1. Elias Pettersson has had a terrific run in his first look at the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but Tuesday night in Edmonton was clearly his signature moment – so far. With a goal, two assists, a breakaway and a crossbar, the Canucks young super Swede left his fingerprints all over the team’s 5-2 victory over Vegas. The Canucks needed their best players to rise to the occasion and Pettersson served notice early as he entered the Golden Knights zone on his first shift, drew defenders to him as he circled the net and then found Tyler Toffoli at the back post for an easy tap in to give the Canucks a 1-0 lead just 1:29 into the hockey game. With that, Pettersson was just getting started. He picked up his second assist of the night on Bo Horvat’s power play goal midway through the first period. Then, against the run of play, Pettersson put his vast array of skills on display deftly taking an Alex Edler pass from the side boards and in one motion pulling it up from his back skate and deking Robin Lehner before depositing the puck into an unguarded net. Instead of the Canucks clinging to a 2-1 lead heading to the third period, Pettersson extended the lead, gave the Canucks some breathing room and, in the end, that goal turned out to be the game winner. On the night, Pettersson played 16:51, had three points and three shots on six attempts. Tuesday was his sixth multi-point night of the post season and with 5+11=16 in a dozen games, Pettersson sits second in NHL post-season scoring behind only Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon. That’s pretty good company to keep.
2. Just getting Tyler Toffoli back in the line-up after three weeks with a foot injury was bound to give the Canucks a boost. He is an offensive threat who immediately gives the Canucks balance in their top two scoring lines. But for Toffoli to score 89 seconds into his return to action and then adding assists on the team’s next two goals, he could very well change the overall dynamic of this series. There were questions about just how effective Toffoli could be after missing 10 games and jumping back into the second round of the playoffs. For some players, it takes time to find the speed of the game and to recapture the feel for the puck. Clearly that wasn’t an issue for Toffoli. So instead of him easing his way back into the line-up or wondering how long it’s going to take before he can make an impact – something that could easily weigh on a professional athlete’s mind had he struggled in any way in his return – the Canucks now have a confident Tyler Toffoli back in uniform, making plays and contributing to a much-needed victory.
3. Tuesday’s game turned in 1:43 of hockey time – but closer to 20 minutes in real time. With Pettersson scoring late in the second period, the Canucks had to feel good about their 3-1 lead as they skated off the ice and headed to the locker room for the intermission. Instead of worrying about defending a 2-1 lead against a Vegas team that had tilted the ice and peppered Jacob Markstrom with 22 shots – on a whopping 51 attempts – in the middle frame, the Canucks had a cushion. And when Bo Horvat extended that lead again just 18 seconds into the third period, the Canucks had turned the game in their favour with a pair of quick strikes from two of their top players. It’s fair to wonder what that third period might have looked like if Vegas simply needed one goal to tie. Instead, the Pettersson goal followed closely by Horvat’s marker all but put Game 2 out of reach.
4. As tough as it was to watch Vancouver chase the play in Game 1 on Sunday, the Canucks have earned the benefit of the doubt to show that they can be better. They showed resolve in bouncing back after a 3-0 loss to Minnesota in their play-in opener. They also turned things back in their favour in Game 5 against St. Louis when it looked like the defending Stanley Cup champions had all the momentum in that series. The Canucks have lost four times in the post-season and responded with wins on three of those occasions. The only time they’ve lost back to back games were in Games 3 & 4 against the Blues. Players talk about the need for a short memory in playoff hockey and the Canucks are showing they possess that trait. Led by their best players, the Canucks answered the challenge in Game 2 and have now announced their arrival in this series. There are bound to be more losses along the way regardless how long the Canucks remain in the playoffs. They have repeatedly demonstrated an ability to move past their setbacks and that will serve them well as they continue to make a post-season push.
5. On a night when the Canucks stars were shining, it’s important to give credit to the team’s penalty killers, too. Sure, Vegas scored a late power play goal so the penalty kill wasn’t perfect. But in the second period, the Canucks were short-handed twice and the penalty killers stepped up in a key moment in the hockey game. JT Miller was called for hooking and Brock Boeser was wrongfully penalized for clearing a puck over the glass. With Vegas down 2-1 and starting to take over the territorial play in the second period, the Canucks penalty killers stepped up in a situation they never should have been in. If Vegas scores there, who knows where the game – and ultimately – the series goes? It was in inexcusable error on the part of the on-ice officials that put the Canucks in a very difficult spot. Like the team as a whole, the penalty killer led by Jacob Markstrom stepped up when they had to. It’s a team game and while the Canucks best players left their mark on the scoresheet, it’s impossible to ignore the contributions of some of the lesser lights when the team was short-handed.