In his first game as a Canuck, Zadorov gets revenge against the team that traded him just two days ago.
The Vancouver Canucks (16-8-1) survived a late push from the Calgary Flames (10-11-3) as they beat their Pacific Division rivals 4-3 on Saturday night. Defenceman Nikita Zadorov, who Vancouver acquired from Calgary on Thursday, had a strong debut for the Canucks, assisting on the game-winning goal. With the win, Vancouver improved their road record to 8-6 and have now scored 50 goals away from Rogers Arena.
While this may not have been the prettiest win by the Canucks this season, they should be commended on their willingness to crash the net. They made life difficult for Jacob Markström throughout the game and were rewarded with two goals that came from right around the crease area. Tonight was a good start; now, Vancouver must continue to show they can crash the net and create havoc in front of the goaltender.
One area of concern for the Canucks was the penalty kill. This was the fourth straight game and sixth of the last seven that Vancouver has allowed a goal while shorthanded. While the penalty kill has improved from a year ago, it is starting to become a concerning factor and could cost the Canucks points in the standings as the season rolls on.
To wrap things up, let's take a quick look at Zadorov's first game as a Canuck. Overall, it was a mix of good and bad. Starting with the positives, he finished with an assist, which many believe should have been a goal, two blocked shots and was on the ice for two goals scored by the Canucks. As for the negative, he was on the ice for both power play goals by the Flames. While it will take some time for him to learn Vancouver's defensive structure fully, he did not look out of place and made a positive impact on the game in his Canucks debut.
Stats and Facts
- Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek are the fastest blueline duo in Canucks history to collect 25 points in a season beating Jiri Bubla & Rick Lanz in 1983-84 by seven games
- Quinn Hughes becomes the sixth defenceman in the last 25 years to record a road point streak of at least 11 games
- Quinn Hughes sets a new career high in goals with nine
- Filip Hronek records his sixth multi-point game in a Canucks jersey
Game Summary
1st Period
Van: 2:03- Quinn Hughes (9th) from Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek
Van: 08:38- Sam Lafferty (6th) from Ilya Mikheyev and Filip Hronek
Cgy: 12:18- Mikael Backlund (5th) from Adam Ruzicka and MacKenzie Weegar (PPG)
2nd Period
Van: 19:32 Ilya Mikheyev (8th) from Sam Lafferty and Filip Hronek
3rd Period
Cgy: 15:39- Elias Lindholm (6th) from Yegor Sharangovich and Chris Tanev
Van: 18:40- Elias Pettersson (10th) from Nikita Zadorov from Tyler Myers (ENG)
Cgy: 19:05- Jonathan Huberdeau (5th) from Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson (PPG)
Canucks Next Opponent
Up next for Vancouver will be the highly anticipated Hughes Bowl on Tuesday Night. For the first time at the NHL level, Quinn, Jack and Luke Hughes will all hit the ice as the Canucks battle the New Jersey Devils. Game time is set for 7:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena.