It was a pop quiz for Brock Boeser after a <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes-vancouver-canucks-practice-suter-returns-wing-final-roster">recent Vancouver Canucks practice</a>. How vividly does the star winger recall the way the events unfolded in his career-best four goal opening night effort against Edmonton a year ago.
The answer, perhaps not a huge surprise, was like a Boeser&#8217;s snap shot – quick and accurate – as he rattled off each of the goals in rapid succession as if they happened yesterday.
“Oh yeah, yeah,” he stated confidently when we asked if he could list them. &#8220;The first one was the slot shot, the second one was out of the air, the third one was the lucky one off my foot, and then the backdoor one.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Throwback to Brock Boeser&#39;s 4 goal game on opening night against the Edmonton Oilers 
📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/QYWapjyYkv">pic.twitter.com/QYWapjyYkv</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1788290273216438783?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Nights like that don’t happen often in the National Hockey League. So the 27-year-old, now entering his eighth full season with the Canucks, has certainly filed away those memories. It was an incredible performance that served as a springboard to a career-high 40 goals on the season.
Boeser had a natural hat-trick after Conor Garland had opened the scoring and he then added his fourth of the night to make it 6-1 five minutes into the third period.
“Yeah, I remember it pretty good,” Boeser told CanucksArmy. “It was just so special because obviously I had a couple of tough years before then and I really tried to change my mindset and everything. I felt I put in the work before that first game and for it to happen like that, it just felt like the hard work paid off. And from there, it felt like a good building block to build off and gave me the confidence right off the bat.”
“Obviously, the odds of me doing that again aren’t high,” he added with a laugh. “Every year is going to be different so I think my mindset was I wasn’t thinking about goals or points, I was just thinking about how I could help our team win. And when I think like that, I get my opportunities.”
The Burnsville, MN native scored his four goals on eight shots on the night. He had half the Vancouver goals and a quarter of the team’s shots on net in an 8-1 rout of the Oilers.
He was feeling good about things when he helped his club build leads of 2-0 and 3-0, but when – and how – he scored his third goal was what let Boeser know it was just one of those nights.
With the Canucks operating on the power play, Elias Pettersson’s attempt at a rink wide pass to JT Miller moving in from the left point hit Boeser’s skate in the slot and bounced past Oilers netminder Jack Campbell.
It was puck luck to the extreme, but Boeser prefers to think of it as a case of being in the right spot at the right time and letting the hockey gods take over from there.
“That was hilarious how that hat-trick happened – right off my foot and five hole,” Boeser laughed. “It’s not exactly how you draw it up, but it went in the net. So who cares? They all count.”
A volume producer when he’s on his game, Boeser is no stranger to scoring in bunches. Aside from the four-goal opener, he had two other hat-tricks (vs Tampa Bay and Columbus) and six two-goal nights last season.
So when he got the first one in the first period and followed it up with another early in the second, Boeser had an inkling he might be in for a memorable night.
“I think there are groups of games where you’re feeling super good and our line is clicking and you keep getting chances and you’re feeling it,” he said. But there are also times when we’re not clicking and you have to keep it simple, too, and do whatever you have to do to make a difference for the team. But yeah, there are definitely nights like that (four goals).”
That was last year and Brock Boeser knows it.The slate has been wiped clean and it all starts fresh for him and the Canucks on Wednesday night. Would he love history to repeat itself in this year’s season opener? Of course he would.
But even if he can’t get one to go against Calgary, he just wants to do whatever he can to help the hockey club get off to a quick start.
His goals will follow. Of that there is no doubt. It’s just that it’s likely going to take Boeser a little while longer this season to reach the four-goal mark than it did one year ago on a magical night to open the 2023-24 season.
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It was a pop quiz for Brock Boeser after a <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes-vancouver-canucks-practice-suter-returns-wing-final-roster">recent Vancouver Canucks practice</a>. How vividly does the star winger recall the way the events unfolded in his career-best four goal opening night effort against Edmonton a year ago.

The answer, perhaps not a huge surprise, was like a Boeser's snap shot – quick and accurate – as he rattled off each of the goals in rapid succession as if they happened yesterday.

“Oh yeah, yeah,” he stated confidently when we asked if he could list them. "The first one was the slot shot, the second one was out of the air, the third one was the lucky one off my foot, and then the backdoor one.” 

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1788290273216438783

Nights like that don’t happen often in the National Hockey League. So the 27-year-old, now entering his eighth full season with the Canucks, has certainly filed away those memories. It was an incredible performance that served as a springboard to a career-high 40 goals on the season.

Boeser had a natural hat-trick after Conor Garland had opened the scoring and he then added his fourth of the night to make it 6-1 five minutes into the third period.

“Yeah, I remember it pretty good,” Boeser told CanucksArmy. “It was just so special because obviously I had a couple of tough years before then and I really tried to change my mindset and everything. I felt I put in the work before that first game and for it to happen like that, it just felt like the hard work paid off. And from there, it felt like a good building block to build off and gave me the confidence right off the bat.”

“Obviously, the odds of me doing that again aren’t high,” he added with a laugh. “Every year is going to be different so I think my mindset was I wasn’t thinking about goals or points, I was just thinking about how I could help our team win. And when I think like that, I get my opportunities.”

The Burnsville, MN native scored his four goals on eight shots on the night. He had half the Vancouver goals and a quarter of the team’s shots on net in an 8-1 rout of the Oilers.

He was feeling good about things when he helped his club build leads of 2-0 and 3-0, but when – and how – he scored his third goal was what let Boeser know it was just one of those nights.

With the Canucks operating on the power play, Elias Pettersson’s attempt at a rink wide pass to JT Miller moving in from the left point hit Boeser’s skate in the slot and bounced past Oilers netminder Jack Campbell.

It was puck luck to the extreme, but Boeser prefers to think of it as a case of being in the right spot at the right time and letting the hockey gods take over from there.

“That was hilarious how that hat-trick happened – right off my foot and five hole,” Boeser laughed. “It’s not exactly how you draw it up, but it went in the net. So who cares? They all count.”

A volume producer when he’s on his game, Boeser is no stranger to scoring in bunches. Aside from the four-goal opener, he had two other hat-tricks (vs Tampa Bay and Columbus) and six two-goal nights last season.

So when he got the first one in the first period and followed it up with another early in the second, Boeser had an inkling he might be in for a memorable night.

“I think there are groups of games where you’re feeling super good and our line is clicking and you keep getting chances and you’re feeling it,” he said. But there are also times when we’re not clicking and you have to keep it simple, too, and do whatever you have to do to make a difference for the team. But yeah, there are definitely nights like that (four goals).”

That was last year and Brock Boeser knows it.The slate has been wiped clean and it all starts fresh for him and the Canucks on Wednesday night. Would he love history to repeat itself in this year’s season opener? Of course he would.

But even if he can’t get one to go against Calgary, he just wants to do whatever he can to help the hockey club get off to a quick start.

His goals will follow. Of that there is no doubt. It’s just that it’s likely going to take Boeser a little while longer this season to reach the four-goal mark than it did one year ago on a magical night to open the 2023-24 season.

<a href="https://nationgear.ca/products/canucksarmy-season-kickoff-party"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-132151" src="https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2099/08/GRETA-YVR-NHL2425-NationKickOff-REVISED7.png" alt="" width="727" height="404" /></a>

CanucksArmy! The season is HERE, and what better way to kick it off than with your crew at Greta? It’s all going down on Saturday, October 19th at CanucksArmy's home for the fans, Greta Bar! We've got it all—prizes, trivia, and more to keep the energy buzzing all night. And this time, we’re doing it for a great cause, supporting the BC Mental Health Foundation. Doors open at 3PM, and you know the drill—tickets are going fast, so hit up <a href="http://nationgear.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://nationgear.ca/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1728491259923000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3zNrHEWNKncUhQtWTFq_27">nationgear.ca</a> before they’re gone. This event is 19+.

Canucks: One year later, memories of 4-goal opening night still fresh in Brock Boeser’s mind

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