3 Standouts From Game #16: Maple Leafs 4, Canucks 2

Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks "3 Standouts From The Game." In this recurring series, The Hockey News' Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver's last game. This article will focus on the Canucks' most recent 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Zeev Buium was skating with confidence on Saturday. The 20-year-old logged 22:49 of ice time and recorded six shot attempts. Buium also finished the game with two blocked shots, along with one hit. 

What really stands out about Buium's game on Saturday is that he logged over 20 minutes of even-strength ice time. This meant that Manny Malhotra trusted him enough to give him additional ice time as his partner; Luke Schenn only logged 9:41 at even strength. If this team is going to be successful in the future, they need Buium to keep taking steps forward, with Saturday being a positive development despite not ending up on the scoresheet. 

The legend of defenceman Elias Pettersson continues to grow. The 22-year-old was noticeable at both ends of the ice as he logged 20:46 of ice time. As for his stats, Pettersson recorded three shots, threw two hits and blocked one shot. 

What has really stood out this year has been Pettersson's unwillingness to back down from a challenge. He is going to play physical regardless of who he is matched up against and looks confident defending against the opposition's best players. Of all the young players on this team, it is safe to say that Pettersson has arguably developed the most this year. 

Max Sasson continues to get rewarded for his strong play. The 26-year-old scored his fourth of the season while also winning four of his five faceoffs. Sasson appears to have developed some chemistry with Brendan Gallagher and Paul Cotter, as that line was the most notable on Saturday. 

Sasson's style of play matches well with Manny Malhotra's system. He plays with speed, gets in on the forecheck and makes smart plays in the defensive zone. If Sasson can keep playing at this level, he should be able to surpass his goal total of 13 from last season. 

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