Flames 10 Canucks 0: Pre-season Postgame PatDown

Canucks torched in 2023 preseason opener

One down, five to go. The best news for the Vancouver Canucks is that their first preseason game is over. The team was run out of the Saddledome by a more experienced Calgary Flames line-up. But, that said, the Canucks in uniform Sunday needed to offer up more resistance than they did in falling 10-0.

Even in a one-sided loss, there is valuable evaluation opportunity for the Canucks management and coaches. They need to see how many of the organization's top prospects handle themselves against NHL regulars. And unfortunately for several Canucks on this night, the answer was that they didn't fare well.

It was a particulary tough night for the likes of Jett Woo, Jack Rathbone and Noah Juulsen all battling for depth roles with the big club. Woo was on the ice for five of the Flames 10 goals while Rathbone was out for the first three goals of the game and Juulsen, one of the more experienced Canucks defenders, struggled for much of the night.

As for positives -- and let's be honest they were few and far between in a double-digit loss like this one -- there were a handful of individuals that stood out for the right reasons.

Jack Studnicka picked up after a strong training camp in Victoria and was perhaps the most dangerous Canucks forward on the night. He shared the team lead in shots with four and had a couple of the Canucks best scoring chances in the hockey game.

Aatu Raty moved well for much of the night and was credited with nine shot attempts in the hockey game. Three of those attempts were on the Calgary net while three were blocked and the other three missed the target. The nine attempts tells you that Raty had the puck on his stick in shooting areas and was looking for opportunities throughout the night. Obviously, there has to be a bottom line, but on a night when few seemed to play the right way, Raty at the very least provided some moments for the Canucks.

Nils Höglander was involved physically which is what the Canucks need from him. He was on the receiving end of a big hit from Flames defenseman Dennis Gilbert in the first period. But returned the favour in the second, throwing his weight into Gilbert at the side of the Calgary goal and sending the blueliner flying. As a result of the check, Gilbert was shaken up, left the game and did not return. Höglander was not terribly prominent with the puck throughout the night and if he's going to make the big league roster, he will be expected to add an element of offense. That was lacking on Sunday -- but in a 10-0 loss, Höglander had plenty of company in that regard.

Incredibly, in a whitewash like this one, Akito Hirose was not on the ice for a single Flames goal. And it wasn't like he was sheltered in any way. Hirose was second on the Canucks in ice time (21:07) and even saw time on the penalty kill and somehow managed to keep the Calgary shooters at bay. In the battle for spot on the big league roster, Hirose continued to show his value to the decision makers in the organization.

It was a quiet night for Vasily Podkolzin. Far too quiet, to be honest. After good vibes in Victoria playing with JT Miller and Brock Boeser, the young Russian was nearly invisible on Sunday on a line with Pius Suter and Jack Studnicka. In 15:24 of ice time, Podkolzin failed to register a shot on goal or a hit. Once the Flames established a lead, it would have been nice to see Podkolzin attempt to drag his team back into the hockey game. That did not happen. 

And if Podkolzin was quiet then Danila Klimovich was nearly impossible to find -- aside from an early hooking penalty with his team already down 2-0. Aidan McDonough was hard to find, too. And just a week removed from being one of the stars at Young Stars, McDonough was one of the low ice time men for the Canucks on Sunday.

Monday will be a full team day off after training camp and a late night home for the players that dressed on Sunday in Calgary. The Canucks are in Edmonton on Wednesday and in Seattle on Thursday. It will be interesting to see if Sunday's loss changes the club's approach to the preseason in any way. At the very least, you can be sure the Canucks will dress a better line-up against the Oilers than they did against the Flames.

10-0. Ouch.