The takeaway: The Canucks are building consistency in their game and connectivity on the ice which has led to more sustained offensive zone time. The Canucks outshot the Ducks 33-23, and the Sharks 25-24, and posted the same shots on goal against the Leafs (28). 

In the Spotlight 

Jonathan Lekkerimäki had two goals in 49 seconds against the Anaheim Ducks to send the game into overtime. He also had a career-high 19:55 of ice time against the Ducks. 

Lekkerimäki’s six goals on the season lead the team, and he’s tied for second (with Brock Boeser) with 13 points (6-7-13). 

From the Room 

Brock Boeser said the team is building more chemistry, and it’s something they’ve been able to capitalize on over the last week.  

“Honestly, I think our team’s playing a lot better hockey as of late. That’s something we can build on,” Boeser said.  

“We’re generating more shots, and our defensive game is coming along and getting better. You’ve got to look at the little things, and as long as those are improving, then we’ve got to build off of those, so, we’ve got to stick with the process here.” 

Behind the Bench 

Manny Malhotra’s messaging to the group is to continue to play to their strengths and work towards doing it consistently. 

“We know what makes us a good team. We know what makes us a competitive team, it’s just a matter of consistently doing that,” Malhotra said after their loss to the Maple Leafs. 

“It’s not close to where we need to be or where we need to get to, but there is progress there. It’s frustrating as we talk about these games loss after loss, but we do see improvement in different areas of our game, and it’s tough to see those when there’s no correlation to wins.” 

The Work Continues 

The group is getting closer to where they want to be. They’re turning good stretches into full games, with their win against the Ducks. 

Malhotra has liked the way his group has been able to get out of the defensive zone quickly and have sustained offensive zone time over the last week, but they need to continue to work on the details of their game. 

The Next Wave 

Many Canucks prospects have shown impressive play over the last week, including multiple game-winning performances and clutch play. 

Adam Novotný posted two goals and one assist in three games, including the game-winning goal to give the Peterborough Petes a 4-3 victory over the Niagara IceDogs.