 factors since Henrik and Daniel Sedin gained their NHL scoring titles in 2010 and 2011. 

When he hits his spot, his shot seems to be unstoppable lately – and so does Pettersson. Towards the Geese, even-strength pictures have been 11-2 when he was on the ice. On a staff that has been outscored by 25 objectives this season, Pettersson is plus-14 and has maintained constructive metrics throughout the analytics board. Regardless of the Canucks’ disappointing season, Pettersson deserves to be on some Selke Trophy ballots this spring.

After which there may be Quinn Hughes, whose pair of assists on Sunday made him the primary NHL defenceman to submit consecutive 60-assist seasons since Corridor-of-Famers Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey final did it 29 years in the past. Let that sink in. Bourque and Coffey gained eight Norris Trophies between them.

In his profession, Hughes’ 0.76 assists per sport are the third-most in league historical past, behind solely Coffey ( 0.81) and Bobby Orr (0.98). Take into consideration that, too. At age 23, Hughes will not be solely already the very best defenceman the Canucks have ever had, however on tempo to be one of the crucial elite creators of offence from the blue line in NHL historical past.

Caught on the West Coast, enjoying for what has been a nasty staff, Hughes will get little love outdoors his personal market. There’s a defensive bias in opposition to him. Perhaps a dimension bias, too. However like Pettersson, Hughes additionally drives possession and is a team-leading plus-16. Two years in the past, he was minus-24. The Canucks have outscored opponents 82-63 at five-on-five with Hughes on the ice.

His all-world agility and elusiveness, in addition to his offensive expertise, have been apparent since Hughes was a runner-up to Cale Makar because the 2020 rookie of the yr. To be an elite defenceman, Hughes simply wanted to be a bit higher defensively, and he has been far more than that since Rick Tocchet took over as coach two months in the past.

“I believe he’s simply been a terrific chief,” Tocchet mentioned Sunday. “I haven’t actually seen a nasty sport out of him. He’s very constant. Clearly, the assists are nice and his breakouts are unimaginable. The Coffeys or the world, (Scott) Niedermayer and Bourque, they’re nice breakout guys. He’s climbing that ladder. I don’t need to give it to him but, however he’s climbing that ladder.”

LINE CHANGE

Winger Vitali Kravtsov returned to the Canucks lineup after sitting out Saturday, whereas Jack Studnicka went again to the press field. Tyler Myers, who missed Saturday’s sport on account of sickness, logged 20:26 upon his return Sunday.

Anthony Beauvillier led the Canucks with 5 pictures heading in the right direction, and defenceman Noah Juulsen had a team-high 5 hits. Apart from his objective and help and 4 pictures, Miller went 14-8 within the faceoff circle.

QUOTEBOOK

Tocchet: “While you don’t play properly, you at all times search for gamers which have responses. And I noticed some good response with some gamers that weren’t engaged final night time. That’s what the sport is all about. . . having the ability to reply if issues don’t go your means.”

Extra from Sportsnet

Canucks Takeaways: ‘Bubble Demko’ form continues as goalie shows brilliance vs. Kings

Canucks Takeaways: A deserved but well-timed loss vs. Coyotes

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