Breaking Down Elias Lindholm's Debut With The Vancouver Canucks
Lindholm scored twice in his debut and led all Canucks forwards in ice time.
Photo by James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports - Breaking Down Elias Lindholm's Debut With The Vancouver CanucksElias Lindholm lived up to the hype in his debut with the Vancouver Canucks. He scored twice on the power play and led all forward with 21:01 of ice time against the Carolina Hurricanes. Whether it was at even strength or on special teams, he had a significant impact on the game and showed why the Canucks gave up notable assets, including Andrei Kuzmenko and a first-round pick to acquire him.
While he didn't generate offensively at even strength, Lindholm played a significant role in keeping the Hurricanes off the scoresheet. He led all Vancouver players with three even-strength blocks, with his biggest coming against Dmitry Orlov with 14 seconds remaining. Throughout the game, he also showed chemistry with Elias Pettersson, which should allow Rick Tocchet to balance out his top six for the rest of the season. While it has only been one game, it is clear Tocchet already trusts, as Lindholm was matched up against Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen for most of the game.
Jumping over to the penalty kill, Lindholm ranked second in ice time among forwards at 49 seconds and spent most of his time partnered with Teddy Blueger. While the Hurricanes did score with the man advantage, he did an excellent job of suppressing shots and limiting chances while shorthanded. He also went one for two in the faceoff dot, which based on the Canucks 44% shorthanded faceoff percentage this season, is a massive improvement.
Lastly, Lindholm's most significant impact on the game came on the power play. He recorded two tip-in goals, which had a combined total distance of 18 feet from the net. He also understands that Vancouver wants to incorporate as much movement as possible in the power play, as he did a great job switching between the bumper and net front during the Canucks three power play opportunities. Looking ahead, his willingness to be a screen and ability to redirect pucks that close to the net should help Vancouver re-establish themselves as the league's most dangerous power play.
Overall, it is hard to imagine a better start for Lindholm with the Canucks. As mentioned, it is clear Tocchet trusts him as Vancouver's coach was not hesitant to use Lindholm on both the penalty kill and when defending a lead late in games. He is precisely the type of player this Canucks team needs for a long playoff run, as he was able to demonstrate just how much value he can bring to the lineup nightly.
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