During the course of a long NHL season, there are times that a goaltender absolutely steals a victory. This was one of those games for Kevin Lankinen, he stopped all 33 shots enroute to a 2-0 shut-out win over the Boston Bruins, in a game where the Bruins likely deserved a better outcome but the finish wasn’t there for them. Lankinen becomes only the 5th goalie in NHL history to start the season 8-0-0.
Jake DeBrusk returned to Boston for the first time since the Canucks signed him as a free agent, last summer. He scored the first goal, and eventual game winner. Connor Garland added an empty net goal. DeBrusk’s goal celebration was quiet and subdued, out of respect for the organization he spent 8 years with. A classy move by Jake.
Brock Boeser returned to the Canucks lineup after recovering from a concussion, and Thatcher Demko is listed as day to day now and could return at any time. Lankinen has more then earned a spot, and hopes are that he at least splits games with Demko.
Arturs Silovs got the start against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he had a rough night, but so did the rest of the team. Especially early on as they fell behind 5-1 before battling back to make it a 5-4 final for the Pens.
The Canucks then picked up a pair of overtime wins. 4-3 in Buffalo and 5-4 in Detroit. Against the Wings, Quinn Hughes passed Alex Edler as the all time assist leader in Canucks history at 311. And get this, he did it in 538 less games. What a remarkable achievement. Also, in the same game, Kevin Lankinen became the first goaltender in NHL history to start a season with 10 straight road wins. Another remarkable achievement.
Before the last game of this trip, in Brock Boeser’s native State of Minnesota, the Canucks announced that defenseman Filip Hronek will miss up to 8 weeks due to a medical procedure following a hit into the boards late in the game in Buffalo. He will be missed, he’s a big part of the top 4 and Quinn Hughes’s defence partner.
It was one heck of a hockey game in Minnesota. 3-2 final for the Wild in a back and forth affair, including overtime. Brock Boeser almost ended it with a shot he rang off the post. Shots were fairly even and the game itself had a playoff feel to it. And despite the loss, it felt like the best game of the road trip.
Head Coach, Rick Tocchet, speaking post game; “Great game. Guys played really hard tonight. Helluva road trip.” And it was, the Canucks finished the trip 4-1-1, which included a win in Ottawa on November 23rd to start it all off. They now head home for most of December, beginning Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
ITR 31: Let Them Fight – Inside The Rink
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