I think this might have been the best performance from the Vancouver Canucks that I have ever covered for the Stanchies.

I’m at a loss for words.

The team played incredible hockey without their number one defenceman, following a two-game winless streak against a surging Colorado Avalanche team who came into Vancouver on the backs of two-straight shutout victories.

I mean, the wins were against St. Louis and Philadelphia, but still! There was a lot riding against this Canucks team heading into Tuesday night.

The last handful of games felt like “process wins.” Where the results weren’t there, but the identity, effort, and heart were noticeably present — way more present than they had been all year. The vibes were still shaky in this strange post-Desharnais era of Canucks hockey, but there were signs of life.

Between the team’s commitment to defence, rush offence, controlled entries, shot-blocking, hits, and post-whistle scrum shenanigans, Tuesday’s victory was more than just an on-ice process and result-based victory. Yes, the club’s 3-0 shutout of the Avs was a colossal victory for resuscitating the positive vibes of the season.

Guys were smiling when things didn’t go their way instead of sulking, slamming sticks, or looking dejected on the bench.

The Canucks played like a team that inspired hope. Not hopium, but real, honest-to-god, authentic hope.

That the toxic vibes were gone and that this team could inspire belief through their hard work and respect for not only their teammates, but for you, the audience.

Until the J.T. Miller trade, the Canucks played like an organization actively showing contempt for its audience. Bland, boring, emotionless, uninspired, gutless, and heartless hockey; a brand of hockey that risks losing a generation of fans.

I’ll try to avoid eating my words by getting too ahead of myself, but Tuesday’s win against the Avalanche was as entertaining as any of the club’s PDO-bender whirlwind games of last season.

The weather outside was ice-cold, but inside the Canucks were red hot.

Let’s get into the most inspirational victory of the Canucks’ 2024-25 season and pray that this was the start of something special and not another case of the Canucks pulling the old “Lucy and the football” trick on us.

Best Possible Lineup

Lining up against the Avs.

📺 Sportsnet Pacific
📻 Sportsnet 650 pic.twitter.com/MBx3TXJP85

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 5, 2025

Blurst Start

Hronek looks hurt. Please god no

— Leah (@FireflyFaery) February 5, 2025

As if being without Quinn Hughes due to injury wasn’t enough. Filip Hronek took an odd bump early in the game off a battle down low that left him hunched over for the remainder of his first shift of the game.

Fortunately, the laboured skating was not indicative of something worse, as Hronek finished the period and the game on the backs of possibly one of his best performances as a Vancouver Canuck.

Sans Hughes, the Canucks outshot the Avs 11-7, out-attempted them 21-14, outscored 1-zip, and out-chanced them 8-5 in Hronek’s 14:52 of 5-on-5 ice-time.

Across all situations, Hronek tied Brock Boeser with the most individual shot attempts (9) and tied with Jake DeBrusk with two points apiece.

Blurst Poison Picking Predicament

Carson Soucy has been made available for a trade, per @FriedgeHNIC

— Jason Brough 🙁 (@SadClubCommish) February 4, 2025

I’ll preface this with a few things.

First, eight hours after Elliotte Friedman’s tweet detailing the NHLPA’s anticipated cap estimates for 2025-26 thru to 2027-28, the Canucks reallocated $43 million in cap commitments from JT Miller and Erik Brännström to $12 million in cap commitments to Filip Chytil and Victor Mancini.

Second, not three hours after the Miller trade, the organization reallocated $6 million in cap commitments to Danton Heinen and Vincent Desharnais to $2 million in immediate cap commitments to Drew O’Connor and Marcus Pettersson (extension likely forthcoming).

Carson Soucy has struggled as of late, no doubt. Still, there were signs of life midseason when he started looking like his 2023-24 self. However, since Hronek’s return from LTIR, Soucy has regressed to his early-season status as a near-unplayable defenceman. Tuesday was a nice little foray into the old Soucy, but TBD on whether that form sticks. If he’s really on the block, this might be just cap re-appropriation and less, “Juulsen had 20 solid games last year, and we’re really chasing that feeling.”

Soucy has provided solid value throughout his tenure as a Canuck. The team had a comical 17-1-0 record last season with him in the lineup before getting sidelined by a foot injury. This year, as it has been for most players not named Kevin Lankinen or Quinn Hughes, has been one mired in mediocrity and struggle. I have to believe that Soucy can be better than what he’s shown this year.

However, if Soucy is out of the lineup with consistency and on the trade block because the Canucks feel confident that they can reallocate his cap space to a better player, then okay! I can see the logic. Soucy is playing like the 6th-best defenceman, and if they can move him for a #6 that raises the team’s floor, then so be it.

If Soucy is held out of the lineup with consistency and on the trade block because the Canucks simply view Noah Juulsen as a better #6 for them, then I do not see the logic.

Rick Tocchet confirms that Carson Soucy was a healthy scratch tonight.

"He needs a reset. He's had a tough go here." #Canucks @Sportsnet650

— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) February 3, 2025

If Soucy’s play warranted consideration for a fresh start elsewhere, what does Juulsen’s play warrant?

For the life of me, I can’t understand why the organization insists on keeping Juulsen in the lineup over Soucy. Sure, the local kid’s physicality for his home team is a neat story, and his work on the PK has been where he shines. However, Juulsen is nigh-unplayable at 5-on-5. Between the chased hits, the baffling neutral zone routes, and the failed box-outs around the crease, I question what stats the club is leaning on to justify his place over a credible veteran who can play tough matchups.

Juulsen’s edge over Soucy appears heavily based on penalty kill value this season, and that’s about it. Among defencemen who have played at least 50 minutes on the PK, Juulsen is second by fewest goals allowed per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time. Soucy, alternatively, has been on-ice at the highest rate of power play goals against among all Canucks skaters to have played 50 minutes shorthanded.

At 5-on-5, it’s a whole other story. The number of goals conceded with Soucy on the ice at 5-on-5 places him fifth among the nine defencemen to dress and play 200 minutes at 5-on-5 for the Canucks this season. Juulsen ranks last. The eye test hasn’t been favourable to either player, and the Canucks having the best on-ice save percentage with Soucy on the ice at 5-on-5 was a stat that caught me by surprise.

It’s a tiny sample size, as Juulsen was out of the lineup due to injury, but I checked the Canucks last five games to see if recency bias played into the team’s decision to scratch Soucy over Juulsen.

The stats did not help Juulsen’s case and confused me even more about the roster decisions.

The “last five” measure skews the PK stats as Juulsen has played almost a full PK shorter than Soucy and not allowed a goal against. While he ranks first by fewest goals allowed per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time, Juulsen sits in a six-way tie.

The 5-on-5 stats are where things get weird. Over their last five games, the Canucks sport a .800 save percentage with Juulsen on the ice at 5-on-5, the worst among all defencemen and 2nd-worst among all skaters.

Some reason prevailed on Tuesday night, with Soucy drawing into the lineup, playing his off-side alongside the rookie Elias “the Cycle Buster” Pettersson.

Tuesday’s poison pick paid dividends. Will Thursdays? I liked aspects of Soucy’s game, but I don’t know if the coaching staff will have liked enough of it to justify keeping him in over Juulsen.

They really are drunk on Juulsen.

Soucy’s work to regain his coach’s trust over Juulsen began with a display of his puck-moving abilities, poking the puck through the neutral zone and jumping up to be the first man into the Avalanche’s zone to retrieve the dump-in. Soucy’s quick work led to the Canucks’ first high-danger opportunity of the game: a brilliant steal from Teddy Blueger at the right circle and a backhander off of Mackenzie Blackwoods’ right pad.

After Blueger’s chance, Linus Karlsson played the puck back to ‘Buster,’ resulting in a secondary chance.

Soucy wrapped up his first shift on “get back in the coach’s good graces” duty by missing a simple relay pass to the blue line.

Best “Waddayagunnado, huh?!”

MacKinnon makes 1m more per year than EP40, if you are watching this game you would think EP40 is a decent 3rd line checker & MacKinnon is a superstar, except they both get paid like superstars and 1 of them clearly isn’t… . It’s time for EP40 to do something . #canucks

— Tyler Naswell (@TylerNaswell) February 5, 2025

Like accidentally grating your knuckle instead of the block of cheese, there isn’t much you can do when Nathan MacKinnon gets the puck and sees a sliver of ice available.

He’s going to get to the net.

In the opening 20, MacKinnon drew two penalties against the Canucks’ de facto checking line of Drew O’Connor, Pius Suter, and Kiefer Sherwood.

First, MacKinnon drew a hook against Suter to give the Avs the evening’s first power play opportunity.

After sweeping the puck out of the zone after the faceoff win, Derek Forbort drew some cautiously optimistic cheers from the Vancouver faithful after combining with Dakota Joshua to sweep the puck off MacKinnon’s stick for his second clear in a row.

With the Avs stationary inside the Canucks’ zone after a second re-entry, the Canucks did well steering passes to the outside. Both Cale Makar and MacKinnon rifled shots off the bar and wide before the Avs second power play unit hopped over the boards.

Upon the return to 5-on-5, the Avs generated a handful of good looks, mostly on the backs of Canuck mistakes.

While this sequence led to a shot on goal and another smart clearance by Forbort, it began due to a flubbed through-the-legs pass attempt and a miscommunication between him and Hronek over how and who would clear the zone.

We’ve all had those days where we are out of sync with our co-workers.

Just today, I was out of sync with my co-workers when I didn’t show up due to snow — drive safe out there, folks! Clear your car windows before you drive!

Worst addition to the “what could have been” file

Mackinnon to Necas with so much speed and it hits the post omgggg that was sooo great. Why can't Canucks do that!!!

— ameena (@Canuckgirl20) February 5, 2025

I came into Tuesday’s Stanchies, really hoping to avoid throwing gasoline on the “Will the real Elias Pettersson please show up?” storyline.

Marty Necas, a player the Canucks showed interest in acquiring during the latest round of rumoured Pettersson trades, did not help me with that goal!

Through the first 10 minutes of the game, I had zero clips of EP40 standing out. I had many of Nate MacKinnon doing NateDogg things and a handful of Marty Necas annihilating the puck and Demko’s post.

I remain hopelessly optimistic that EP40 will return to his 2023-24 form by next season, at the very least. But seeing Necas keep pace with MacKinnon on a two-on-one rush hurt my soul.

Pettersson has never been a burner, but he used to work his ass off on every shift like Necas did on this one sequence.

Please, EP40, come back. I’m getting killed in my mentions for believing.

Worst special teams and best 5-on-5 chances

#Canucks powerplay without Hughes is like Middle Earth without Gandalf

— Pucks & Fungi (@Pucks_Fungi) February 5, 2025

Midway through the first, Filip Chytil drew a holding penalty against Keaton Middleton, giving the Canucks their first power play opportunity of the game.

Rick Tocchet went with a first power play unit featuring Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, and Filip Hronek.

Pettersson saw the JFresh tweet about his lack of slap shots and decidedly rifled one over Blackwood’s head.

The errant shot sailed over to Devon Toews, who promptly sent Jack Drury and Joel Kiviranta out of the zone on a 2-on-2 for what would be the best look of the Canucks’ power play opportunity for either team.

Though I thought Hronek looked sharp overall, he’s certainly no Quinn Hughes when it comes to manning the point on the power play.

At 5-on-5, Chytil, Joshua, and Sherwood combined for (what would’ve been) an all-time highlight-reel goal off the rush. Sadly, Ross Colton’s slash (that went uncalled, by the way) had other plans.

The referees may have determined that the follow-through caused the damage. However, Colton’s slash clearly broke up the shot attempt.

The Avs returned fire off the rush with a missile off the post from Makar.

Though Colton’s slash went uncalled, with five minutes left in the period, MacKinnon drew his second penalty of the night: a slightly obvious holding penalty against Drew O’Connor.

Both teams exchanged quality end-to-end rushes, with the Canucks generating the best look of the Avs’ second opportunity: a slap shot from Marcus Pettersson off a pass from Blueger, as we all expected.

It was a busy period for both teams, with the Canucks looking incredible relative to their lethargic performances from earlier this year. Hronek played a ton of minutes and looked sharp, Demko made several key saves, Chytil looked like a legit top-six centre, Soucy looked much more reliable, Garland was his usual feisty defensive self, and Dakota Joshua played his best period of hockey in 2024-25.

Sure, the bar may have been low, but the Canucks ending a period against the Avalanche nil-nil on the backs of steady defence and quality play off the rush was a sight for sore eyes.

Best migraine (and second period)!

In the VAN vs COL game tonight, players on both rosters include:

Pettersson
Pettersson
Pettersson
Karlsson
Sherwood
Blackwood
Wood
O’Connor
O’Connor

A Conor

And two Filips.

And that doesn’t include Wedgwood or Juulsen who aren’t dressed

Thoughts to @BatchHockey and Shorty! pic.twitter.com/PzyPukPsEL

— Dustin Forbes (@dforbes91) February 5, 2025

If you’ve followed the Cody Severtson return-to-play timeline, you’ll know I’ve been in the trenches of first-born child duties since August. Tuesday night, my son overcame a lower-body injury (constipation) just in time for the game write-up.

Between GIPHY not working, a supremely uncomfortable and fussy baby refusing to sleep after relieving a week’s worth of food, and the above list of names, it was a BRUTAL return to the Stanchies.

Fortunately, the Canucks made the return worthwhile. After an impressive opening frame against the surging Avalanche, the club rattled off an even more impressive middle frame.

After opening the period with a minute of power play time, the Canucks held the Avs inside their end for a full two minutes. The Canucks’ control culminated in a shot into traffic from Tyler Myers and a dangerous backhander on Blackwood from Kiefer Sherwood.

Every line was chipping in productive shifts. Linus Karlsson made an impressive move in the neutral zone, catching a high flip and dishing cross-ice to O’Connor for a breakaway opportunity.

Curiously, Tocchet jimmied the lines around, moving Garland to a line with Pettersson and DeBrusk and shuffling Chytil to a line with Boeser and Joshua.

The shuffling worked, with DeBrusk giving Vancouver a 1-nothing lead off a brilliant end-to-end rush from Hronek.

1-0 Canucks.: Jake DeBrusk from Filip Hronek

Hronek’s effort is the real standout in this play. After outmuscling Juuso Parsinnen at the Canucks’ blue line, Hronek separates and goes end-to-end before finding a clean shooting lane on Blackwood.

DeBrusk makes a great play, catching the puck and getting the puck through a sliver of space. EP40 also makes a subtly brilliant play, tying up Toews’ stick in the crease to prevent the stick lift on DeBrusk.

The Canucks spent the first seven minutes of the second period inside the Avs’ zone, dominating shot attempts 17-1!

The Canucks finished the middle frame, having outshot Colorado 15 to 10. With the volume of high-quality chances favouring the Canucks.

The Avs’ Miles Wood must have felt his team losing momentum, as he requested a fight with Forbort late in the second and went on a penalty-taking spree in the third when it was clear the Avs did not have it.

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