Browsing: Canucks

They had none of it to start the game, sleepwalking through the first period and emerging fortunate to have not spotted the Vancouver Canucks a bigger lead than 1-0.

The Canadiens didnâ€t start the second any better before falling down 2-0 in the eighth minute of the second period. They were flat, they were forcing passes, they were disconnected at five-on-five, and they were playing the exact type of game that would force their power play to come through.

Turns out the timing was ripe because the Canadiens’ power play, as currently constructed, was designed to do exactly that.

They didnâ€t need it to get them to 6-2-0, but it wouldâ€ve helped them avoid a loss in Edmonton had it hit the ice more than once in that game.

On Saturday, with Demidov replacing Zachary Bolduc and occupying the right half-wall of the top unit for just the second time this season, it offered up three rescue breaths to help the Canadiens turn a sure loss into a 4-3 win. And, in the process, it served notice that itâ€ll be a force to be reckoned with moving forward.

Just having Demidov across from Suzuki makes it so.

“You think back to Tampa, with (Steven) Stamkos and (Nikita) Kucherov kind of going seam-seam, thatâ€s hard to defend,†said Mike Matheson. “Once you can rely that itâ€s going to be in one guyâ€s hands a bit more, you can read off that as a P.K. But when thereâ€s two guys (opposite each other) who are really good with the puck, it really adds an element.â€

Itâ€s not as if Martin St. Louis didnâ€t know.

Long before taking over the Canadiens†bench in February of 2022, he spent plenty of time at his vacation home in Tampa Bay, watching Stamkos and Kucherov torch their opposition time and time again. The coach also had Demidov playing with Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson through the end of Montrealâ€s first-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals last spring, so he had a fair idea of what they could do together before this season started.

But with Noah Dobson traded for and signed over the summer, and with Patrik Laine healthy, the coach sought more balance by opting to split Suzuki and Demidov so that each power-play unit could have an elite playmaker on it.

With Laine not making the trip through Western Canada, and with him later going under the knife to repair a torn core muscle that will require a three-to-four-month recovery, the impetus to move Demidov up was created.

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There were other things steering St. Louis in that direction, too.

“Iâ€ve known all along that Demi can play on the first wave, first power play,†St. Louis said. “I feel I got to a certain point with Demi where he showed me heâ€s willing to play on the other side of the game, the defensive game, and heâ€s actually very attentive and trying to keep getting better. So, for me, all signs led to: itâ€s time. And it was also a chance for me to get him more ice-time.â€

With it, Demidov not only helped turn around a rough game for the Canadiens; he also helped turn around a game he later said was not his best.

The pass to Suzuki, on a play where just about anyone else wouldâ€ve shot, was brilliant. He made another one to Slafkovsky to tie the game 2-2 just 1:50 into the third period. And then the 19-year-old Russian made several other deceptive ones and just missed scoring on an open net on the teamâ€s final power play to create the momentum Matheson capitalized on at five-on-five seconds later to put the Canadiens up 3-2.

Less than three minutes after that, Demidov completed his best even-strength shift of the night with a one-timer that proved to be the winning goal after a late surge netted the Canucks a goal off Conor Garlandâ€s stick.

But it all started with a power play that came into the game ranked 22nd in the NHL and came out of it ranked 12th.

Hutson, who runs the middle of the point of the top unit, said whatâ€s happening on both sides of him opens all kinds of options that wouldnâ€t otherwise be there.

“I donâ€t think thereâ€s any great strategy (to defend Demidov across from Suzuki),†he said. “Theyâ€re both so dangerous, and theyâ€re kind of learning what works against different kills and all that stuff. So, I think, maybe just stay back and hope they donâ€t seam you.â€

Itâ€s what both Demidov and Suzuki are looking for.

“Heâ€s looking for a seam, heâ€s looking for someoneâ€s stick in the wrong spot so he can hit a seam, heâ€s looking for guys in space, and I try to get in space so I have space to get a puck,†Hutson said of Demidov, but he just as easily couldâ€ve been referring to Suzuki.

The deception with which both players operate makes them a lethal combination.

On this night, it was a life-saving one for the Canadiens.

Outside of the line of Kirby Dach, Joe Veleno and Bolduc, they didnâ€t have much of anything going at five-on-five, which made this game an outlier.

But there will be others like it, and for the Canadiens to know they can change the outcome as convincingly as they did with the man-advantage Saturday is to know they have a chance to win any game.

“Itâ€s great,†said Slafkovsky. “Thatâ€s what changed the momentum… There will be games where itâ€s not going to work fully. But I feel like if we get three chances, we need at least one from our power play every time.â€

So far, Montrealâ€s top unit is two-for-four. And though we wonâ€t read too deeply into such a small sample, we like its chances of scoring on one of every three.

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Montreal (7-3-0) fell behind 2-0 midway through the second period before captain Nick Suzuki sparked the resurgence with a power-play goal that extended his point streak to nine games (two goals, 11 assists).

Juraj Slafkovsky followed with a power-play goal of his own early in the third before Mike Matheson scored at the 8:19 mark to give the Habs the lead.

Demidov added another tally, Alexandre Carrier contributed two assists, and goalie Jakub Dobes stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced.

Elias Pettersson scored and had two assists and Conor Garland registered one of each for the Canucks (4-5-0).

Vancouver also got a goal from Jake DeBrusk, two assists from captain Quinn Hughes and 20 saves from Kevin Lankinen as the team dropped its third straight game.

Canucks: The home side took a 2-0 lead midway through the second period when DeBrusk tipped in a Quinn Hughes shot on the power play, but ran into penalty trouble midway through the frame and saw Montreal level the score and take the momentum.

Canadiens: With Patrik Laine expected to miss several months following surgery for a core injury, the Habs will need to look elsewhere for offence. Several players stepped up Saturday, with eight players netting a goal, an assist or both.

Slafkovsky levelled the score at 2-2 less than two minutes into the third period, firing a wrist shot in from the bottom of the faceoff circle on Montreal’s second man advantage of the night.

Garland collected his 300th NHL point with his goal 16:12 into the third period.

Canadiens: Visit the Kraken in Seattle on Tuesday.

Canucks: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.

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It was a winning road trip for the Vancouver Canucks even if it didnâ€t feel that way.

Most times on a five-game trip, if the visiting teamâ€s travel record is 3-1 heading into the last stop on the tour, that final game feels like a bonus. Win and itâ€s a superb trip. Lose and itâ€s still a successful one with six points out of 10. Go .600 on the road all season and youâ€d need to be putrid at home not to make the National Hockey League playoffs.

Normally, you take 3-2-0 in a heartbeat. Get home, rest up and use your own rink to your advantage.

The problem for the Canucks is that Thursdayâ€s travel finale, which they lost 2-1 to the struggling Nashville Predators, looked at least as winnable as the back-to-back home games Vancouver has this weekend against the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers.

For the Canucks, there are other problems, of course. There is a potential crisis at centre with no safety net even before Filip Chytil crashed with another apparent concussion Sunday in Washington. The Canucks arenâ€t scoring — two goals in their last seven periods — and their power play has suddenly disappeared.

The power play went 0-for-5 on Thursday, which included a 90-second five-on-three near the end of the first period, and actually finished minus-one because Ryan Oâ€Reilly opened scoring shorthanded for Nashville at 9:01 of the second period.

Big picture, Thursdayâ€s game felt like a missed opportunity for the Canucks not only to add an exclamation mark to their trip but, more essentially, simply stash two more available points in the standings. Two points that may be harder to come by this weekend.

The Canadiens will be in Vancouver before the Canucks get home and had won six of seven before losing 6-5 in Edmonton on Thursday. And the Oilers, though scuffling themselves and playing their own back-to-backs this weekend, still have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and fairly dominated Vancouver in a 3-1 win on Thanksgiving Weekend.

In Nashville, the Canucks managed more energy and a better game than they displayed in Tuesdayâ€s 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. But they were outshot 35-22 by a Predators team that had been winless in four, and the Canucks were outplayed at five-on-five.

Still, it was 1-1 heading into the third period, with both points there to be seized.

But the Canucks were slow to close down Justin Barron at the point, the Predatorâ€s shot was tipped by Cole Smith between goalie Thatcher Demkoâ€s pads and the puck rolled on edge just over the goal-line for Nashvilleâ€s winner at 5:09 of the third period.

Playing their fifth game in eight nights with two time-zone changes, the Canucks generated only seven shots in the third period. Brock Boeser, back from a two-game leave of absence for personal reasons, had one of the few good chances to tie it but couldnâ€t elevate his shot from the hashmarks over Juuse Saros†pad just before the buzzer.

By the time the Canucks see the Oilers on Sunday at Rogers Arena, it will be Vancouverâ€s seventh game in 11 nights.

Itâ€s important to remember the unease hovering around the Canucks when their five-game odyssey began after disconcerting losses to the Oilers and St. Louis Blues.

The team chased away those doubts with impressive wins in Dallas, Chicago and Washington to start the road trip.

But since Chytil was crushed in the final minute of the first period in Washington on Sunday, Vancouver has been outscored 10-3 and lost a pair of games against teams almost nobody is picking to make the playoffs.

The Canucks are 4-4 through eight games. Equal shares of good and bad.

Promoted from minor-league Abbotsford for the road trip, Max Sasson scored his third goal in five games. The skill he displayed in doing a spin-o-rama with the puck in the neutral zone to beat Barron along the boards, then skate away on a breakaway and fool Saros with a quick shot between his pads is why the 25-year-old is changing the narrative around him.

Yes, Sasson is an undrafted, late-bloomer who is undersized and speedy. He had only three goals in 29 games for the Canucks last season. But he is showing on this recall that he can make plays at the NHL level and may yet be able to transport his offensive game from the AHL. Is he the second-line replacement for Chytil? He shouldnâ€t be, not this season.

But Sasson has speed and skill the Canucks need, and he looks capable of breaking through the low ceiling attached to most second-tier prospects.

And by the way, it was a heckuva assist on his goal by another minor-league callup, Sassonâ€s AHL linemate Linus Karlsson, who used his heavy stick and game to emerge with the puck against two Predators behind the Canucks†net, then send a stretch-pass up ice.

Sure, Smithâ€s fortunate deflection broke a 1-1 tie in the third period. But, honestly, the game was decided by a Vancouver power play that allowed Oâ€Reilly to open scoring shorthanded on a two-on-one. It capped an atrocious minus-one night for the Canucks†man-advantage unit.

The power play was mostly peripheral, and the decisive puck movement and player interchanges we saw in the pre-season and the start of October have been missing the last two games. The Canucks were bullied on special teams in both.

WHATâ€S WRONG WITH QUINN HUGHES?

That headline-question gets asked as often in Vancouver as: “Why is this condo so cheap?â€

Hughes is the Canucks†superstar, their one game-changer, not including Demko. And even when he isnâ€t generating goals, Hughes always seems to have the puck and is generating chances.

But Vancouverâ€s captain seems to be pressing so much to help his team win that it is getting counter-productive.

Usually a play-driving force of nature, Hughes had no points and two shots in 29:26 of ice time in Nashville and, almost inconceivably, Vancouver was outshot 18-6 at five-on-five with its best player on the ice. Hughes†expected-goals-for share of 33.5 per cent looked like a misprint.

Through eight games, the Canucks have been outshot 91-64 at five-on-five with Hughes, and that shot-share of 41.3 per cent is more than 14 points below his elite level from last season.

The Canucks have 74 games to go and their surest thing is Quinn Hughes. But through two weeks, the Canucks†desperation is reflected by Hughes†desperation. Even with the greatest players on Earth, less is more sometimes.

Foote on power play: “The last three games, teams have been pressing us a lot on our power play. I think we have to move our feet a little bit more. . . and get a few more pucks to the net. We had some good looks, but it would have been nice to get one there (on the five-on-three).â€

Foote on the schedule: “We donâ€t have much time to, you know, get our legs back. But it is a condensed season that we all are aware of, and weâ€ve been aware of it for a long time. Itâ€s happening to every team, and every team is going to have their. . . tough week or tough two weeks. This is a tough one for us, but weâ€re going to be pros and get ready for the next one.â€

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And yet all of them received more five-on-five ice time than Elias Pettersson against the Penguins. Pettersson played 9:29 — nearly six fewer minutes than Raty (15:06), one minute fewer than Aman (10:32) and nearly a minute fewer than Sasson (10:22).Â

When considering how depleted Vancouverâ€s forward lineup was on Tuesday, why didnâ€t coach Adam Foote lean more on his No. 1 centre at five-on-five?

“He (had) eight minutes (on) special teams and probably (had) two shifts in the last eight minutes because we were down 5-1,†Foote said Thursday, before the Canucks faced the Nashville Predators. “When youâ€re playing eight minutes on special teams, mainly because of our injuries, those are harder minutes, killing penalties, things like that.â€Â Â

Despite scoring on the first shot of the game Tuesday, Petterssonâ€s line with Conor Garland and Jake DeBrusk finished with 6:40 of even-strength ice time — third behind Ratyâ€s (9:22) and Sassonâ€s (8:25) lines.Â

The 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh was the third time in seven games this season that Pettersson played fewer than 10 minutes at five-on-five. His 11:25 average ice time at five-on-five — down from 13:41 per game last season — ranks 237th out of 359 forwards who have played at least five games.Â

Foote noted that Petterssonâ€s average ice time on special teams has risen from 3:46 per game last season to five minutes this season.

“Harder minutes are going to be special-team minutes, which his are up from last year,†Foote said. “So when youâ€re up at the eight-minute mark (Tuesday) and youâ€re down 5-1 and youâ€ve had three games in three-and-a-half days, youâ€re trying to manage the guy physically, not put him in a place to get injured, either.â€

Pettersson, who is under constant pressure to live up to his $11.6 million-a-year contract, has been active defensively but somewhat quiet offensively. He has 10 scoring chances in all situations (1.43 per game), according to Sportlogiq. Also, he has won just 40.9 per cent of his faceoffs, which ranks 86th out of 93 players who have taken at least 15 per cent of their teamâ€s total draws. (Pettersson went 5-for-22 in the faceoff circle Tuesday, including 1-for-9 versus Sidney Crosby in the defensive zone.)

Foote also said Thursday morning that Brock Boeser will play against the Predators after missing the past two games for personal reasons. Boeser, who has three goals in five games, will start on a line with Sasson and DeBrusk. Evander Kane most likely will replace DeBrusk on Petterssonâ€s line, opposite Garland.Â

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But the crash didnâ€t happen until the second period, and had they gotten more out of an impressive first, the Canucks might have been riding a four-game road winning streak into Thursdayâ€s game in Nashville. Instead, the Penguins scored three times in a little more than three minutes with the Canucks running on empty in the middle frame and won 5-1 at PPG Paints Arena.

“We could have been up three or four nothing in the first 10 minutes, but it didn’t happen,†Canucks coach Adam Foote said. “I think you run out of a little bit of gas, you put yourself in a situation where you take some penalties. . . you probably, most likely, wouldn’t take. So, I mean, a lot of good things early and, you know, we looked like we just ran out a little bit of gas.â€

The energy boost the Canucks hoped would be a byproduct of inserting four new players into their lineup, two directly from the minors, since Sundayâ€s emotional and injury-riddled win in Washington never really materialized.

Conor Garland, the best Canuck skater this season, did blister a low slapshot into the Penguins†net to make it 1-0 at 1:18 after a beautiful touch pass into space by Elias Pettersson. And although weâ€re not sure about 3-0 or 4-0, Canucks had other excellent chances to double their lead, like Jake DeBrusk failing to convert Quinn Hughes†pass at the top of the crease and Max Sasson getting stopped on a backhand in the low slot.

And even during Evander Kaneâ€s hooking penalty at 8:23, Pettersson missed the net on a shorthanded two-on-one.

Shots were 5-0 Vancouver at the time of Kaneâ€s penalty, and 20-8 for Pittsburgh from then until the second intermission.

“It’s definitely been a lot of games in a short amount of time,†Canuck winger Drew Oâ€Connor said. “But I don’t think we look at it like we won three, so we can take our foot off the gas now. We want to win every game, so itâ€s disappointing not getting this one.

“Obviously, the power play for them was a big difference. Those two power play goals kind of puts it out of reach. I don’t know if we let up a little bit and they started to dictate play, but I think we had a little stretch there where they kind of took over and we didn’t push back enough.â€

With five players injured or on leave, the Canucks simply donâ€t have the margins to win games if theyâ€re getting outplayed on special teams and winning only 31 per cent of faceoffs (18 out of 58) like they did Tuesday.

Pittsburghâ€s power play was 2-for-5, Vancouverâ€s 0-for-3.

While the Penguins look like a kind of Heroes-of-Hockey farewell tour with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson headlining the lineup, the players who did damage on Tuesday included Connor Dewar and Tommy Novak, Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha.

It was a systemic victory for the Penguins, who simply won most of the puck battles in the middle period, were better with the puck, forced the Canucks to defend and outmuscled them around the net.

And to top it off, Vancouverâ€s former third-string goalie, Penguins starter Arturs Silovs, outplayed the goalie who made him dispensable, Kevin Lankinen.

Lankinen was beaten five times on 25 shots. Silovs couldnâ€t stop the first shot he faced, but saved the next 23.

“Honestly, I think that they just stuck to their game and we had some turnovers that werenâ€t happening in the first and caught up to us in the second,†DeBrusk said. “They got some momentum, and those guys know what to do with momentum over there.â€

“I don’t know, there’s lots of guys that have been called up,†DeBrusk said. “They’re excited and they want to stay, and they bring excitement and energy. I don’t necessarily know if it was a letdown in that sense. We had a good first period. We were in the driver’s seat and then they took it to us.â€

Despite the Canucks needing goals and lacking a couple of key offensive players, DeBrusk logged only 13:50 of ice time on the first line. Pettersson finished with 16:56, and although Garland played 19:51, his even-strength ice time of 9:38 was third-lowest among Vancouver forwards.

Of course, Pettersson also went 5-17 on faceoffs, which didnâ€t help the power play.

“It starts with me,†he said. “If I win more draws, we start with the puck. I think I was 1-5 (on the power play); that’s not good enough. Keep having to break the puck in instead of starting with the puck. Everything starts with me winning the draw. Start from there.â€

Max Sasson was 1-7 on faceoffs and got overpowered by Mantha on the Penguinâ€s goal that capped the three-goal explosion at 17:29 of the second period. Even the Canucks†faceoff ace, Aatu Raty, was 9-9. But put another way, the rest of the team was 9-31. Crosby went 15-5 in the circle for Pittsburgh, and the Penguins†top penalty-killer, Noel Acciari, was 11-1.

“The faceoff is so important,†Oâ€Connor said. “It feels a lot different when you start with the puck every shift instead of kind of chasing the puck. It’s just a different feeling. I think we’ve been pretty good on draws most of the year. It makes a big difference when we’re winning those, so that’s another thing that we’re always working on.â€

Foote said there is a “good chance†top winger Brock Boeser will be back from his personal leave for Thursdayâ€s road-trip finale against the Predators. Penalty-killing centre Teddy Blueger, who was questionable for Pittsburgh, could also play in Nashville.

But the Canucks just have to be better. They need to be sharper with the puck, more effective on special teams and get more saves with Thatcher Demko in net. They also canâ€t sag if things donâ€t go their way early. Their three-game winning streak was built on resilience.

“You don’t want to lose two in a row,†DeBrusk said.

“We did have a good start to the trip,†Oâ€Connor said. “Weâ€ve got one more to close it out and hopefully make it a really good trip.â€

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PITTSBURGH – Asked after Tuesdayâ€s morning skate here about the most difficult part of his long journey back to the Vancouver Canucks, Joe LaBate paused as he was ambushed by emotion.

“Just different setbacks,†he said. “You get momentum, and then you get a setback. Just stuff that happens. But no, man, I love this game. I love hockey. I love how hard it is. Like, never once has it crossed my mind to stop. I always had that goal to make it back to the NHL and just do whatever it takes.â€

More than 8 ½ years since LaBate, 32, played the last of his 13 games with the Canucks – and with only six National Hockey League games in between – the physical six-foot-five forward is expected in the lineup Tuesday when Vancouver plays the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Signed as a free agent by the Canucks on July 1, LaBate was recalled from the American Hockey League on Monday after Canucks Filip Chytil, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Teddy Blueger were all injured in Sundayâ€s 4-3 win against the Washington Capitals.

Brock Boeser also left the team that day for personal reasons and was not at the morning skate here.

LaBate and Boeser are from the same hometown, Burnsville, Minn., and their older brothers are best friends.

“His older brother’s Paul, and my brother’s Peter, and they’ve been best friends since early in high school,†LaBate said. “We did a guys trip every year. I’ve known Brock probably since he was, like, 12. Being at the same camps or training facilities (in Minnesota), and then together in the summer. So Iâ€ve known Brock for a long time. Great guy, and it’s pretty awesome to be on the same team again.â€

LaBate skated Tuesday morning on the fourth line beside fellow callup Nils Aman and Drew Oâ€Connor.

His last NHL game for the Canucks was on March 28, 2017 when he logged 5:55 in a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Willie Desjardins was in his final weeks as Vancouverâ€s coach. LaBate had been drafted six years earlier by general manager Mike Gillis.

“It’s funny because after the game, I got an email from the (video) coach sending me highlight clips of how I played,†LaBate recalled. “And they’re saying, ‘This is exactly how you need to play, this is what we need.†And it was my last game. I just remember (Ryan) Kesler wanting to kill me and, you know, just playing a hard-nosed game. That’s the game I remember. It’s been a while.â€

LaBate required major hip surgery after that season and spent “seven or eight†months recovering.

“I had to learn basically how to skate again and all that stuff,†he said.

After three years in the Canucks†system, the University of Wisconsin graduate spent three seasons with the Ottawa Senators†farm team in Belleville, Ont., and then an AHL season in Milwaukee, and another one in Chicago.

When LaBate moved to Astana in Kazakhstan to play the 2023-24 season in the Kontinental Hockey League at age 30, it had the potential to be a one-way ticket out of North America.

“I got a ton of opportunity in a very good league,†he said. “I just grew my game a lot, I think, and it helped me a lot with adversity. The way that I went into it was, you know, kind of like a revamp, a refresh. Let’s see what I can do and go from there. Obviously, I had goals to make it back to the NHL, but I think going over there was like… let’s make a change and grow my game. See what happens.â€

It earned him a two-way, one-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets, for whom LaBate played six NHL games last season.

That earned LaBate interest from several teams, he said, including the Canucks. There had been a mountain of organizational turnover since he left the organization, but one trusted figure remained: Vancouver assistant general manager Ryan Johnson, who had run the Canucks farm team in Utica, N.Y., where LaBateâ€s career started.

The Canucks signed him to a two-way contract that pays $775,000 in the NHL and $350,000 in the minors.

“I saw a good opportunity here for a player like me,†LaBate explained. “And, you know, I’ve known R.J. since I got drafted. Obviously, management has changed, but R.J. has been here, and some other guys have been here that I’ve played with. So there were connections there. We just saw an opportunity for a hard-nosed player to come in and make an impact.â€

Eleven years as a pro, LaBate has played 460 games in the AHL and 19 in the NHL. Tonight, he will have a chance to score his first NHL goal in Game 20. At age 32.

“It’s incredible,†he said. “I mean, honestly, it’s hard to put into words. If I think hard about it, it’s emotional. Yeah, it’s been a journey. But I’m just so happy to be here and help this team. Iâ€ll do everything I can.â€

DeBrusk-Pettersson-Garland

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TheVancouver Canucks recalled the 2023 first-rounder from the AHL on Monday, alongside forward Nils Ã…man and assigned defenceman Jimmy Schuldt to Abbotsford.

Willander, 20, signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canucks in May, making the jump to professional hockey.

The right-shot D-man began the year in Abbotsford after playing in three pre-season game with Vancouver. In the exhibition contests, he averaged 16:33 of ice time and took two shots on goal.

Through four games in the AHL, Willander scored one goal and carried a minus-5 rating.

In 2024-25, the Swedish-born Willander completed his second season with the Boston University Terriers, notching two goals and 24 points in 39 games. In 77 total games with the Terriers, he recorded 49 points.

The moves come after Vancouver was forced to place forwards Filip Chytil and Jonathan Lekkerimaki on injured reserve earlier Monday.

Ã…man has appeared in games with the Canucks in each of the past three seasons. In 130 career NHL games, he has eight goals and 29 points.

He return to Abbotsford to begin 2025-26, and registered three assists in four games.

Schuldt, meanwhile, hadn’t played a regular-season game with Vancouver this season. He arrived with the organization on a two-year, two-way contract in the off-season.

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WASHINGTON – The Vancouver Canucks†most emotional moment Sunday, in a game brimming with them, occurred not on the ice but in their dressing room in the first intermission.

After their best period of the National Hockey League season ended with a three-goal lead against the Washington Capitals and a devastating blindside hit on Canuck centre Filip Chytil, whose career has looked jeopardized by previous concussions, Vancouver players had to measure their anger and sadness about Tom Wilson injuring their friend against the importance of winning the game.

“I mean, guys hung in there together,†winger Conor Garland said. “We didn’t get stupid. I think we were, you know, focused on Filip, which is normal. That’s a friend of ours, a great teammate. And to lose him to that (hit), you never want to see. But just to stay focused and band together was great. It felt like the bench was pretty wide open today.â€

Longest-tenured Canuck Brock Boeser was already missing, suddenly on leave for personal reasons.

Canuck rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki also did not survive the first period, suffering a possible shoulder injury in a collision with Capitals defenceman Matt Roy along the boards. Another Vancouver centre, Teddy Blueger, who scored his first goal of the season in the second period after missing the first four games with a knee injury, did not finish the third period when the Canucks were under siege.

Amid all this, there was Swedish rookie Linus Karlsson engaging Wilson without hesitating. And defenceman Victor Mancini had never had a fight in his life – “Like, a full-on fight, never. In school, I was a pretty peaceful kid, I guess†– but traded bombs with Brandon Duhaime in the second period.

The oldest Canuck, Tyler Myers, 35, logged 25:50 on defence and contributed a goal and assist. Elias Pettersson scored his first of the season and dug in for the battle, blocking a pair of Alex Ovechkin shots in the final minute, Garland played a foot taller than his five-foot-nine frame and Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko was again outstanding.

With all this, the Canucks hung on to beat the powerful Capitals 4-3 for their third road win over two time zones in less than 72 hours.

“It’s insane; we just stuck together,†winger Kiefer Sherwood said after his career-high 23:16 of ice time included a goal and four hits. “The coaches made sure that we didn’t get too haywire after losing Heats there. I don’t know if it was clean or dirty, but when you see a guy that’s dealt with that (concussion) stuff. . . you just feel really sorry for him, you know?

“I mean, we’re a family here. It was emotional in between periods, and we just kind of had to gather ourselves and stick together. Everyone went in there (to the medical room) and saw Heats, just trying to lift his spirits and stuff. And then Lekky, and then Teddy at the end. We were down to nine forwards; Iâ€ve never seen something like that.â€

As weâ€ve said before, every win may be worth the same two points, but not every win is equal.

With Sundayâ€s victory, the Canucks†third straight after a sketchy opening weekend to the season, the family got a little closer. And the team got a lot closer to re-establishing its identity after last yearâ€s lost season.

“You know, the schedule’s been tough the last three days,†Demko said. “We had some pressure on us coming into this road trip; I’m not going to pretend like it’s not there. Media was talking about it, guys in our room were talking about it, coaching staff’s talking about it. I think we all knew what position we were in coming into the trip, and to get the first three (wins) is huge. It’s been a great start to the trip.â€

The Canucks will rest Monday before visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Theyâ€ll need more players.

Centre Aatu Raty, a healthy scratch the last two games due to the return of Blueger, will go back into the lineup and minor-league callup Max Sasson could find himself centring the second line.

But depending on the status of Boeser, Lekkerimaki and Blueger, the team may need to recall a couple of forwards from the Abbotsford Canucks. Vancouverâ€s road trip ends Thursday in Nashville.

Coach Adam Foote told reporters after the game that Boeser, at least, should be back soon. The wingerâ€s departure was announced by general manager Patrik Allvin less than an hour before faceoff.

“I’m hearing that it’s not going to be long at all,†Foote said.

On Wilsonâ€s open-ice hit with 36 seconds left in the first period, Foote said: “It looked like, from my first view, that it was a clean hit. Iâ€ve got to look at it again. I mean, he’s a big guy. I liked the way our players didnâ€t get caught… in the trap after a hit like that, running after him and trying to get him. We have to get two points first. That other stuff takes care of itself later down the road, if it needs to be taken care of.â€

The Canucks were up 3-0 when Wilson crushed Chytil, who was looking right and following his pass into the neutral zone as one of the NHLâ€s most notorious players closed on him from the left. The hit looked a step late.

Pettersson picked the top corner from a Garland pass just 59 seconds into the game, and Myers†cleanup from a chaotic scramble doubled the Canucks†lead at 17:09. When Capitals coach Spencer Carbery unsuccessfully challenged the goal because Canuck Evander Kane had contacted goalie Charlie Lindgren in the mosh pit around the net, Vancouverâ€s power play made it 3-0 at 17:52 when Sherwood tapped in a loose puck.

Bluegerâ€s goal, on a savvy kick-pass from Kane after Myers forced a turnover inside the Washington blue line, made it 4-0 at 4:54 of the middle period.

But Ryan Leonard, after a brilliant initial save by Demko, scored on a Capitals†power play at 13:42 of the second period. The Canucks†short bench and long travel worked against them in the third period, and goals by Jakob Chychrun and John Carlson brought the Capitals within one with 2:14 remaining.

With Washington attacking six-on-five, Vancouver survived an awful giveaway by Kane, got the two blocks from Pettersson and others from Myers and Sherwood, and Demko made the last of his 27 saves on a sharp Ovechkin redirect one second remaining.

“We bent there, but we didn’t break and we just stuck together,†Sherwood said. “We literally used every guy tonight. Demmer stood on his head, and the D were just mucking it out, and we got everyone just contributing and pulling the rope together.

“It’s a high-character win against a good team. Really happy with the way the guys just dug in and got it done.â€

Mancini on fighting Duhaime:†I mean, he asked me and I wasn’t going to turn him down. Especially in those circumstances — obviously, that’s not the guy who hit Fil — but I want to protect my teammates, stand up for my teammates. So, yeah, I was ready to answer the bell.â€

Karlsson on grabbing Wilson after his hit on Chytil: “Our guy went down pretty bad, so I didn’t really even think. I know (Wilson) is a tough guy; I was just trying to stick up for the guys. We fought for each other.â€

Foote on Pettersson: “He played great. He had more pace in his game going at guys, had more confidence. On the defensive side, we saw him with two big blocks, too. So I really liked his game, especially in not-a-friendly environment. It could have gotten really physical, and he didn’t seem to mind.â€

Myers on Chytil: “Yeah, it was tough. It’s never what you want to see, really, from any player, whether he’s on your team or not on your team. I hope he’s okay. He’s a true pro, and has been a true pro since the day he got here. And I know he will be (again) in getting better and getting back on the ice.â€

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WASHINGTON — Tyler Myers and Kiefer Sherwood scored 41 seconds apart in the first period, and the Vancouver Canucks snapped Washington’s four-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory over the Capitals on Sunday.

Washington had allowed only eight goals in its first five games before the Canucks put three past Charlie Lindgren in the first period. The Capitals contested the second tally in which Myers flipped the puck into the net with Lindgren on his stomach following a lengthy goalmouth scramble. But a Washington challenge was unsuccessful, giving Vancouver a power play, and Sherwood converted a rebound to make it 3-0.

Elias Petterson and Teddy Blueger also scored for the Canucks. Down 4-0, the Caps got goals from Ryan Leonard, Jakob Chychrun and John Carlson to pull within one.

Vancouver forward Brock Boeser missed the game for personal reasons.

Washington’s Tom Wilson delivered a big hit on Vancouver’s Filip Chytil in the first period. Chytil went slowly to the tunnel, but it was ruled a legal hit after a review.

In addition to Chytil, forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki also left the game early for the Canucks.

Myers’ goal was the 100th of his career.

Alex Ovechkin remained two goals shy of 900.

Lindgren shut out the New York Rangers in his only other start this season, but Petterson scored 59 seconds into the game Sunday to end any bid for a repeat. After starting the second with a three-goal lead, Vancouver made it 4-0 when a puck bounced off Canucks forward Evander Kane’s skate to Blueger, who was alone in front.

Leonard put a rebound past Thatcher Demko on the power play in the second to get Washington on the board. Chychrun scored during an extended push by the Capitals in the third, and Carlson’s goal with 2:14 left made it 4-3. Chychrun had one last chance in close but couldn’t convert.

Canucks: At Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

Capitals: Host Seattle on Tuesday night.

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Already down Brock Boeser, the Vancouver Canucks lost two more forwards in the early going on Sunday.

Centre Filip Chytil exited the afternoon game against the Capitals after an open-ice hit from Washington forward Tom Wilson, while winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki left after taking a hard hit against the boards.

Both players were ruled out by the Canucks at the start of the second period.

The hit on Chytil occurred at the end of the first period and Chytil did not return for the start of the second. After an initial review, no penalty was called on Wilson for the hit.

As Chytil was bringing the puck up through the neutral zone, he sent a pass to Evander Kane and was hit by Wilson at centre ice moments after releasing the puck. A scrum ensued after the play.

Chytil stayed down on the ice for some time after the hit, had to be helped off the ice by the team’s trainers and was immediately brought back to the team’s locker room.

The 26-year-old has gotten off to a solid start in his first full season with the Canucks, tallying three goals in the team’s first five games.

However, he has a history of head injuries and missed the end of the 2024-25 season after suffering a concussion in March. He only played 10 games in the 2023-24 season while with the Rangers after sustaining a concussion in November.

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