4 Takeaways from the Canucks 4-3 Win Over The Penguins

4 Takeaways from the Canucks 4-3 Win Over The Penguins

What started as a sloppy effort from the home team, ended in domination from the Canucks. In their first game back from a 4 game road trip, some rust may be expected, but the Canucks did well to fight off adversity after the first period and put a chokehold on the Penguins. Their 4 goal second period, which included three in 55 seconds, was too much for the Penguins to come back from in their third period push. It got shaky, but the Canucks got there in the end. Let’s look at some takeaways from this Canucks victory.

1. Pettersson, Hoglander, and Garland line shines

We are all well aware of the player Elias Pettersson can be when he is on his game, his issue has always been confidence. Whether that be passing the puck when he has clear shooting lanes, or losing possession of the puck when doing too much to get around guys. He finally broke through today, scoring his first even strength goal since March 19, 2024. Connor Garland found Pettersson after flying around the net, and Petey placed a perfect shot into the top corner. From then on, you could tell he had some confidence back, becoming more involved in the forecheck and making better plays. 

Meanwhile, Conor Garland also had an excellent game. He seemed to be involved whenever he was on the ice, becoming a pest on the offensive end, impossible to get the puck off his stick. His high octane play created a lot of opportunities, especially from his office near the goal line. He set up the Pettersson goal, and a great one-time opportunity for Suter. His tenacity and ability to win in the corners against defenders much larger than him makes him extremely fun to watch, and I truly believe he is one of the most underrated wingers in the NHL.

Nils HogIander did not have his best game ever, but was still solid. He contributed enough on the forecheck to allow for his line to thrive, and helped Garland out in the corners. It has been interesting to see his development, as he plays a much more structured game compared to the Boudreau days. 

This line did allow a goal against, after Garland and Pettersson got trapped deep in the zone for Pitssburgh’s first goal, but their offensive game today was more than enough to outweigh that mistake. I hope this line can continue to build chemistry and confidence as the season progresses.

2. Arshdeep Bains Breakout

Bains up to this point of the season has been a player that struggled to produce offense for the Canucks, but is too talented for the AHL. Fortunately, he scored his first NHL goal today, after smartly making a beeline for the net off a JT Miller rebound. 

What I was also impressed by was that he was also a factor at multiple other points in the game. He made multiple great passes, across the ice, that almost set up goals in front of the net, showing off his great vision. One play, at 7:10 in the first period, he took a pass from Filip Hronek, carried the puck into the Penguins zone, and made a perfect pass from the boards to the net, almost resulting in a Sprong goal. This game should be a great stepping stone for him to continue developing into a solid producer for the team. His ability to play in front of the net, and find guys through traffic from the wing, tells me he could be an effective player for years to come.

3. The Bottom 4 Defense was saved by Brannstrom

The Canucks bottom two defensive pairings, which mainly consist of Carson Soucy, Tyler Myers, Vincent Desharnais, and Derek Forbot, has been sketchy to say the least. I had doubts heading into the season. While I do believe all four players are solid defensively, their lack of skating mobility and puck movement could really hurt the team. 

My doubts seemed to have been correct, as early in the season, multiple blown coverages around the net, slow transitions, and bad breakouts have led to opposing teams feeding off the bottom pairings. I long preached that the Canucks would bring up Brannstrom after trading for him, because of the mobility he can add to balance a pairing with someone such as Desharniais. So far he has done exactly that. Brannstrom played a solid game, playing well on the offensive possessions, holding down the blueline and sending pucks to the net. 

Soucy and Myers played okay. Myers did lose a netfront battle which led to a Pittsburgh goal, then committed a penalty, but made up for it with some solid checks and blocks later on. Soucy was too slow to stop a wrap-around goal from Rust after Myers decided to not follow him around the back of the net. However, Soucy did also have 5 blocks today. Unfortunately, I just don’t think this line, or any combination of Canucks tall defenseman, is sustainable long term, especially if the Canucks want to win a cup.

In the future, I hope the Canucks pursue a mobile top four defender who can carry his own line under Hughes and Hronek to help balance the lack of mobility and puck moving ability in the Canucks defense. If this happens, the Canucks defense could make a serious case for one of the better groups in the league.

4. The Canucks have found their new Garland-Blueger-Joshua line

The Heinen, Blueger, Sherwood line was all over the ice today. They had excellent offensive possessions, hemming the Penguins into their own zone, while cycling around and finding great scoring opportunities. On one play, Kiefer Sherwood jumped a pass and led a 2-on-1 with Blueger that resulted in the game tying goal. Speaking of Sherwood, prior to this game, he had 30 hits in his last three games, adding 6 more today. What a great addition to this team. A lineup including Sherwood, Miller, Garland, and Joshua, is extremely exciting, and could be lethal in the postseason. 

A common factor with these successful third lines for the Canucks is Teddy Blueger. Blueger has been a pleasure to watch. He is an amazing defender, locking down opposing centers, and then has the hockey IQ and mobility to push the puck up the ice and lead a strong forecheck. He has solidified himself as a key piece to the team.

Looking ahead

The Canucks have a tough test Monday against the Carolina Hurricanes. I will be interested to see how the Pettersson and Blueger line, and Arshdeep Bains, use their newfound confidence from their great games against a defensively minded team.