Lankinen Perfect In Toronto As The Canucks Shut Out The Leafs 3-0

A night after being shut out by the Carolina Hurricanes, the Vancouver Canucks responded in a big way as they shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0. Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood lit the lamp for Vancouver, while Kevin Lankinen stopped all 20 shots he faced. With the win, the Canucks snap their four-game losing streak and pick up their first regulation victory on the road since November 26 versus the Boston Bruins.

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Saturday's performance in Toronto was one of Vancouver's best of the season. They completely shut down the Maple Leafs' offense and became the fifth team this season to hold Toronto to 20 or fewer shots. While it would have been nice for Vancouver to get more shots on net, the result is hard to argue with, as they put three past Dennis Hildeby while recording just 18 shots.

When asked about his team's play on Saturday, Rick Tocchet was pleased, saying, "A lot of heart. Listen, the last couple of years, this is a resilient group. Takes a lot of punches, and it gets back up. This is one of those times where we got back up."

While the Canucks played well as a group, they won this game because their stars stepped up. Starting with Quinn Hughes, he was spectacular at both ends of the ice. Hughes not only recorded a goal and an assist, but he also finished with five blocked shots and a takeaway. Despite media outlets, including NHL.com, not believing that Hughes deserves to win the Norris Trophy, tonight's performance is a good example of why he not only deserves to be named the best defenceman this season but also should be in the Hart Trophy conversation.

Elias Pettersson also deserves a shoutout for the way he played. During his 16:08 of ice time, Pettersson recorded an assist, a hit and five blocked shots. He also looked dangerous with the puck on his stick, which eventually led to a drawn penalty. Pettersson's defensive play even got the attention of his teammates, with Hughes saying after the game that some of Vancouver's players were yelling "Selke." For the Canucks to be successful, they need Pettersson to keep performing at this level, as when he is on his game, he is one of the best two-way centers in the league.

When asked about his defensive play, Pettersson said post-game, "I'm just trying to be myself out there. Trying to be reliable at both ends. When it's my time to step up for something, I always want to do it for the team. Happy with my game and our lines game today. Gotta keep it going."

Lastly, Vancouver's penalty kill was phenomenal against the Maple Leafs. They went a perfect three for three, allowing only two shots on goal. The Canucks were also able to get a few pucks on net while shorthanded, recording two shots during their six minutes of penalty kill time. While the team as a whole may be inconsistent night to night, the penalty kill remains one of the biggest positives this season and played a crucial role once again tonight in Toronto.

In the end, this was a very successful game for Vancouver. Not only did they shut out the Maple Leafs, but they caused fans to leave the arena early, with multiple boo sessions also breaking out during the third period. While there were a lot of positives to take away from the game, the real question now is, can the Canucks harness some momentum and pick up a win in their final game of the road trip Tuesday.

Facts and Stats:

- Brock Boeser's 194th goal passes Alex Burrows into sole possession of tenth all-time in franchise history

- Brock Boeser's 26th career game-winning goal moves him past Ryan Kesler and Bo Horvat and into a tie with J.T. Miller and Thomas Gradin for the tenth most in franchise history

- Quinn Hughes sets a new career high with five blocked shots

- Since Hughes' tallie was recorded as an own goal, he finished the night with a goal but no shots on net.

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

00:31- VAN: Brock Boeser (15) from Tyler Myers and Elias Pettersson

2nd Period:

18:12- VAN: Quinn Hughes (9)

3rd Period:

00:47- VAN: Kiefer Sherwood (13) from Quinn Hughes and Tyler Myers

Up Next:

The Canucks conclude their road trip on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets. This will be the first of three games versus the Jets, with two meetings this season happening in Winnipeg. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:00 pm PT.

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