Pettersson Passes Horvat In Canucks 3-1 Victory Over The Flames

The Vancouver Canucks took care of business on Tuesday night, defeating the Calgary Flames 3-1. Elias Pettersson, Pius Suter and Erik Brännström provided the offence while Kevin Lankinen stopped 27 of 28 shots for his eighth win of the season. With the win, the Canucks improve to 8-3-3 on the campaign while picking up their second win at Rogers Arena.

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Tonight's game was a special one for Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who made his NHL debut. Vancouver's 2022 first-round pick played 14:07 and recorded two shots on goal as well as a hit. When asked about the rookie's performance, Rick Tocchet said, "There's definitely a lot there to like. Smart player. When he has the puck, there is not a lot of panic. He's just going to get better. Goes in the right spots. I thought he did a really nice job tonight. First game, and there's a lot to build off. There's a lot of stuff to work with, but you can tell he's got some good points in his game."

Another player who had a strong night was Pettersson, who thanks to his goal and assist, surpassed former teammate and now New York Islanders center Bo Horvat and moved into 10th all-time in franchise history for points with 421. Pettersson also had a dominant night in the faceoff dot, going 13 for 22 and winning 60% of his ten draws in the defensive zone. Post-game, Tocchet spoke very positively about Pettersson's game, saying, "He's working on his game. He's going on the ice a bit early. I think that's helping, and he's working hard. That's the only way you get out of these things. He's starting to get skating legs, and I think that's because he's skating hard in practice. He's doing extra and he has to continue to do it, even if he's tired in the game. I told him, I don't care; we're looking for the long run with him. I thought this week was a good week for him."

Erik Brännström also had an impressive night, finishing with a goal and an assist. He also recorded four shots while blocking an additional three. When asked about his performance, as well as the team's victory, Brännström said, I think we played fast, and that's our game plan. I think we had a really good game. I think it played a simple game. It's a good game for the team."

Lastly, Lankinen deserves a ton of praise for the way he played. He didn't glide out of position and was able to make some highlight reel saves en route to a victory. Now with a record of 8-1-2 on the season, it is hard to imagine where this team would be without him.

Overall, the Canucks executed their game plan and put forth one of their more impressive performances of the season. They were able to score with the man advantage and once again had a strong night on the penalty kill. On a night full of positives and historic moments, Vancouver demonstrated that when they are on their game, they are a very difficult team to stop.

Facts and Stats:

- With two assists tonight, J.T. Miller has tied Andre Boudrias for the 10th most assists in Canucks history

- J.T. Miller ties Todd Bertuzzi for the ninth most multi-point games in franchise history

- Canucks go perfect on the penalty kill for the seventh time this season

- Quinn Hughes extends his point streak to five games

Scoring Summary:

First Period:

19:00- CAL: Justin Kirkland (2) from Kevin Rooney and Ryan Lomberg

Second Period:

00:23- VAN: Elias Pettersson (4) from J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes (PPG)
2:38- VAN: Pius Suter (6) from J.T. Miller and Erik Brännström

Third Period:

6:19- VAN: Erik Brännström (First with the Canucks) from Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk

Up Next:

The Canucks continue their six-game homestand on Thursday when Bo Horvat and the New York Islanders come to town. Last season, Vancouver swept the season series, which included a 4-3 overtime win at Rogers Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.