Salty Success in San Jose

As the Canucks prepared for the first game in their California road trip, somehow all the attention surrounding the team was not completely on the 6-0 blowout they suffered at the hands of the younger Hughes brothers’ New Jersey Devils a few nights prior.  A handful of other topics seem to help distract the market from one of the worst defeats on home ice the team has had in decades. Fans and media alike seemed to put Wednesday night’s loss in the rearview mirror due to a combination of JT Miller’s lacey Halloween attire, a reunion with the ever-so-familiar Tyler Toffoli, and the placement of forward Nils Åman on waivers. In addition, two anniversaries were highlighted in the prototypical fashion of strange coincidences in the world of sports: Last season’s 10-1 Canucks victory in San Jose and Jake Debrusk scoring his first goal of the year for Boston after a similarly slow start to the 2023/24 season. On paper, even Canucks’ head coach Rick Tocchet did not acknowledge the struggles his team faced as he would begin the team’s matchup against the Sharks with the same lines that started against New Jersey. Nonetheless, everyone knew Wednesday’s result could not be repeated, especially against the last-placed team in the league.

Starting off the ice, there was instant comedic relief for Vancouver fans as Instagrams feeds filled with the annual posts from team members of their Halloween costumes. As usual, players along with their friends and family chose between scary, silly or even spicy... For the second year in a row Canucks fans were enthralled by forward JT Miller's choice. After dawning a playboy bunny outfit last year, Miller sported a pink lace piece to portray a Fembot from the movie Austin Powers. Seeing the hard-shelled power forward draped in pink lace was certainly a mood-booster in the market.

Leading up to Saturday's game, media around the team began to highlight Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli. The 32-year-old spent a brief tenure with Vancouver after being acquired at the 2020 trade deadline before being a crucial part of the team's bubble playoff run. Unfortunately for both sides, the following off season saw the Canucks part with many veterans including Toffoli, defender Chris Tanev, and goalie Jacob Markstrom. They would not be separated for long however as he became a familiar face on the other side of the rink when he found fortune playing the team now as a member of the Montreal Canadiens, scoring 13 points in nine games as a part of the all-Canadian division during the COVID-19 shortened season. Since leaving Vancouver, Toffoli had scored 18 points in 19 games against his former team until Saturday. He would add another assist but suffer a loss to Vancouver in his first appearance playing them in Northern California.

Before action got started in San Jose, Canucks General Manager announced that Åman had been placed on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to AHL team Abbotsford. Many Vancouver fans wondered if the penalty killer would be enticing for teams looking for depth or help on the PK. Debate over the forward who had been in and out of the lineup so far this season seemed to keep the on-ice performance of the team off the top of their thoughts. Sunday would bring the news he had cleared through waivers and would join the Canucks farm team. This move seems to signal the return of Dakota Joshua who has missed the beginning of season while recovering from testicular cancer treatment over the summer. Vancouver would head into San Jose with the same lineup used in their loss to New Jersey.

If there was an effort made to convince viewers that they were not as bad as their last loss would lead someone to believe, it was not obvious. While the Canucks were able to control the share of shots in the first period (9-3), there was little from the players to indicate they wanted to score their first goal in over 60 minutes of game time dating back to their overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Quinn Hughes led the team with three shots through the first 20 minutes – Hughes would record three more shots on route to a team leading 6 total. In what was a low event start to the game all around, it would take 34:41 for the team to score. Already trailing courtesy of a Nico Sturm goal, the Canucks did not get on the board until forward Pius Suter tallied his third of the year off a series of passes from Conor Garland and Nils Hoglander to tie the game 1-1. After two periods, it was evident that the game was a far cry from the same matchup that took place a year prior.

The third period would bring the most action for the Canucks, Sharks, and officials alike. After an innocent 40 minutes from either side, the official began to lay down the law with all four penalties coming in third, with each team splitting the guilt. Neither team capitalized on these late opportunities, but it added some flavour to an otherwise stale outing. The final frame as a whole would provide the most entertainment value as the score bounced back and forth to round out the last five minutes. Just as the sports gods would have it, new Canucks forward Jake Debrusk scored his first for Vancouver on the anniversary of his season-opening marker for Boston in 2023. Known to be a streaky scorer, the relief was lifted (for fans, management and Jake himself) when Hughes would set Debrusk up in the slot to take the lead with 4:22 remaining in the third. Hopefully for all parties, Debrusk does not continue using last year’s scoring path as a guide as it would eventually take him another eight contests to score his second of the year for the Bruins.

              The Sharks did not quit, scoring three minutes later to tie the game on a goal from forward Mikael Granlund (brother of former Canucks Markus). Looking like the hungrier of the two apex ocean predators, the Sharks were able break out of the own end with little effort, pull the goalie and draw level, hoping for at least their ninth point of the season. Fortunately for Vancouver, Pius Suter would reignite the team’s consistent ability to score late in games, taking advantage of his promotion playing alongside Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland. The goal scorer had received the chance to play in the top 6 at the expense of Arshdeep Bains who was relegated down the lineup to make room for Suter’s boost up the chart. Suter saw himself on the wing in many contests last season, especially after the acquirement of forward Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames at the trade deadline. However, he was usually suited up next JT Miller and Brock Boeser last season. It will be interesting to see if Rick Tocchet keeps the lines the same for a third straight game when the team takes on division rivals, the Anaheim Ducks, Tuesday night in Anaheim or is there the possibility Suter gets the chance to remain in an elevated role. As team who currently ranks right in the middle of the league for goals scored per game (16th G/GP), one would have to think the head coach will look to ride the hot hand to add to the team’s offensive output.

Update: As of the Canucks practice in Anaheim, Suter remains on the second line and Arshdeep Bains is centering the fourth line.

              Much like the play for most of Saturday night in San Jose, offensive production has become a reoccurring topic throughout the start of the 2024-25 season. The Canucks offence was nowhere near its potential against the Sharks Saturday night, reflecting an overall decline across the team from last season. Only a year earlier, the same intradivisional matchup produced nine multi-point games from Canucks players on route to the aforementioned 10-1 victory. Through 10 games this season, none of the Canucks top 5 points leaders at the same point last season have come close to matching their totals. Only forward Conor Garland has been outperforming expectations up this point as he makes a strong case to be the team’s most valuable player early into the season. After the 10-game mark, Garland has recorded three goals and six assists, for a total of nine points (74-point pace over 82 games). If he can continue at this pace, he would shatter his personal best which currently sits at 52 points (55-point pace) in 2021-22 season with Vancouver. Garland also managed 39 points in 49 games (65-point pace) during the pandemic season. Regardless of how the season pans out, the Canucks are currently relying on Garland’s hot start to begin the season. This may even be just the beginning for the diminutive forward as running mate Dakota Joshua appears to be close to returning to the starting lineup. The pair of wingers, centred by Teddy Blueger, proved to be one of the top third lines in the entire NHL, playing a valuable role in tough matchups and as depth scoring during the regular season and into the playoffs. Hopefully, Joshua’s return will provide a much needed shot in the arm for the Canucks, whether that is rekindling chemistry with Garland, or providing his own worth as the hard-hitting forward who can add a goal or two every now and then.

              Overall, the Canucks on and off-ice actions this weekend proved to be enough to settle some fears heading into their California swing. The results were positive, but the process of their win in San Jose still left people thinking there was more to give from an uninspired Canucks team. They will look to infuse more High Danger Chances into their offence as they head to Anaheim tied for 21st in the league for High Danger Chances as per Natural Stattrick. Only the Minnesota Wild rank lower than the Canucks in this category while being in the top half of league standings. As they move forward, Jake Debrusk’s slump-breaker and Pius Suter’s two performance seem to provide a spark of hope for some top 6 production, while Kevin Lankinen continues to be the sweetest surprise on the year, and Dakota Joshua’s participation in team practices is another beacon of hope for the team.

A Look Ahead:

The Canucks will face off against the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow night for the first time this season, meaning fans will get a firsthand look at the new orange Mighty Ducks uniforms. The 25th ranked Ducks will appear to be another favourable matchup in what has been a fairly soft start to the schedule for the Canucks. Another game against a team closer to rebuilding than contending means that results will have to be taken with a grain of salt. However, two points is two points so Vancouver must take advantage of these games while players like Joshua and netminder Thatcher Demko are on the Injured List. If the team hopes to play meaningful games in the new year, they will need every point they can get. They will look to continue recent success against the Ducks as they hold an 8-2 record over the last ten including winners of the last seven in a row. While six of those wins were one goal victories, the Ducks are coming off losses to Chicago and Pittsburgh, two teams the Canucks beat in the month of October. We will see if trends will stand true or if Anaheim can pull off the upset at home at the Honda Centre at 7:00PM Pacific time.