Instant Reaction: DeBrusk scores twice at 5v5 while Pettersson adds two assists in Canucks’ loss to Hurricanes

Instant Reaction: DeBrusk scores twice at 5v5 while Pettersson adds two assists in Canucks’ loss to Hurricanes

Welcome back to Instant Reaction, the series here at CanucksArmy where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Vancouver Canucks game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!Lineup

DeBrusk-EP40-Lekkerimäki
Cotter-Rossi-Boeser
Öhgren-Sasson-Karlsson
Bains-Räty-O’Connor

Buium-Hronek
Oleksiak-Willander
Pettersson-Mancini

First Period

It didn’t take long for the Hurricanes to open the scoring in this one, as just over a minute in, K’Andre Miller snapped home a rebound off the crossbar.

1-0 Canes. 

Miller took a holding penalty just a few minutes later, giving the Canucks the first power play chance of the game. Spoiler alert: the Canucks’ power play wasn’t very good in this game, and their first period as a whole was pretty dreadful. The Canucks’ power play came and went, and the Hurricanes scored two goals in rapid succession.

The first was some shotty D-Zone coverage in front of Lankinen:

And the second came on a Carolina power play after some crisp passing and quick decision-making by the Hurricanes’ man-advantage personnel.

3-0 Hurricanes.

Manny Malhotra called a timeout after that third one. Canucks down by three after 20 minutes of play.

Some takeaways from the first:
-Well that wasn’t very fun.
-This Chatfield guy is pretty good! #JimKnew
-I like how intentional Manny Malhotra is with his timeouts. Tonight, he called one, was very vocal, and was very clearly calming his group down after they gave up three straight goals early.

Second Period

The Canucks started the period with just over a minute of power play time to work with, and it was by far their best sequence of the game. Brock Boeser had a good chance in the bumper that Kochetkov blockered away, and Elias Pettersson rifled a pass right through the crease. Zeev Buium also came in along the side with some speed, but whiffed on his shot attempt.

Like I said, the best sequence of the game to this point.

The Hurricanes got right back to work, as after Jamie Oleksiak and Drew O’Connor couldn’t get the puck out along the wall, the Canes moved the puck down low to Mark Jankowski, who had all sorts of time and space to snipe a shot above Kevin Lankinen’s left shoulder.

4-0.

The Canucks answered back quickly, however. Elias Pettersson broke into the offensive zone and feathered a backhand pass to Jake DeBrusk before the puck made its way back to Pettersson, who fed Jonathan Lekkerimäki in the high slot. As he so often does, Lekkerimäki thought shot first, and created a rebound that DeBrusk made no mistake in burying.

4-1.

The Canucks got another power play chance with just under eight minutes left in the second frame, and it didn’t go very well. After a turnover in the offensive zone, Filip Hronek made an interesting choice while defending a 2-on-1 to go all in on blocking a pass from Sean Walker, but Walker managed to slide the puck past him and over to Logan Stankoven, who buried his chance to push the Carolina lead to four once again.

5-1 Canes.

Logan Stankoven added another for the Hurricanes in the final minute of the period, because of course he did.

6-1 after 40 minutes of play.

Some takeaways from the second:
-Jonathan Lekkerimäki is proving he’s willing to play through contact and is actually coming up with pucks along the boards. This is great progress for him, and it’s nice to see the point totals following.
-Elias Pettersson’s point streak continues… per Shorty, it’s the first time since his rookie season that he’s opened a season with points in each of the first five games.
-Big Logan Stankoven fan. Why can’t the Canucks get opportunities to draft guys like that?Third Period

Canucks entered the third with Leevi Meriläinen leading them, out as Kevin Lankinen got the mercy pull.

Jalen Chatfield took a tripping penalty just over a minute into the third after a spirited start to the frame from the visitors.

On this power play opportunity, Zeev Buium did a good job of protecting the puck and stickhandling at the blueline before distributing a pass to Liam Öhgren, who got a good shot off but was denied. That and an Elias Pettersson wrister were the Canucks’ best chances of the power play, but they did get set up and of course did not get scored on, so moral victories.

Leevi Meriläinen was settling in nicely to this game. He made a couple of huge saves. This one was by far the hugest!

Logan Stankoven eventually beat Meriläinen, though, and the kid from Kamloops had his first career hat-trick tonight.

7-1.

The Canucks answered that goal, as Zeev Buium picked up his first assist of the season. It was another point for Elias Pettersson, too, who made another beautiful play with the puck to wedge the puck out in front to Jake DeBrusk, who scored his second goal of the game.

7-2. 

He didn’t get a point on the goal, but that one was created almost entirely from Jonathan Lekkerimäki shielding the puck high in the zone before making a pass to Buium. Really nice game from Lekkerimäki tonight.

Some takeaways from the third:
-Really liking Meriläinen’s game so far. Lots to work with there. Challenges shooters well and seems very sure of himself with his crease movement.
-Certainly Logan Stankoven was a first-round pick, right? No way the Canucks had a chance to draft him, right? Right?!
-That’s TWO 5v5 goals for Jake DeBrusk!

What’s your instant reaction to tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section below!