Canucks Defeat The Kings 4-2, Sweep California Road Trip

The Vancouver Canucks pulled off a sweep of the California teams on Thursday night, defeating the L.A. Kings 4-2. Vancouver received goals from Conor Garland, Jake DeBrusk, Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 25 of 27 shots for his seventh win of the season. With the win, the Canucks improve to 7-2-3 on the season and are now 6-1-0 on the road.

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Before diving into the game, it is important to note that Vancouver suffered a potentially massive blow as Brock Boeser left the game during the first period. Boeser was hit in the head by Tanner Jeannot in a play that the referees determined to be a deliberate attempt to injure. Head Coach Rick Tocchet was asked about Boeser's health after the game but did not have an update. Tocchet also wouldn't go into detail about the hit but did call it a "dangerous play."

As for the game itself, the Canucks did a fantastic job of protecting the "guts of the ice." Vancouver was able to intercept cross-ice passes with ease, forcing the Kings to take shots from a distance rather than creating chances close to the crease. Limiting L.A. to only 18 shots at even strength, this was one of the best defensive efforts by the team this season.

While the whole team played well, Hughes once again deserves a ton of praise for the way he plays. The Canucks captain recorded yet another two-point night, blocked two shots and was credited with his second hit of the season. It seems crazy to say, but somehow, the reigning Norris Trophy winner has gotten even better and, thanks to performances like tonight, is making his way into the Hart Trophy conversation.

As for Tocchet, he was impressed with his team's overall performance. Post-game, he said, "I think we're getting to our game. You know, obviously, the odd-man rushes are getting less and less. I think that's the key. Just a more connected group. You got to remember, we've got 10 or 11 different guys, or nine, I don't know the exact number, a couple of guys are injured. There's a lot of different moving parts, and we're hanging in there. I'm really proud of the guys. I mean, proud of the guys. You're playing NHL teams, and they're hard. We're trying to gel and again, 12 or 13 games, so we're trying to gel."

Ultimately, this is the type of performance Vancouver needs to replicate if they want to have sustained success this season. They were able to shut down one of the hottest teams in the NHL, limiting the Kings to four high-danger chances at even strength. Outside of losing Boeser, it is hard to imagine the Canucks California road trip finishing on a higher note.

Facts and Stats:

- Kiefer Sherwood records at least seven hits for the fifth time this season

- With his 87th career two-point night, Quinn Hughes moves into sole possession of 17th on the franchise's all-time list for multi-point games

- Kevin Lankinen has now collected at least a point in ten straight games, with his last regulation loss coming on April 6, 2024

- J.T. Miller's sixth empty net goal moves him into a tie with Loui Eriksson and Ryan Kesler for the 14th most empty netters in franchise history history

Scoring Summary:

First Period:

1:43- LAK: Quinton Byfield from Warren Foegele and Alex Laferriere
14:20- VAN: Conor Garland (4) (PPG)

Second Period:

5:51- VAN: Jake DeBrusk (3) from Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek

Third Period:

2:44- VAN: Quinn Hughes (3)
13:57- LAK: Vladislav Gavrikov (1) from Trevor Moore and Phillip Danault 
18:46- VAN: J.T. Miller (5) (ENG)

Up Next:

The Canucks return home from their road trip on Saturday for the much anticipated first meeting of the season with the Edmonton Oilers. Vancouver will be looking for some revenge after falling to the Oilers in Game 7 last year. Game time is set for 7:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena.