Vancouver Canucks' Danton Heinen (20) and Chicago Blackhawks' Craig Smith (15) vie for the puck during third period NHL hockey action in Vancouver, B.C., on Nov. 16.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
While the Vancouver Canucks have yet to win consecutive games at home this year, head coach Rick Tocchet is confident in his group’s ability to regroup after losses.
“Since I've been here, me personally, I feel this team has responded after bad efforts,” he said after the Canucks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Saturday. “So I commend the players.”
After a disheartening 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday, the Canucks stayed patient through a challenging first period and took over the game as it went on.
“We were not happy with the game against the Islanders,” said Elias Pettersson, who put Vancouver on the board Saturday with a quick power-play goal early in the second period. “Good response, but now we’ve got to make it two games in a row and make it our identity.”
In his first start since Oct. 30, Arturs Silovs made 28 saves to log his first win of the season.
“I thought he was solid,” Tocchet said. “He looked good, you know, especially in the third period. He looked big in the net.”
Silovs made a potentially game-changing stop on a close-in breakaway chance from Nick Foligno with the score tied 1-1 late in the second.
“Just had to be ready, like risk management,” said Silovs. “Things happen. Turnover, make a save, calm the atmosphere down.”
At 4:25 of the third period, first-year Canuck Eric Brannstrom scored the first game-winning goal of his career and his second with his new team, one-timing the puck from the left boards through traffic and between the legs of Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom.
On top of seven shot attempts, the 25-year-old also delivered a crunching centre-ice hit on Chicago forward Lukas Reichel midway through the first period.
“I thought he was feisty, jumping up,” Tocchet said. “I think he’s one of the guys that he’s so quick, he can kind of get that shot around some people.”
After Thursday’s loss, Tocchet changed up most of his forward lines. Putting Kiefer Sherwood on right wing with Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk seemed to pay immediate dividends.
“I thought we had a lot of zone possession, made a lot of plays,” Sherwood said. “Those guys are special players, the way they can slow the game down. Just try to create time and space for them and get the puck in their hands.”
Sherwood will face the Nashville Predators, his former team, on Sunday as the Canucks play their first back-to-back set of the season. They’ll close out their homestand on Tuesday against the New York Rangers.
Bedard battles
After missing the Blackhawks’ lone visit to Rogers Arena last season due to a fractured jaw, 2023 first-overall draft pick Connor Bedard of North Vancouver, B.C., played an NHL game in his hometown for the first time.
The Blackhawks star was held off the scoresheet on Saturday but he has two assists in three career games against the Canucks. He finished with just one shot in 16:48 of ice time. Players from his youth hockey program, the North Shore Winter Club Winterhawks, were on hand Saturday morning to see him take part in the Blackhawks’ morning skate.
Jones alone
Seth Jones was averaging an NHL-high 25:43 per game before suffering a foot injury against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.
“For the young guys it’s an opportunity,” said Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson. “We’re just going to have to massage that around, the six guys that are in there on any given night, because he’ll be out for a little while.”