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Coach Rick Tocchet needed the Vancouver Canucks to play sooner on Friday, however you possibly can solely transfer so shortly if you’re sleepwalking.
With a lineup that featured Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and Filip Hronek, the Canucks principally drifted by way of the primary half of Friday’s pre-season recreation in Seattle the place Vancouver fell behind by three objectives earlier than dropping 3-1 to the Kraken.
The Canucks are solely midway by way of their six-game National Hockey League pre-season schedule, and the crew was vigorous and extra engaged over the ultimate 25 minutes in opposition to the Kraken. Typically, skilled NHL gamers know methods to get themselves prepared, and Vancouver doesn’t play its regular-season opener till Oct. 9.
But head coach Tocchet has been calling for extra tempo since coaching camp ended on Sunday, and never sufficient gamers had it whereas the Canucks had been being outshot 15-8 by way of half-hour.
For a lot of the sport, minor-league hopefuls Arshdeep Bains and Max Sasson, taking part in with fellow prospect Linus Karlsson, had been the perfect Vancouver forwards. Kiefer Sherwood additionally had his ft shifting and regarded engaged, and veteran Sammy Blais had simply the perfect of his three video games throughout his tryout.
The crew lastly awakened late within the second interval, began producing some strain with its forecheck and bought a wrap-around objective from defenceman Tyler Myers at 16:18. But the Canucks managed solely six third-period photographs on Kraken goalie Joey Daccord regardless of a late energy play and a six-on-five benefit for the ultimate 90 seconds.
“We started being more invested,” Tocchet mentioned of the higher second half. “I think (we started) playing through people, more support. I think the first period, parts of the second… I don’t know, it seemed that we were a little tired early. But then we started to support each other and kind of go through (people). But you can’t play at the end of your stick, so it’s a learning lesson.”
The Canucks are anticipated to take an virtually completely totally different lineup to Calgary for Saturday’s recreation in opposition to the Flames. Vancouver’s fifth pre-season recreation in seven nights is Monday in Edmonton.
NEW GOALIE DEBUT
Six days after abandoning free company to hitch the Canucks on a one-year, $875,000 contract, Kevin Lankinen performed his first pre-season and regarded… nice
After lacking coaching camp and with simply three practices to arrange, Lankinen was crushed 3 times on 23 photographs and didn’t produce many five-star saves. But two of the pucks that eluded him had been deflected, together with Brandon Montour’s level shot that ricocheted in off Vancouver defenceman Derek Forbort, and the third objective, by Ryan Winterton, was a point-blank rebound after a centring go bounced on course off his skate.
With star starter Thatcher Demko out indefinitely as a result of a slow-healing knee damage, there was some added urgency within the Canucks’ crease throughout the pre-season. But Arturs Silovs, Jiri Patera and now Lankinen have every produced a strong (or higher) efficiency. The Canucks are 2-1 in three video games.
Lankinen was conspicuous Friday, nonetheless sporting his yellow-streaked pads from the Nashville Predators whereas awaiting or working in his new Canucks gear.
“That’s always the exciting thing when you get into a new team, just doing the new colours, getting a new mask,” Lankinen mentioned earlier this week. “It never gets old, I’ll tell you that. Even after 10 years playing pro, I mean, it’s always like a mini-Christmas for goalies.”
The Canucks are Lankinen’s third NHL crew and his sixth because the undrafted 29-year-old turned professional in Finland.
NICE MOMENT
Draft choose Sawyer Mynio, one of many junior standouts for the Canucks who graduated from the prospects match in Penticton to most important camp whereas impressing coaches at each, bought to start out an NHL pre-season recreation in his dwelling metropolis for hockey.
The 19-year-old, third-round choose from 2023 has performed the final three seasons for the Seattle Thunderbirds in close by Kent, Wash., however was given the possibility by Tocchet to start out beneath the intense lights of Climate Pledge Arena.
Mynio confirmed off his pace to catch Kraken veteran Jordan Eberle on a first-period breakaway. The defenceman from Kamloops, B.C., has impressed Canucks’ workers along with his mobility, passing and hockey IQ. Mynio logged 19:29 of ice time Friday and was minus-one.
“I think Mynio, 19-year-old kid, he’s a great prospect for us,” Tocchet mentioned. “He held his poise out there.”
WHEN IS MILLER TIME?
Halfway by way of the Canucks’ pre-season, 103-point centre J.T. Miller is the one non-injured Canucks common who has but to play a tuneup recreation. At least, we expect he isn’t injured.
“I’m obviously ready to play,” Miller informed reporters after Thursday’s apply on the University of B.C. “The pre-season, it’s never pretty, let’s be honest. It’s all about just trying to worry about your habits and trying to get those in the right spot. Then hopefully… typically by Game 6, we play pretty close to the full team, and it feels a little better as we go. I’m obviously going to get in soon. I’ll play a couple of games probably.”
The final participant off the ice on Thursday, Miller has been totally practising and doesn’t look like battling something. Tocchet has identified a few instances that Miller was one of many best-conditioned Canucks in pre-camp testing.
“It’s been the same the last two or three years,” Miller mentioned of his summer time coaching. “I don’t like getting back into working out, so I find taking less time (off) is a lot easier. It’s definitely becoming more year round, that’s for sure. I only take 10 to 14 days, and by that time I’m ready to get out of my house anyway.”
SOME STATS
We’re unsure if the NHL has a supply-chain downside with hits, however statisticians in Seattle awarded solely 4 of them — two to every crew — in a recreation that was just a little edgy at instances over the ultimate 25 minutes. Not surprisingly, vitality gamers Sherwood and Blais had been the one Canucks deemed worthy of registering successful… Hronek logged 25:41 of ice time, which is so much for a pre-season recreation… Vancouver’s penalty-killing is eight-for-eight by way of three video games… Half of the Canucks’ eight first-half photographs on Friday had been divided between Sasson and Karlsson… Pettersson was 6-12 on faceoffs, and Pius Suter barely higher at 7-12. So the Kraken had been always beginning with the puck.
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