In an afternoon game on Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks beat a Chicago Blackhawks team that fought hard but was under-manned. As a result, despite the Blackhawks’ best efforts, the Canucks prevailed by a score of 4-3.
The Blackhawks scored half way through the first period of the game, when Nick Foligno tipped in a goal. However, an Elias Pettersson power-play marker later that period tied the game. After Foligno scored a second goal early in the second period, it was all Canucks. The team came from a goal down to dominate the second period to put the game away.
In this edition of Canucks’ Takeaways, I’ll look at three key takeaways from the game.
Takeaway One: Brock Boeser Now Tied with Auston Matthews for NHL Lead in Goals
Who would have thought that Brock Boeser would be on such an extended season long scoring streak? Once again, his offensive power was on full display as he put home his 23rd goal of the season against the Blackhawks. The goal extended his impressive scoring streak to 10 goals in his last 11 games.
Boeser’s consistency is refreshing for the team. He’s proving to be a vital cog in the Canucks’ machine. That he’s tied with Matthews for the NHL lead in goals is amazing just one-third of the way through the season. If Boeser maintains the same goal-scoring rate, he’d score approximately 59 goals in 82 games.
Takeaway Two: The Canucks Had Another Dominant Second Period
The Canucks, who have scored more goals during the second period than either the first or the third periods, did it again on Sunday afternoon. Taking the game over, they put together a dominant second-period performance that ultimately proved to be the tipping point that carried them to a win against the Blackhawks.
Related: Canucks Not Signing Ethan Bear, Capitals Believed to Be Favorite
In the second, the team scored three unanswered goals, with Pettersson, Boeser, Ilya Mikheyev, and Dakota Joshua doing the damage. With this impressive period in the books, the rest of the game was pretty much decided and the Canucks held on for a 4-3 win.
After going behind in the first period, Head Coach Rick Tocchet praised the Canucks’ response during the second period. The team keeps having strong second-periods, which highlights its ability to adapt and respond for the victory.
Takeaway Three: The Canucks Spark Plug Line Provided the Momentum
During the second period, the so-called “Spark Plug Line” of Joshua, Teddy Blueger, and Conor Garland lived up to its name. They ignited the Canucks’ offense. Joshua’s five-on-five goal followed a nice setup from Garland. The line was both dynamic and successful.
Related: Kuzmenko’s Future with the Canucks: Now What?
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