The Vancouver Canucks season is on the line as they embark on a six-game road trip beginning Thursday (March 20) in St. Louis but they depart feeling good about themselves after a resounding 6-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday night at Rogers Arena.
乌鸦传媒淚t was a huge game for us. It was one of our better games in a long time. They乌鸦传媒檙e probably the top team in the league right now and we outplayed them tonight,乌鸦传媒� said Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen, who made 19 saves during the game with several of those being highlight material.
Now comes the tough part.
A six-game junket that will have a huge impact on the Canucks playoff chances. It starts Thursday against the Blues 乌鸦传媒� the team that is tied with the Canucks for the final wildcard spot with 75 points in the Western Conference standings although the Canucks do have a game in hand.
They乌鸦传媒檒l be facing a Blues team that is on a heater right now having gone 7-2-1 in their last ten games and is riding a three-game winning streak. It乌鸦传媒檚 also a Blues team that has the second-weakest remaining schedule (.529) in the league.
Then it乌鸦传媒檚 off to New York for games against the Rangers on Saturday, the Devils on Monday and the Islanders on Wednesday. Yes, it乌鸦传媒檚 three games in five nights but at least the Canucks won乌鸦传媒檛 have to travel during that time. The road trip concludes with a game in Columbus on Friday the 28th and a return match against the Jets on Sunday the 30th.
乌鸦传媒淲e are going to be going into some desperate buildings. St. Louis is desperate. The Rangers are desperate乌鸦传媒ersey...Columbus乌鸦传媒hese are desperate teams. The buildings are going to be loud and there is going to be a lot of heat on you when you have the puck or you need to make a play,乌鸦传媒� said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.
Tocchet preaches staying in the moment and maintaining an even-keel approach but even he admits the game against the Jets should give his club some confidence going into the 12-day trip.
乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 a huge point. We were disappointed after the Utah game but they took the information (we gave them) and applied it against Winnipeg. That乌鸦传媒檚 the key 乌鸦传媒� knowing how we want to play and how we want to expose the other team. We just have to keep hammering that. This is good for us. If we do the right things, we乌鸦传媒檒l be okay. They乌鸦传媒檒l put pressure on us but if we all stick together, we can get through that pressure. It乌鸦传媒檚 going to be a good test for us,乌鸦传媒� replied Tocchet when the subject was broached.
Brock Boeser also believes that keeping their composure as a group will be a big key for the Canucks on this road trip.
乌鸦传媒淲e are going into tough buildings and teams are going to get momentum and come at us. We can乌鸦传媒檛 panic. Winnipeg had a little spurt in the second where they kept coming at us but we calmed down and we got two big goals after that. That乌鸦传媒檚 something that we have to make sure we do on the road,乌鸦传媒� said Boeser, who snapped a 12-game drought with a pair of goals against the Jets.
OVERTIME:
*Lankinen has now played in 44 games 乌鸦传媒� which is the most he has ever played in a single season in his pro career but says the regular workload allows him to get into a groove, which is difficult when being a back-up. 乌鸦传媒�100%. It becomes your routine. You come in, you do the same thing and you乌鸦传媒檙e ready to go when the puck drops. The mental and physical preparation is a lot easier when you are in a rhythm,乌鸦传媒� said Lankinen, whose previous high in terms of games played was 42 for HIFK Helsinki during the 2016-17 season. One thing that being a back-up has taught him is preparation and that乌鸦传媒檚 now paying dividends as a starter. 乌鸦传媒淚n my career being in different situations, I learned to prepare. Confidence comes from preparation. Whatever is going to happen 乌鸦传媒� you乌鸦传媒檙e going to start, you乌鸦传媒檙e not starting, you get tossed in - you乌鸦传媒檝e done the right thing. It乌鸦传媒檚 easier to just go play the game when you have the foundation there,乌鸦传媒� he said.
*Elias Pettersson 乌鸦传媒� the forward not the defenceman 乌鸦传媒� continued his strong play with an assist against the Jets to extend his scoring streak to season-high six games. Pettersson has recorded three goals and four assists in that span. Ironically, he乌鸦传媒檚 playing with more confidence and edge ever since he pled his mea culpa with the media on March 4th.
*The team held their 35th annual Canucks For Kids Fund Telethon during the Jets game with over $600,000 being raised for the team乌鸦传媒檚 charity affiliates. Those organizations include Canuck Place Children乌鸦传媒檚 Hospice, the Canucks Autism Network, Canucks Family Education Center and the BC Children乌鸦传媒檚 Hospital Foundation.
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