{"id":223066,"date":"2025-10-18T21:02:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T21:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/223066\/"},"modified":"2025-10-18T21:02:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T21:02:12","slug":"foote-gushes-about-unlikely-trio-of-players-who-saved-vancouver-canucks-from-two-losses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/223066\/","title":{"rendered":"Foote gushes about unlikely trio of players who saved Vancouver Canucks from two losses"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the Vancouver Canucks line that may soon need a nickname.<\/a><\/p>\n

Because they\u2019re fresh off carrying the Abbotsford Canucks to a recent championship, the Calder Cup Line has a nice ring to it.<\/p>\n

Much like they did in the AHL playoffs, the line of Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson, and Max Sassons has played hero for the Canucks during their last two games.<\/p>\n

The Canucks have developed a nasty habit of starting games dreadfully slow. They look like me trying to go to work after embarking on a Granville Street pub crawl in my 30s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to see us not give teams two goals to start games,\u201d head coach Adam Foote said bluntly following the win in Chicago.<\/p>\n

So far this season, the Canucks are the worst first-period team in the NHL. They\u2019ve been outshot and outplayed in the first period in each of their last four games. They\u2019re also the only team in the NHL to not score at least two goals in the first 20 minutes of action.<\/p>\n

Even though both the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks authored early two-goal leads against the Canucks, Vancouver has been able to fight back.<\/p>\n

Goaltending and shaking off the first-period hangovers have been part of it, but these comebacks wouldn\u2019t have happened without the Calder Cup Line.<\/p>\n

In one of their first-ever NHL shifts together against the Stars, that line single-handedly turned momentum in the Canucks favour with a spirited first-period shift.<\/p>\n

In the second frame, Sasson bolted down the wing and scored his first of the season to give the Canucks a 3-2 lead.<\/p>\n

MAX SPEED. \ud83d\udca8<\/p>\n

That’s THREE unanswered goals from your #Canucks<\/a>! pic.twitter.com\/I6dQXHAyZ2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Vancouver never relinquished the lead from there.<\/p>\n

Despite limited ice time, the Calder Cup Line dominated when they were on the ice.<\/p>\n

Abby line versus Dallas \ud83d\udd25 #canucks<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/oM5IJrKiuS<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) October 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThat Sasson line carried the pace for a bit and let us get our legs under us,\u201d Conor Garland said following the win in Dallas.<\/p>\n

Not only did they dominate possession, but they did so while primarily playing against a Stars line of Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and Tyler Seguin.<\/p>\n

Unbelievably, the Canucks\u2019 fourth line continued their heroics in Chicago on Friday night.<\/p>\n

With the Canucks trailing 2-1 in the second period to the Blackhawks, it was another monster shift from that line that saved the Canucks from defeat.<\/p>\n

Sasson in particular, the lone member of that line who didn\u2019t start the season in Vancouver, was terrific. He tossed a Blackhawks player down to the ice, and then managed to score with Hawks centre Jason Dickinson draped all over him.<\/p>\n

Sasson’s stick stays HOT \ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/M2TeJwBtFM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

His goal would tie the game, and it was the last puck that would (legally) go into the net before Brock Boeser\u2019s shootout winner.<\/p>\n

In Chicago, the Calder Cup line was the only line to finish with a positive shot-attempt differential (57.8 per cent). They were also the only line to score at even strength.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just two games, but Foote has already mentioned that the line deserves more ice time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re young like that, their whole line, the energy they bring, we can deal with some of the things that they have to learn on the fly. You have to play games to get some of those things and address. So, I really like their game. I like that line.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith all the power plays, they probably didn\u2019t play the minutes they deserved, but they\u2019ll play some more minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n