The Vancouver Canucks played the final 15 minutes without the player who opened the scoring on the night, Jonathan Lekkerimäki.

Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote was asked postgame about his decision to sit the young Swede for the back of the third period and overtime:

“It’s more of the defensive side of it,” Foote explained. “He’s getting there, for sure. The more time he’s with us, the more he’ll know certain things, and the trust will be there. It’s just slight movements defensively that…it’s just being young. It’s not even a mistake…he’s a smart guy. He’ll get that pretty quick.”

Lekkerimäki, 21, opened the scoring on the night early in the second period. PO Joseph holds the zone at the point, shuffles it down to Liam Öhgren. During that time, Lekkerimäki spins and creates some open space for himself in the high slot. As he did multiple times throughout their Junior career, Öhgren finds Lekkerimäki in the slot, where he loads up, picks his spot, and beats Joseph Woll blocker side.

Later in the period, Lekkerimäki was out there with Filip Chytil and Teddy Blueger. The centre was late coming back to the play, so there was no F3 there to block the slot. With a stick in the passing lane to the point, Nic Robertson threads a pass to Nic Roy in the slot, who one-times a shot past Nikita Tolopilo.

The former first-round pick played one 29-second shift in the second period and had just three shifts in the third period. Lekkerimäki did not play the final 9:09 of the third period, while his linemates, Öhgren and Blueger, played three and four shifts in that time.

In the extra frame, eight Canucks forwards hit the ice: Conor Garland, David Kämpf, Drew O’Connor, Elias Pettersson, Filip Chytil, Jake DeBrusk, Öhgren and Blueger. And instead, Foote decided to sit one of his two goal scorers on the night in a next-goal-wins situation.