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Canucks Army Post-Game: First Charge of the Knights
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Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports - Anne-Marie Sorvin
J.D. Burke
Sep 17, 2017, 22:36 EDTUpdated: Sep 17, 2017, 23:05 EDT
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Vegas Golden Knights Defeat the Vancouver Canucks handily in Their Debut Performance by a Score of 9-4

As you’re reading this, the Vancouver Canucks veterans are halfway around the world gearing up for a double-header in China. The group they left behind? They dug themselves a hole so deep tonight that they just about could’ve joined them.
It’s important to consider which players the Canucks left behind, though. Tonight’s group was laden with players either bound for the AHL or on the very fringe of the Canucks’ roster. Only two regulars from last year’s Canucks were there to insulate the younger players, and they didn’t even come close to accomplishing that goal.
The Vegas Golden Knights, playing their first game ever, found the net early, as camp invite Tyler Wong found the back of the net less than five minutes into the first frame. Brock Boeser responded on a near-breakaway to draw even, but Vegas drew back ahead on the power play little over a minute later. In a nifty dash of offensive creativity, Jordan Subban took the puck to the net to get the Canucks square at two, but the Knights responded in the form of a Tomas Nosek goal in short order. It was like watching a game of shinny.
Things calmed down in the second. Well, at least on the scoreboard. Darren Archibald went into wrecking ball mode and took out half the Knights roster in a single shift. Of course, he eventually crossed the line and had to answer for it by dropping the mitts with Griffen Reinhart; the play that brought on those fisticuffs was a five-minute interference major. Knights forward Alex Tuch made the Canucks pay on that extended penalty kill, scoring the Knights third power play goal of the night.
It got silly from there. Vegas scored another four goals in the third period, as the Canucks fell apart at the seams. The Canucks could muster but two of their own.
Canucks head coach Trent Cull said after the game that the Canucks looked like a team that was just put together, primarily because they were just put together. Hard to argue with the coach’s assessment.

Stats

Quick Hits

  • There aren’t many positives to draw on from the Canucks’ perspective, so let’s try and lead with what little they gave today. The obvious? Boeser looks great. The goal he scored in the first was a goalscorer’s goal if there ever was such a thing — Boeser creates separation and uses his pinpoint accurate wrist shot to beat the goalie cleanly. Boeser had the sole assist on Subban’s goal and chipped in with another of his own in the third period. There’s just no way that Boeser isn’t ready for the NHL. Each game he plays this pre-season is going to bring him closer to that goal, too.
  • What a mixed bag for Philip Holm. On the one hand, every time the puck finds his stick it’s an adventure, and it doesn’t usually end well for the Swedish defender either — Holm was on the ice for three goals against and managed to play an unfortunate role in each. On the other, Holm had two points (one goal and one assist) and led the team in shots, shot attempts, even strength ice-time and five-on-five Corsi percentage. Mostly, though, Holm was just plain bad. He needs to make decisions far quicker than he has been for the Canucks, and show a little more urgency in transition. Holm definitely needs some seasoning before he can even be considered worth a call-up in the event of injuries. I don’t see any qualities that would put him ahead of players like Andrey Pedan, Subban, etc.
  • Like Jackson McDonald, I just don’t get what the Canucks see in Guillaume Brisebois. In Penticton, Brisebois played poorly, and coach Cull had nothing but good things to say about him; Canucks assistant general manager John Weisbrod took it a step further in his post-Young Stars press conference, singling him out as a player who showed well that weekend. Brisebois had another rough game tonight. His positioning in the defensive zone was off on a number of plays, and he seemed to lose his man on at least two of the Golden Knights’ goals. Brisebois wasn’t effective in the offensive zone or in transition, either.
  • Tonight we saw vintage Jordan Subban. He was explosive and assertive offensively in the first, and that paid off as he scored the Canucks second goal of the night. Subban was also on the ice for three goals against at even strength, and he didn’t look particularly good on any of them. I don’t know if Subban is ever going to get a shot in Vancouver, but efforts like tonight’s don’t help the cause. Everyone knows what Subban can do outside of his zone; it’s the problems within that keep him from the Canucks lineup.
  • Olli Juolevi doesn’t look ready for the NHL. Not even close. I know this is his first pre-season game of the season, but a lot of the issues that plagued him today were apparent in his three games at the Young Stars tournament as well — that makes for four distressing performances in a row. Juolevi should’ve dominated in Penticton and in a night full of rookies, tryouts and veteran retreads, he should’ve been able to distinguish himself today, too. If this continues for much longer, hit the panic button. I can barely recognize the Juolevi I’ve seen this fall from the one who was so good for the London Knights down the stretch and in the playoffs last season.

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