Vancouver Canucks trounce Arizona Coyotes 7-1, extend win streak to five games
VANCOUVER – As he hit one other profession excessive Thursday, J.T. Miller’s focus was firmly set on one other aim — dragging the Vancouver Canucks into the playoffs.
The high-flying ahead tallied 5 assists because the Canucks dismantled the struggling Arizona Coyotes 7-1 on Thursday.
The five-point evening was a profession excessive for Miller, who leads Vancouver in scoring with 91 factors (29 objectives, 62 assists) on the season.
“I attempt to really feel like I’m by no means glad,“ he stated. ”I’ve acquired a tremendous alternative since I’ve been right here, I’ve acquired to play in each scenario, which is one thing I’ve labored for my entire profession.
“However that being stated, it doesn’t actually imply (a lot) to me if we don’t play within the playoffs. … I actually simply wish to play within the playoffs as a result of while you rating within the playoffs that’s when it means rather a lot.”
Thursday’s consequence prolonged Vancouver’s win streak to 5 straight video games and preserved the staff’s faint hopes of securing a playoff place. The Canucks (37-28-10) sit 5 factors under the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, who maintain the 2 Western Convention wild-card spots.
Ten completely different Canucks gamers acquired on the scoresheet Thursday, with rookie Vasily Podkolzin netting two objectives and an help, Alex Chiasson scoring twice, and Sheldon Dries, Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland all contributing a aim apiece. Quinn Hughes notched three helpers.
Andrew Ladd replied for the Coyotes (22-47-5), who misplaced their fifth straight.
Regardless of the ultimate rating, Arizona head coach Andre Tourigny stated he appreciated the way in which his group performed within the third interval.
“I believe we confirmed extra pleasure within the third interval,” he stated. “For me, that’s our staff. That’s the way in which we have now to struggle. We talked about it earlier than the sport and we acquired higher on that, in order that’s a constructive.”
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It was a comparatively quiet evening in web for Thatcher Demko, who made 21 saves for the win.
Arizona’s Karel Vejmelka stopped 16 of twenty-two pictures earlier than being changed by Harri Sateri to start out the third interval. Sateri made 4 saves in reduction.
It was the third recreation in a row that Vejmelka gave up six objectives.
“NHL for me is stuffed with slumps,“ Tourigny stated of the netminder. ”You want to have the ability to react to a droop. Should you can’t get out of a droop within the NHL, you’re in hassle. You’ll be a streaky participant. NHL will not be about that. It’s about being good every single day. It’s about consistency.
Vancouver got here into the third with a dominant lead and continued to run up the rating with Chiasson netting his second tally of the evening halfway by way of the interval.
Miller dished a slick move to the veteran ahead and he blasted a one-timer previous Sateri stick facet on the 8:26 mark for his twelfth aim of the 12 months.
“I’ve been getting a very good alternative right here to showcase what I can do,“ Chiasson stated. ”Clearly it appears like I’m having the ability to discover my spots on the ice, taking part in with good gamers. Hopefully preserve this factor going ahead, one recreation at a time.”
Chiasson has been “a professional all 12 months” for the Canucks, stated head coach Bruce Boudreau, even by way of a stretch of three or 4 video games the place he was a wholesome scratch.
“He by no means as soon as complained, he simply got here to work,” Boudreau stated. “To see issues begin to go effectively for him, you possibly can solely be actually completely happy for the man. And we want it. Guys are getting injured left, proper and centre and these guys are stepping up. That’s a part of the explanation we’re nonetheless hanging on this factor.”
Podkolzin buried his second aim of the evening with 26.6 seconds left within the center body, blasting a one-timer from the faceoff circle to present the Canucks a 6-1 lead.
Garland put away the house facet’s fifth of the evening 15:39 into the interval, discovering house between Vejmelka and his publish with a wrist shot from the hash marks.
Simply 14 seconds earlier, Podkolzin discovered the again of the web for Vancouver’s third power-play aim of the sport after Kyle Capobianco was referred to as for tripping.
Podkolzin pulled the puck throughout the highest of the crease and despatched a backhand previous Vejmelka whereas falling to the ice for his twelfth aim of the marketing campaign.
Arizona acquired on the board halfway by way of the second when Kessel despatched a shot hovering towards the Vancouver web from the highest of the faceoff circle. Demko made the cease however the puck landed at his pads and Ladd shovelled it in over the aim line to chop the deficit to 3-1.
Pettersson added to the Canucks’ cushion 4:29 into the center body after the Coyotes have been referred to as for too many males.
The Swedish star blasted a one-timer from contained in the faceoff circle for his twenty seventh aim of the season.
Vancouver misplaced a key piece early within the second interval when Bo Horvat took a shot from Anton Stralman off the within of his proper ankle. He went on to the locker room and didn’t return to the sport.
Boudreau stated he thinks the Canucks captain will likely be OK and he’s hoping to have him within the lineup on Monday when Vancouver hosts the Dallas Stars.
Horvat got here into the matchup driving a five-game level streak the place he amassed 5 objectives and three assists.
The Canucks closed out the primary with a 2-0 lead.
Arizona’s J.J. Moser was referred to as for tripping, giving Vancouver its second man benefit of the evening.
With simply seconds left within the energy play, Brad Hunt launched a rocket from the highest of the slot and Dries tipped it in for his first aim in a Canucks jersey.
Vancouver went 3-for-4 on the facility play Thursday and Arizona was 1-for-2.
Chiasson opened the scoring 10:19 into the sport, deflected in a puck from Miller.
The marker prolonged his level streak to 5 video games, with 4 objectives and 4 assists throughout the stretch.
NOTES: The Coyotes will tackle the Flames in Calgary on Saturday … Garland is on a five-game level streak with two objectives and 5 assists … The Canucks swept the three-game season sequence between the 2 sides.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed April 14, 2022.
