For the third time this week, the Vancouver Canucks played host to a club on the second half of a road back-to-back. In all three instances their opponents had just played in Calgary the night before, and for the second time this week, the Canucks came out on top. Tonight they did so in convincing fashion, pummeling the Pittsburgh Penguins to the tune of a 5-0 victory.
It was enough to see the Canucks finish their home stand an even .500. Not exactly ideal, but far from disastrous. The bottom-six led the way offensively and a relatively unchallenged Ryan Miller shut the door when necessary. 
Lets break it all down on the other side of the jump.

Highlights

Quick Hits

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  • That had to be the best games of Bo Horvat’s young NHL career. Offensively we are starting to see the signs of a player who might be worthy of his ninth overall selection. Defensively, we know he’s earned the trust of Willie Desjardins. It was Horvat’s line that was sent to play Sidney Crosby’s early – all this with the Canucks being granted last change. Consider for a second that Horvat is still 19 and that’s quite the feat. That match-up didn’t last (Horvat ended the night having faced Brandon Sutter’s line the most), but I’d hardly say that Desjardins was sheltering Horvat. It was his line after all that forced an Evgeni Malkin turnover at the Pens blue line, which led to the youngsters goal in the first. 
  • Horvat wasn’t the only Canuck youngster to get things going tonight. Zack Kassian, who had been healthy scratched for quite a few games leading up to this one, finally got his call again and didn’t disappoint. As the story goes, Desjardins reached out to Kassian’s coach from junior, Warren Rychel. Apparently, Rychel suggested to Desjardins that Kassian needs to play with reckless abandon to get things going. It was also (apparently) suggested that getting The Big Guy going with a fight early would help his cause. Scratch one of those two off the list. I’d hardly say Kassian was rumbling around like the Todd Bertuzzi glory days of old, but he had one hell of a tilt with Robert Bortuzzo. The next period Kassian scored on a gimme, for his first goal since October 21st. That wasn’t a typo.
  • What a night for Radim Vrbata. The Czech sniper chipped in two assists on the Canucks first three goals. The first of the two came on the Canucks power play. It was Vrbata’s 500th point of his career, which is quite the milestone for a player drafted in the seventh-round, 212th overall. By the time the night was done, he’d 501 to his credit.
  • Daniel Sedin thought he’d chip in on the power play milestone moments tonight, too. Daniel’s one-kneed gimme of a power play marker early in the third was enough to push him past Markus Naslund for the all-time lead in Canucks power play goals. It was the 115th of Daniel’s storied career.
  • These lop-sided Canucks victories over the Penguins have to feel great for Willie D. Both victories were blowouts, as the Canucks come out ahead in terms of goal differential by a total of 8-0. It was rumoured that the Penguins were in hot pursuit of Desjardins this summer, but lost out to Vancouver who were willing to offer an extra year on Desjardins contract. Maybe a little vindication for Willie? Doubt it. Bet these two wins over the Penguins have felt “real good” for Desjardins all the same though.

Conclusion

Tonight was a great way to close out an otherwise uninspiring home stand. Would have been more encouraging to see Vancouver create distance between themselves and the trifecta of better teams behind them in the Western Conference playoff race over that span, but it wasn’t to be. Next up for Vancouver is a two-game road swing against Central Division juggernauts, the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild. With Minnesota quickly closing in and having won 5 games in a row, all the good feelings generated tonight could evaporate in a hurry with a couple of bad performances.