Welcome back to Stars of the Week at CanucksArmy! Every week, we’ll be bringing you our Top Three best and brightest performers on the Vancouver Canucks from that week. Disagree with our picks or have your own stars to nominate? Let us know in the comments section below!
Before yesterday, the general consensus on the Vancouver Canucks was the simplistic “Everything’s bad and everyone is having a terrible time.” 
Then, last night, the Canucks shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 at Scotiabank Arena. This marks the first time Vancouver has shut out Toronto on their home turf ever, with 81 Canucks away games played between the two franchises over five decades.
After being held up in North Carolina due to a winter storm system and travelling to Toronto the day of, the outlook did not look promising for the Canucks. However, there is something Leafs fans know, which some even rightfully predicted before this game: when the Leafs have a glaring advantage over a team, they will always find a way against all odds to somehow completely squander it. It’s honestly inspiring how well they can fumble a sure thing.
So, is everything still bad and is everyone still having a terrible time? It depends on who you ask.
Let’s be realistic. This has not been a good East Coast swing for the team. They fumbled a lead and scooped up a loser’s point against a surging Montreal Canadiens team, then fought for their life and gained another loser’s point against the number-one ranked leaguewide Washington Capitals. To add insult to injury, Washington’s only goal scorer in this 2-1 gridlock was Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has had a resurgence on the Capitals. Having a single-goal scorer against you is embarrassing enough, but said scorer being someone known for quiet quitting on three previous teams is worse. Running with the theme of shutouts, the 2-0 embarrassment against the Carolina Hurricanes was more boring than reading an entire Terms and Conditions waiver. 
Note that these are the stars of three games this week and those three games only. There were no stars in Raleigh. There was only the darkness of Canucks fans turning their televisions off, staring at their reflections in the black screens and questioning their life choices. 
Ultimately, this week’s road trip had as many mishaps as a National Lampoon’s Vacation movie, before Saturday night’s tilt raised everyone’s spirits. Don’t ask me who the Chevy Chase of this trip is (it’s J.T. Miller).
Quinn Hughes
Quinn Hughes slotted back into the lineup against the Canadiens, following a four-game absence from a hand injury. He had a visible brace on his afflicted hand. Surely this will not be an issue.
Even if he wasn’t at his best immediately while still recovering, he made an instant difference, as everyone in the universe probably already knew. He did not ease into things, playing a whopping 26:15.
It should be concerning that Hughes is returning while still nursing an injury, but hopefully, it’s nothing that risks further aggravation. This team cannot play without him. A Norris Trophy winner’s absence would be felt on any team on the league, but on this team, right now? Not having Quinn Hughes in the lineup is not an option.
It was even more concerning that he was particularly beleaguered by the Washington Capitals in his second game back. Leading a team with such a public injury is a risky game to play in itself. That said, it’s no secret that Hughes will push himself for his teammates and for his own game, just as much as his coach will. The symbiotic relationship of Hughes and Rick Tocchet is fascinating. Two people and players who do (and did, past tense, in Tocchet’s case) not know when to stop once they’ve made a decision – a blessing and a curse.
Sometimes you see something so, for lack of a better word, cool it brings you to tears. A Tony Hawk kickflip. Prince’s guitar solo during While My Guitar Gently Weeps for the George Harrison tribute at the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions. This no-look pass from Quinn Hughes to Kiefer Sherwood.
There’s no Quinn Hughes Obligatory First Star of The Week here, only him leading the charge with the big one this week. Heal up quick, Cap.
Kevin Lankinen 
Lankinen did not need to put up an impossible performance in Toronto to win the game. The Leafs were looking uncharacteristically sluggish for this season, while the Canucks seemed to take the opportunity to suddenly turn their offence button back on – proving that they can do it, they just haven’t been. Nevertheless, the netminder logging a shutout in this torturously slow run of games was unexpected, to say the least.
Lankinen is now second in the NHL in shutouts – he’s tied with his former Nashville teammate and net partner Juuse Saros at four shutouts a piece, with Connor Hellebuyck at number one with six shutouts recorded. Mind you, both Hellebuyck and Saros are the bonafide franchise starters and Vezina-calibre goaltenders, and Lankinen is meeting them step for step even if they both possess a handful of games in hand each compared to Lankinen’s 29. He is in elite company.
He started in three out of the four games this week. His numbers won’t strictly reflect his efforts – a poorly .792 SV% against the Canadiens is surprising, especially for an overtime loss. The Capitals game was unfortunate, especially seeing him put up a valiant attempt to bail out the skaters in overtime, though I would say he is the primary reason why Vancouver was able to hang on until then to begin with. Take this excellent lateral movement when facing heavy pressure from Washington.
In my heart of hearts, I desperately hope Lankinen and his agency are frugal beings who will gladly sign a very team-friendly deal at year’s end. Not like the most expensive goalie deal in history was inked less than two months ago, or anything. Right?
Conor Garland
There’s a lot to love about Conor Garland. 
As my colleague Jacob Fraser illustrated earlier this week, Garland is on pace for a career year as he is leading the Canucks forwards in points as well as ice time. His sleek work along the boards and below the goal line is where his small frame is an advantage rather than a problem. He excels at shaking off defenders and, truthfully, annoying his opponents to no end. 
What I love about Conor Garland the most this year, though, is that he consistently looks energized even while the team around him struggles. Yes, a perpetually depleted roster and ongoing game of defencemen musical chairs may have pushed him into taking on more responsibility, but he seems to take it in stride. Thrive, even. Sometimes, you simply need a vibes guy, but Garland can show up when it matters.
Garland scored the lone goal for the Canucks against the Capitals, in which he led all forwards in ice time at 20:42 and saw significant power play time. Significant enough that his goal came on the power play, after Kiefer Sherwood was at the crease to get the puck loose to Garland following a Quinn Hughes rebounded shot.
Standing at 5’3” myself, he serves as inspiration for those of us who cannot and will not be pushed around or spoken down to. Least of all by Tom Wilson, who may just hold the coveted title of most hated player in the league – unless you’re a Capitals fan. Congratulations or sorry about that, I guess, whatever applies to your personal feelings towards Tom Wilson. Garland was not about to back down from Wilson, even after a nasty hit, which was something needed, especially with a still-injured Quinn Hughes being particularly hounded throughout this game. I would have liked to see more of a response from the team as a whole, although Kiefer Sherwood had a solid reaction following Dubois taking down Hughes. I wasn’t surprised to see Garland reacting accordingly. 
On Saturday, Garland also wasn’t afraid to get pushy – literally – with Toronto’s Nick Robertson. This is a more fairly matched spat in terms of size, but it goes to show how much Garland’s attitude is always right where it needs to be.
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