Tag: Vancouver

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Revised Canucks aim to snap losing streak against Avalanche in Vancouver showdown

Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche

The Vancouver Canucks are set to play with a fresh sense of energy when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.

The Canucks are looking to avoid a third consecutive loss after making big changes to their roster on Friday. One of the trades sent last season’s top scorer, J.T. Miller, to the New York Rangers.

On January 24, the Avalanche added Jack Drury and Martin Necas after trading their top scorer, Mikko Rantanen, to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Filip Chytil, Marcus Pettersson, and Drew O’Connor all made their debuts for Vancouver in the team’s 3-2 overtime loss to Detroit on Sunday.

“There is a lot of smiling, a lot of excitement,” said Canucks coach Rick Tocchet after Sunday’s game. “There was a freshness from the guys who are excited to be here.

“Now it is kind of OK, we got the trades over, and this is our team.

“Let’s start at zero, even for the guys who have struggled this year. It is a time to just reset your brain, come out with a good attitude, work hard. Those are the type of things that are going to get you out of slumps.”

Chytil had an immediate impact, scoring an unassisted goal in the third period.

“(Chytil) was really good. He controlled the play and he wanted the puck,” Tocchet said. “He scored a big goal for us, so it was a good debut for him.”

Colorado Avalanche (NHL)

Pius Suter also scored, and Kevin Lankinen made 15 saves for Vancouver.

The Canucks are hopeful that star defenseman Quinn Hughes will return to the lineup on Tuesday. He missed Sunday’s game due to an unspecified injury.

If Hughes plays, Tuesday’s game will feature a matchup between two of the league’s top offensive defensemen: Hughes and Colorado’s Cale Makar. Hughes won the Norris Trophy last season, while Makar was named the top defenseman in 2022.

Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood could be aiming for his third consecutive shutout if he starts against Vancouver.

Blackwood made 19 saves in a 5-0 win over the St. Louis Blues on Friday, then stopped all 24 shots in a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday in Denver.

“I try and play the same way day-in and day-out,” said Blackwood, who has posted back-to-back shutouts three times in his career. “Over these last two games, we’ve done a tremendous job in the D-zone just playing the right way.”

Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Samuel Girard scored for Colorado, and Jonathan Drouin added two assists. Colorado completed a two-game homestand with wins in both games.

“I don’t think we’ve given up very many high-danger chances in the last couple of games,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. “We’ve done a nice job defending, and when we have a breakdown, (Blackwood) has been there.”

MacKinnon, the league’s leading scorer, added a power-play goal and became the first player to reach 80 points this season.

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Alex DeBrincat leads Wings to OT win over Canucks in Detroit

Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks

Alex DeBrincat scored twice, including the game-winning goal in overtime, as the Detroit Red Wings won 3-2 against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night, extending their winning streak to six games.

Ben Chiarot also scored for Detroit, which moved into a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with the win. Goaltender Alex Lyon stopped 25 shots.

Filip Chytil and Pius Suter scored for Vancouver, which lost its second straight game. Kevin Lankinen made 15 saves in net.

DeBrincat now has 23 goals on the season, tying Dylan Larkin for the team lead. His game-winner came with 42 seconds left in overtime, as DeBrincat led a fast break from one end of the ice to the other and finished a give-and-go with Lucas Raymond in the Vancouver zone.

Suter gave Vancouver the lead less than five minutes into the game with his 14th goal of the season. He deflected a shot from Elias Pettersson past a screened Lyon.

Detroit Red Wings (NHL)

DeBrincat tied the game at 1 less than two minutes later, and Chiarot gave Detroit the lead at 5:54 of the second period. Chiarot’s wrist shot from the blue line beat Lankinen, thanks to screens from Michael Rasmussen and Elmer Soderblom. Soderblom earned an assist on the play, extending his point streak to four games.

Chytil, acquired from the New York Rangers on Friday, tied the game at 2-all at 10:46 of the third period. After winning a puck battle in the faceoff circle, he skated past Chiarot and found a way to get a shot past Lyon to guarantee Vancouver at least one point.

Just before the game, Vancouver pulled defenseman Quinn Hughes, the team’s captain and leader in points, from the lineup due to an undisclosed injury.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Vancouver’s revamped roster sets sights on Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings in Detroit

Detroit Red Wings (NHL)

The Vancouver Canucks will face the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, looking very different from when they left for their three-game road trip last week.

On Friday, the Canucks traded forward J.T. Miller, defenseman Erik Brannstrom, and defense prospect Jackson Dorrington to the New York Rangers for veteran forward Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and a 2025 first-round draft pick that’s top-13 protected.

Also on Friday, Vancouver sent forward Danton Heinen, defenseman Vincent Desharnais, and a 2025 first-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor.

These trades didn’t come as a shock, especially since the Canucks had been trying to move the unhappy Miller for a few months.

The new additions are expected to be in Vancouver for Sunday’s game, according to general manager Patrik Allvin. However, coach Rick Tocchet will decide if any or all of them will play against a Red Wings team that has won five straight games and earned points in six straight (5-0-1).

“We’ve had some good games here over the last week, and I think this team has shown when we’re playing the right way and playing to our identity, we’re a tough team to play against,” Allvin said. “As I said, hopefully, this will galvanize and make our team better.”

Despite trade rumors, Vancouver had a three-game winning streak before falling 5-3 to the Dallas Stars on Friday. Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk scored his team-leading 18th goal of the season in the loss. Defenseman Quinn Hughes extended his point streak to eight games with an assist on DeBrusk’s goal.

Vancouver Canucks’ J.T. Miller waits for a face-off during the second period of an NHL hockey game

The Red Wings arrive in Vancouver for the third game of their four-game road trip. Detroit won 3-1 against the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

Captain Dylan Larkin scored his team-high 23rd goal of the season in the victory. The center has scored in back-to-back games and has 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) since the Christmas break.

Lucas Raymond leads the team with 36 assists and 56 points but has been kept off the scoresheet in the last two games.

The Red Wings have been playing much better since Todd McLellan became head coach after the holiday break, posting a 13-4-1 record since December 27.

This will be the second time under McLellan that the Red Wings will play on back-to-back days. They lost to Tampa Bay and Dallas on January 18-19. Before Saturday’s win, Detroit hadn’t won either game of a back-to-back, going 0-9-1.

Despite the winning streak, neither Larkin nor McLellan were pleased with Detroit’s performance, especially at the start of Saturday’s game.

“As a whole, we’re going to have to understand that the gas tanks probably aren’t where they need to be,” McLellan said. “We’re going to have to have real good game-management skills, so everybody has to pull on the rope… Try and start better again than we did tonight, but we’re going to worry about that in the morning. We’ll get to Vancouver … and deal with it then.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Stars extend their win streak to four with a victory over the Canucks in Dallas

Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks

Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz each scored twice, contributing to three-point games, as the Dallas Stars defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-3 on Friday.

Oskar Back also scored for the Stars, who have now won four consecutive games. Goalie Jake Oettinger was strong in net, making 26 saves, especially in the first two periods.

For the Canucks, Conor Garland, Jake DeBrusk, and Carson Soucy scored. Their three-game winning streak came to an end just hours after trading forward J.T. Miller. Goalie Thatcher Demko made 11 saves.

With the game tied 1-1, Robertson put the Stars ahead with a power-play goal at 16:29 in the second period. After solid puck movement, Robertson was passed the puck in the slot and quickly fired it into the net.

Dallas had entered the game with the league’s worst home power play.

Hintz increased the lead to 3-1 at 4:04 in the third period. After the Canucks failed to score on an odd-man rush, Hintz took a breakaway and calmly shot the puck through the goalie’s legs.

Vancouver Canucks (NHL)

Hintz later added a short-handed empty-net goal with 3:27 remaining, shooting the puck into the net from his own zone as the Canucks pulled their goalie for an extra skater.

DeBrusk scored for Vancouver with a power-play goal at 2:09 left, but Robertson sealed the victory with another empty-net goal in the final minute.

Soucy scored a late goal for Vancouver with just four seconds remaining.

Back opened the scoring at 9:12 of the first period, capitalizing on a perfect pass from Colin Blackwell after winning a puck battle along the boards.

Garland responded with a goal at 5:08 in the second period, finishing a pass from Nils Hoglander during an odd-man rush and putting a sharp-angled shot into the net.

Before the game, the Canucks traded Miller, defenseman Erik Brannstrom, and prospect Jackson Dorrington to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and a conditional 2025 first-round draft pick. Miller had long been rumored to be traded due to his reported tension with Elias Pettersson.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

In New York, the Rangers acquire center J.T. Miller from the Canucks in a multiplayer trade

J.T. Miller takes the puck forward

The New York Rangers traded for veteran center J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks in a multiplayer deal on Friday night.

In exchange, the Rangers gave up center Filip Chytil, defenseman Victor Mancini, and a 2025 conditional draft pick to Vancouver. New York also received defensemen Jackson Dorrington and Erik Brannstrom.

The Canucks had been expected to trade either Miller or Elias Pettersson due to a reported disagreement between the two. Miller was unexpectedly scratched before Vancouver’s 5-3 loss to Dallas on Friday, and the teams announced the trade during the game.

“I want to thank J.T. for his time here in Vancouver,” said Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin in a statement. “J.T. was a passionate impact player and good leader for our hockey team. Moving him was not an easy decision but we are pleased with our return from the Rangers. Both Filip and Victor are good additions for our club and we are excited to see what they bring to us on the ice.”

Miller, 31, was drafted by the Rangers with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NHL draft. He spent parts of six seasons in New York before being traded to Tampa Bay along with defenseman Ryan McDonagh on February 26, 2018.

Miller, now in the second year of a seven-year, $56 million contract, will help strengthen the Rangers lineup, which has struggled after winning the Presidents’ Trophy last season and reaching the Eastern Conference final. Miller has nine goals and 26 assists in 40 games with Vancouver this season.

“When you’re in this business long enough, there’s going to be things like that,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said about the trade. “Millsey was a big part of the team. I’m sure he’s emotional… Millsey’s played great hockey for the Canucks and myself. Obviously, a heart-and-soul guy. I think he’s going to do well over there.”

Pettersson didn’t want to talk about his issues with Miller or what it means for him going forward.

“I don’t want to get into that,” he said. “All we can do is look forward.”

Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks

Later, the Canucks acquired defenseman Marcus Pettersson—no relation to Elias—and forward Drew O’Connor from Pittsburgh in exchange for forward Danton Heinen, defenseman Vincent Desharnais, prospect Melvin Fernstrom, and the draft pick they received from the Rangers in the earlier deal.

New York is currently in 13th place in the East, five points behind Columbus for the conference’s second wild card. Vancouver is in ninth place in the West, just one point behind a wild-card spot.

For his career, Miller has 247 goals and 427 assists in 839 games with the Rangers, Lightning, and Canucks. He also has 12 goals and 44 assists in 91 playoff games. Miller had a career-high 37 goals and 66 assists last season, setting personal bests with 103 points, 40 power-play points, nine game-winning goals, and 217 hits.

During his first time with the Rangers, Miller scored 72 goals and had 100 assists in 341 games.

Chytil, 25, was selected by the Rangers with the 21st overall pick in the 2017 draft. He has 75 goals and 89 assists in 378 games, including 11 goals and nine assists in 41 games this season.

“Heard some really good things,” Tocchet said about Chytil. “I heard he’s very excited to come. Mancini I hear is a really big defenseman, young, that can play. Yeah, I think there’s some stuff to work with.”

Marcus Pettersson has 14 goals and 119 assists in 444 games for Anaheim and Pittsburgh. O’Connor has 24 goals and 26 assists in 157 games for the Penguins.

Heinen has 93 goals and 137 assists in 538 games for Boston, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, and Vancouver. Desharnais has one goal and 15 assists in 114 games.

Mancini, 22, made his NHL debut earlier this season, scoring one goal and adding four assists in 15 games with the Rangers. He also had three goals and seven assists in 23 games for Hartford in the AHL.

Brannstrom, 25, has 10 goals and 67 assists in 294 games. Dorrington, 20, was drafted by Vancouver in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.