On Wednesday’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal discussed the impressive play of Vancouver’s revamped defensive core, particularly the impact of newly acquired Marcus Pettersson and the emergence of rookie Elias Pettersson (D-Petey).
A More Mobile, Cohesive Blueline
The Canucks’ 3-0 shutout victory over the Colorado Avalanche was one of their most complete performances of the season, and Harm attributed much of that success to improvements on the back end.
“It was a good vibes win, very fun and entertaining,” said Harm. “We can all agree they got some bounces in the first period when the Avalanche hit some posts; it was a closer game than the three-nothing scoreline indicated, but process-wise, going back to the Detroit game, they’ve looked faster, more entertaining, and more dynamic. It starts with the backend. They appear to be so much more mobile, the breakouts have been miles better. No Vincent Desharnais, no Noah Juulsen, you’ve added Marcus Pettersson, and D-Petey has helped in that facet, which has made this team instantly more watchable.”
He also noted the trickle-down effect on the forwards.
“Plus, you get more speed up front with Chytil and O’Connor who can drive possession entries, and the existing forwards are able to attack with more pace now because the breakouts are cleaner. They’re so much more connected as a five-man unit.”
A big part of the Canucks’ success over the past few games has been their work ethic, something that wasn’t always consistent earlier in the season.
“In the first half of the season, we were complaining about how, defensively, their work rate seemed to be inconsistent,” Harm continued. “But over the last couple of games, the one thing you can’t question is their work ethic. They’ve been grinding, they’ve looked quick and engaged, and it’s been really fun to watch this team at five-on-five.”
Quads pointed out that the Canucks were able to execute this defensive structure without Quinn Hughes in the lineup, which makes it even more impressive.
“You see the MacKinnon line’s stat line, you see Cale Makar’s stat line, and you wonder what they did right?” Quads said. “It was a lot of neutral-zone shutdowns—before Colorado could even gain the zone, the Canucks were on them, and it comes down to that work ethic.”
Elias Pettersson (D-Petey) Impresses Early
Through three NHL games, D-Petey has already become a fan favorite, showing off a mix of strong defensive play, physicality, and unexpectedly solid offensive contributions.
“He’s instantly becoming a fan favorite, cult hero,” said Harm. “On the breakout, he’s got all three skill sets you look for. He’s got quick skating burst against forecheck pressure, which gives him the initial space to make a play. A lot of times, bigger defencemen get caught flat-footed, which we saw earlier in the year with guys like Desharnais. His vision and how he scans and makes decisions is good, and he’s an accurate, clean, tape-to-tape passer.”
Beyond his puck-moving ability, Pettersson has also provided a level of physicality the Canucks have lacked from their bigger defensemen.
“Look at the way he crushes guys,” Harm continued. “In the first half of the season, they had all these big guys like Forbort, Soucy, Desharnais—but they weren’t actually that hard to play against. They didn’t throw many big hits. D-Petey, just in that game, had two or three. Defensively, it’s a controlled aggression that he has. He reads the right moments to step up and kill plays—whether it’s defending the rush at the defensive blue line, pinching at the offensive blue line—and the key is he doesn’t put himself out of position. You can’t be doing the Noah Juulsen thing where you’re putting yourself out of position and getting caught. D-Petey has shown the right risk-to-reward ratio there, and he’s been an awesome story so far.”
With the additions of Marcus Pettersson and Elias Pettersson, the Canucks’ blueline looks significantly more competent and mobile. If they can continue to build chemistry and maintain this level of play, Vancouver could be a much more dangerous team down the stretch.
You can watch the full segment below:
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