Canucks offense breaks out in rout of Blackhawks: 3 takeaways
VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks took care of business without drama or suspense Saturday night, soundly defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2.
The Blackhawks are, to their credit, a more well-drilled and professional-looking side than what we saw earlier in the year. Saturday night, however, they still dressed an obvious rebuilding lineup dotted with players under the age of 25 with just a few veterans — and ex-Canucks skaters like Ilya Mikheyev and Jason Dickinson — dotting their roster. Ten skaters in the Blackhawks lineup Saturday night, for example, were born after the year 2000 (in comparison, only three Canucks skaters were).
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Chicago pushed Vancouver a bit in the opening frame, as the Canucks characteristically struggled to translate their edge in zone time into shots on goal and scoring opportunities. Still, Vancouver was never under duress, and the result was rarely in doubt, especially after Quinn Hughes and Tyler Myers scored on back-to-back shifts late in the first period.
Those two goals, near carbon copies of one another, weren't all of the cushion that Vancouver needed Saturday night, but despite scoring a few in the second half of the game, the Canucks took care not to slip and decisively defeated a team they should win against on a night when they needed to beat them.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday night's game.
Vancouver caught something of a break before the puck even dropped Saturday night, as Chicago elected not to start Spencer Knight in the building he was drafted in, turning instead to Arvid Soderblom.
Now, Soderblom doesn't have Knight's ceiling, but he's a solid NHL goaltender who has outperformed his environment throughout this season. Shooting glove side on him isn't typically the solution Myers and Hughes made it look like late in the first period Saturday night when they scored identical goals.
Credit Vancouver's defenders, however, they found two key goals when their club needed it and ensured much of the rest of the proceedings would unfold without too much stress for the home side. The similarity of the goals, meanwhile, was downright, Dolly-the-sheep-level uncanny:
The Captain calls the shots. 😤 pic.twitter.com/S9L4h7icAG
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 16, 2025
And just like that, Tyler Myers makes it 2-0 for the Canucks ✌️ pic.twitter.com/NOxDiHkVxZ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 16, 2025
The Canucks weren't great in the first period despite the 2-0 lead they were able to build. The truth is, the Canucks managed just two shots on goal in 17 minutes and then scored on their third and fourth shots. That's not a recipe for success the club should be looking to lean on down the stretch here.
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In the second frame, however, Vancouver played with commendable speed despite having the lead. They were quick in engineering exits with possession out of the defensive zone, and sharp through the neutral zone as they maintained pressure on the Blackhawks.
Their success in transition in the second frame was rewarded when a makeshift forward line of Nils Höglander, Pius Suter and Conor Garland combined for two dynamic rush sequences in a row and capitalized off of the second of those sequences to spot Vancouver a 3-to-0 lead. It was probably the most sightly goal Garland was scored all season:
Vancouver goal!
Scored by Conor Garland with 11:52 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Pius Suter and Nils Hoglander.
Vancouver: 3Chicago: 0#CHIvsVAN #Canucks #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/S9UjoKWafj
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 16, 2025
Höglander and Garland have had some success as linemates in the past, especially early on this season or for a two-game sequence in which they were centred by Sheldon Dries during the Bruce Boudreau era. It takes some guts and commitment from coaches to play two undersized wingers on the same line, but when it's been done, it has typically worked.
It was only one shift, but based on how electric it was, and based on how desperate this team should be for any sense of electricity, here's hoping it's something we see again soon.
Entering the third period with a 3-1 lead, the only real suspense was whether or not Arturs Silovs might struggle enough to permit the Blackhawks to get back into the game.
Silovs, who recorded his second win of the campaign Saturday night, with both of his wins coming against the Blackhawks, ultimately did permit a gimme goal against in the final frame off the rush. By that time, however, the rout was on, and the Canucks had significant margin for error as a result of a peculiar, incredible shift from Elias Pettersson and Nils Höglander.
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On that shift, Pettersson scored, but only he really knew the puck had beaten Soderblom and ricocheted quickly out of the net. As a general rule though, when a goal scorer calls it in real time — as Jonathan Huberdeau did against the Canucks earlier this week as well — you can be assured they know.
In any event, the officials missed it, and play went on, only for Höglander to score — and his goal was indisputable — six seconds later. Pettersson ultimately received credit for the goal on review, but when you're scoring two goals on a single shift on your way to a convincing win with margin, you know it's been a good night at the office for your hockey club.
Vancouver goal!
Scored by Elias Pettersson with 15:59 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Nils Hoglander.
Vancouver: 4Chicago: 1#CHIvsVAN #Canucks #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Qa8xPHfObD
— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 16, 2025
(Photo of Pius Suter: Bob Frid / Imagn Images)
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