On today’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal were joined by CanucksArmy’s own Wyatt Arndt to discuss all the latest surrounding the Vancouver Canucks.
The show kicked off with the guys recapping the previous night’s game against Minnesota, after backup Casey DeSmith posted a 28-save shutout to help propel the Canucks to a 2-0 victory over the Wild.
“What stood out was how well he seemed to track pucks,” said Harm. “He was able to stay compact and in control; the Canucks were losing every puck battle down low, and DeSmith was there to bail them out and give them a chance to find their legs in the second and third period.”
It’s the first time a Canucks backup posted a shutout since Anders Nilsson. Coincidentally, he also did so against the Wild back on October 24, 2017.
Quads asked Harm his thoughts on the top 6’s performance.
“The top two lines didn’t necessarily come through, so it was really nice to see the Canucks pull out a game where Hughes, Miller, and Pettersson didn’t hit the scoresheet,” Harm replied. “Even though the team was lifeless in that first period, they didn’t have the catastrophic breakdowns like they did against the Devils.”
The guys were then joined by Wyatt Arndt, who talked about Höglander, Suter, and the current Canucks’ play.
Harm: “What did you make of Nils Höglander in the top six?”
“You know why Tocchet likes him,” replied Wyatt. “It’s not necessarily that he’s great in his own zone; he still has a ways to go there, but he’s driving the offence the way Tocchet likes. He gets out there and does what the coach wants.”
Wyatt then gave his thoughts on the Canucks’ ability to turn it on against Minnesota after a slow start: “For them to come out so flat, you start to say ‘we’ve seen this script before.’ It was all the bad things we’ve seen from this team, but they flipped the switch, and that’s something they haven’t done in the past. This team has had some setbacks; they haven’t been playing great, but they’re not going into a spiral. After that hot start, it would take a spiral to miss the playoffs, and they’re treading water until they can find their groove again.”
Harm: “How exciting is it to think about the possibility of Pius Suter returning, and what value does he add?
“I’ll take it to Garland first; they’re asking him to produce points with guys who aren’t necessarily finishers. Pius Suter has more of that scoring touch; if you can get him in the mix with Garland, maybe you start getting a third line that can not only drive the play but score more goals and take pressure off your top 6. If you’ve got a third line that’s putting up points, it opens up the ice.”
The guys wrapped up their time with Wyatt and moved on to briefly discuss currently the biggest story in the sports world, Shohei Ohtani watch — before getting back into the Canucks and more from other teams around the NHL.
You can watch the full replay of today’s episode below:
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