RINK WIDE POST-GAME: Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks | Game #5 – Oct. 17, 2025

RINK WIDE POST-GAME: Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks | Game #5 – Oct. 17, 2025

For the second night in a row, the Canucks come back from a two nothing deficit. This time they beat the Blackhawks 3-2 in a shootout. We’re breaking it down right here on Ringwide Vancouver. [Music] [Music] Yeah, they may be down, but apparently they’re not out of hockey games as this connect team continues to dig itself holes early on, but then rallies and for a second straight night with a fair bit of travel in between. They go back to back and they check off Dallas and Chicago to start this fivegame road trip with a pair of wins. We welcome you inside the Pacific Toyota dealer studios. Visit shoptoyota.ca or your local Pacific Toyota dealer today. Rink wide brought to you in part by Bet 365. I’m Jeff. He’s Earthf and we’re here to talk about a Vancouver Connect team that won’t go quietly. Yeah, maybe they got to work on their start to hockey games, but we said it last night. Say it again. Not how you start ultimately. It is how you finish. And it was Brock Besser showing that finish. What a start to the season for him. This one won’t go in his personal ledger, but man, that looked like the Brock Besser that scored 40 a couple of seasons ago. came in on the shootout attempt. Fourth round of the shootout, picked his spot and bam, hits the back of the net. The Vancouver Conucks skate out of the Windy City with a 3-2 victory. Yeah, vintage Brock Besser there. The release, the quickness, you know, finding his spot and couple of goals he’s scored this season have looked exactly like that. So, that velocity is there is on his shot. And Kucks posted on on X, they saved the best for last on that one. So, I like that. Go. Uh yeah, speaking of speed, how about Jake De Brussin? thought he had won it too. Bar down, but unfortunately bar down on the wrong side of the goal line. Uh that was the third round of the shootout. Alias Person went first. He was stopped. Connor Garland with a shot. He uh was thwarted as well, but Kevin Lankan standing in there standing tall. And we’ve talked about this uh internal competition. Lankin wants to battle for starts. We’ve seen the way that Demco has begun this season. And again, the Vancouver Conucks know that they’ve got two guys that can tend the net and Lanken put on a show tonight. We’ll get to the three stars a little bit later on here, but uh uh let’s get us going with some super chats for a great cause. Uh supporting the BC Mental Health Foundation once again this season, changing the face of mental health and addiction by supporting breakthroughs in care, public understanding, research, and knowledge exchange. And we got Manx bringing a super chat right off the top. Do you believe in miracles? Ah, maybe a little premature for that, but if the boys can win with Kelly Southerntherland on the whistle, they can do anything. Heck, Pety might even score eventually. Yeah, another couple had a couple in overtime. Knifed between the defenders at the at the buzzer. Thought maybe he was going to squeeze in his first of the season. Didn’t happen for him there. Still has to shoot the puck a whole lot more uh than he had. He promised that he was going to shoot the puck a bunch and here he is five games into the season and he’s got six shots on goal total. Jake De Brusk had seven on the night, including his first goal of the season. That one got the comeback started for the Vancouver Conucks because this one followed the same script as in Dallas. They went down two nothing. Uh they were the second best team on the ice in the first period. Understandably given that they, you know, two and a half hour flight playing on back-to-back nights here. The Blackhawks coming off a good win in St. Louis the other night. So, not a surprise that the Canucks were a little sluggish to get things going here. But it is playing with firef. Yep. uh four straight games now that they have spotted their opponent a two nothing lead. They’ve come back to win two of them. So, full credit to the Vancouver Conucks. I mean, this is I think Adam Foot and the coaching staff trying to establish culture and an identity. And you don’t want the identity to be that you’re falling behind in hockey games, but you do want that in your back pocket that if you’re down, and they will trail on a lot of nights over the course of the season, the ability to sort of park what happens early and just keep chipping away. Uh, and to their credit, they got back on even terms, goals by De Brusk and Max Sassin in that second period. And then from there, I thought the Conucks were the better team certainly in overtime. Absolutely dominated overtime. Basser had a chance to win it. No te didn’t happen for him there. We talked about Patterson. Quinn Hughes played more than half of well over half. Played three minutes and 27 seconds of the fiveminute overtime. The captain questing the 30 minute mark for the first time this season and on the second half of backto-backs. That’s never easy. But uh Quinn Hughes just continues to do Quinn Hughes things. He picks up an assist on the Russ power play goal. And the power play has come to life, which is good for the Vancouver Conucks because they started the road trip without a power play goal. They’ve now got three. But they also had three third period power plays and a chance to put the dagger in in regulation time. I don’t think the single point that the Blackhawks pick up is going to come back to cost them in the long run. But uh you know, in those situations when you’re playing the second to back to back and maybe you don’t have your best stuff, you get three third period power plays. a delight to be able uh to put one home and and just skate out of there with a 60-minute victory. Yeah, I we’ll start with playing with fire like you mentioned. It’s definitely not a recipe for long-term success and, you know, being down a couple of goals early in hockey games and having to fight your way back to it. But I do like their resolve. I like the way that they were able to come back in this game when, you know, by all accounts, you get in late, it’s the second of back to backs. you know, you just exerted a lot of effort beating the Dallas Stars and, you know, maybe might not get up for this one, but it’s early enough in the season where every opponent, no matter who you play in the NHL, is an NHL opponent. And obviously, they’ve got some stars on their team. So, I do like the way that the team was able to come back and kind of earn that win. But on the back of their goalie, right, it’s it’s Kevin Lankin and or it’s Thatcher Demco. One of those two guys every single night is going to give that team a chance to win a hockey game. And you mentioned the power plays. We’re going to talk about that obviously a little bit later, but that’s an area that they probably hoped and will want to improve on, especially to be able to put teams away if they give you the opportunity to do it. Yeah, one for six with man advantage on the night. Nine shots on goal. So, they did get pucks to Spencer Knight on the power play. Uh but again, just unable to pull the trigger and maybe a little more perimeter uh play than you would have liked. Uh especially on that final power play with Bard off the late hold on Tyler Myers. that came moments after uh the challenge the coaches of ballsy move by Jeff Blashel uh the Red Wings the Red Wings Blash was a Redwing now he’s a Blackhawk uh so was Tyler Bertusi actually so Tyler Batusi was a menace all night long um and he thought he had put Chicago up by a goal with 512 to go in that third period Patterson’s got to do a better job he just tried to lean on him essentially and that didn’t work and Bertusi whacking way of the puck. Uh but it was ruled no goal on the ice and then it was challenged and uh I I’ve given up long ago given up trying to figure out figure out goalender interference. Uh this one went the Canucks way and not only did the play on the ice stand uh but the rules of the game say hey you challenge and you’re unsuccessful then the other teams get a power play and the Conucks did. So the Conucks had two power plays in the final five minutes of the hockey game and uh that’s the only knock here. But again, they get out of Chicago with the victory, so no harm, no foul there. Um, and you’re right, like Kevin Lankin, 31 saves on 33 shots and then four more in the shootout. And as long as the two goalenders stay healthy, like this is just going to be a constant theme I think for the Vancouver Conucks that they feel good about the guys behind them, the goalies give the team in front confidence and you start to see that they just have to iron out the first periods where they have one first period goal five games into the season. So that was opening night key for sure with the very first goal of the season otherwise uh they have natada in four straight first periods. So got to work on that. So, you’re saying you don’t like the starts, Jeff? Not loving the starts, but I do like the results. And look, when you think of sort of the mood in this town after three games and after the the losses to Edmonton and St. Louis and they head out on the road and, you know, going into Dallas, they’re about 500 now. They’re three and two. They have picked up four points, one more win over these final three and they’re coming home with a minimum of six points. So you get the first two like shoot higher than just one more win. Uh it’s going to be tough early start on Sunday against a Washington team that is rolling right now. So we’ll talk more about that later in the program. By the way, and we’ll get to our stat that stands out. This isn’t it, but this is a stat that stands out. Canucks have won 11 straight games against the Blackhawks. Blackhawks have been dismal over the last bunch of years. some signs of life and they played the Canucks hard obviously here. Uh but that is 11 straight victories. That’s a franchise record for the Vancouver Conucks. 11 straight wins over any single opponent. It’s wild. I mean, you’re right. The Blackhawks have been asked for the last forever. And the Conucks have taken advantage of that as many teams have over the little while. But you we had a great stat the other night as well. You know, Dra Demco against the Dallas Stars, 91 and one now in his career against the Dallas Stars. You look at the the Canucks as a whole now 11 0 and0. It’s something about that central division that you know the Canucks like like to play a little bit better when they go in the middle of the United States. National Hockey League correcting me a little bit here. They say this now matches the Conucks longest win streak against a single opponent. Also 11 straight wins against San Jose and 11 wins against the Toronto Maple Leafs. So there you go. But uh yeah, it has been mastery uh for the Vancouver Conucks over the Blackhawks. And and yes, the Hawks have not been very good over these past five years. That’s a streak that uh dates back to 2022. Uh let’s go to the way the there were only four goals scored in this hockey game. So just before we get to the three star selection, uh let’s go over the goals. Ryan Donado opens the scoring on a power play uh in the first period, midway through the first. Elias Patterson wins the draw cleanly. You can’t ask more from your centerman and Marcus Patterson with a weight clearing attempt that doesn’t get out of the zone. And from there, the Hawks move it around. Andre Burkovski just walks down the left wing pretty casually. Canucks given him a little too much time and space and it’s Marcus Patterson and Phil Heronic. Both of them uh you know sticks out in front and kind of quietly Donado goes to the back post. Nice pass from Burkovski, but uh wasn’t really one for Marcus Patterson sizzle reel there that entire play. No, definitely not. And I think kind of got lost after he tried to clear the puck and it didn’t go out. Probably thought it was going to get out and it didn’t. And he was kind of in no man’s land and Donado sneaks in behind him, was able to finish that pass off no problem. So that’s the one- nothing goal. Again, Conucks giving up the first goal for a fourth straight game. Not a huge deal. Uh but then they give out the second goal of the game in the final minute of the first. And sometimes those ones can be absolutely killers. Last night, Dallas on the power play late in the first period. To the Knox credit, they have been able to work themselves out of uh those goals that sometimes can be daggers. This time it was Tyler Vatusi. Had himself a shift there. Was all over the puck. He was all over the Canucks and puck comes to him in front of the net. Uh I’m not quite sure Quinn Hughes. I mean, it’s hard to poke holes in Quinn Hughes’s game, but there were times where even the captain uh gets caught drifting a little bit and he was out of position and Heronic given Bertusi too much space. Um got the first crack at it and then puck comes right back to him and he’s able to just slip it past Lincoln and uh 1914 was the time of that goal. So, it was two nothing for the Blackhawks after the first period. Again, the shots were 8 to1 at one point. The Canucks were able to even the gap there. 1513 through 20 minutes of play. Don’t love giving up 15 shots, but again, when you played the night before and travel, I mean, I’m not shocked by that. But this is something that the Canucks are going to have to certainly be mindful of that uh teams are going to recognize that this league is so heavily scouted. People will realize that this not just a blip, that this is becoming a trend that hey, jump on the Vancouver Cox, see if you can, you know, lean on them and and get the early lead here and then force them to respond. Um and so far so good in terms of the response even in Edmonton like when they were getting outplayed badly and they found a way to get the one goal that night to make it a two-1 game. Ultimately they couldn’t get the second one that they needed but that Demco him in there gave them an opportunity. Uh this time Lanken stood tall and then De Brusk at the 649 mark on the power play. Couple of whacks at the puck that looked like a lot of the 29 goals or 28 goals that he scored last year and 14 of them coming on the power play. Uh I’m glad for Nebrask not only on his 29th birthday, but I didn’t want it to go a whole lot deeper into the season before he got it first and I’m sure he didn’t either. Yeah. Uh they’re going to need him to score a bunch this year and so get the first one and we know that he’s streaky and he can heat up here in a hurry. So uh can’t say that he doesn’t have a goal for the Vancouver Conucks. He’s got his first and that gave them some life on the power play as he worked his way from Vassic in front and was able to tuck the puck in behind Spencer Knight. Yeah, I like the play from Connor Garland there. I mean, he’s just such a smart player whether it’s being in and around the net, knowing where to be and, you know, putting his body in different positions, but even on that on on that go Jake De Brusco just firing the puck to the front. Sees De Brus there, has his body, you know, in position to be able to make a play. Dusk is big enough and smart enough to be able to take a couple whacks at it and eventually he’s able to score there. What was it last year? Jake Dusk couldn’t score at home, but he was able to score on the road. So, he’s got one early here, which is good. It’s on the road. Obviously, you hope that that will continue there as well. One thing I wanted to say about Tyler, remember Jerome Williams, the Toronto Raptor, the junkyard dog. That is Tyler Petusi, I think, in a nutshell. No, you’re right. Like, again, I I use the word menace. His name’s going to pop up here in three stars in a sec. Uh, and so will this guy’s name. Uh, Max Sasson. What an incredible start to the season in two leagues for Max Sassin. Scored in both games for Abbottzford last weekend down in Henderson, Nevada. One of them was an overtime winner. Scores last night. Pretty goal in Dallas off the rush. Takes the bank pass from Tyler Myers. Made no mistake. And here another really strong shift from the Abbottzford line. And Carlson gets the second assist. Phil Heronic with a nice pass. Someone call it an all world pass. In fact, uh onto the stick assassin who beat, wouldn’t you know it, Jason Dickinson out of the corner. Now, Jason Dickinson was part of the storyline coming into this one. Well, I was going to ask you to be surprised. They didn’t beat him up, but Sassin beat him out of the corner and I think that feels a lot better. And Heronic able to put the puck onto his stick and there you go. Max Sassin with two goals. I I jokingly said on social media that he’s just two goals off the league lead in the American Hockey League and only four off the National Hockey League lead uh here with a pair now for Max. So uh some surprising offense for a guy that didn’t start the season on the roster, but he’ll take it. He continues to battle and the fact that he and his Abbottzford line stayed in the lineup and the one change was aside from Lenin was Atu Ratu coming out and Teddy Bluger making his season debut. You know, I think that speaks volumes of what the coaching staff saw from Sassin. They know the element of speed that he brings and let’s be honest, it hasn’t been a terrific start to the year for Ratu Ratu. It’s early. He had the decent night against St. Louis when Sherwood scored both goals. Um, but if you’re Ratu Ratu, you’re sitting there and saying like, “Hey, I started the season. Max Assassin wasn’t even on the roster and now I’m coming out as a healthy scratch and we’ll see after another win. Do they plug Ratu back in or do you just keep riding?” And I would guess that you probably just keep riding this Abbottzford line for a while. Yeah, we have a super chat from Thank Me Later, my dog Jesse, but we’ll get to the other ones. He says, “The assassinator.” I like it. Yeah, that’s exactly kind of what he is out there, right? He runs around, flies around, puts himself in good positions. Like I talked about yesterday, we chatted on this show. What that line does with their minimal ice time and you know the chances that they are given is they make the most of every opportunity. Now Max Assassin is taking this little ball that he has and he’s running with it right now. He is running. He is running so far away from Atu Rachu that only the person that can stop him is Adam Foot. And I think that he deserves to be in the lineup. he gives them a different element with his speed and his skill and and his awareness around the net, can win some faceoffs as well. Um, but if you’re only putting him out on the ice in limited with limited ice time, I mean, that line, they’ve had that chemistry. It’s we said it again last night, it’s like they’ve played together before. They know where each other are. Um they’re very smart hockey players and they they they I know Quads asked that line needs to be named something and you joked and said it’s their top line which it might actually be right now because of the way that they play. Let’s work with that. Uh only 8 minutes and 17 seconds for Sass in a tight game in the third period and special teams. Uh scores hasn’t only shot on goal. The one thing and this will be something to monitor too. This is the NHL. Uh just one of five faceoffs and that is Atu Ratu’s strong suit as a team. The Canucks got bleached in the faceoff circle uh winning 42% on the night. So, um you know, they probably want Ratu in there, but right now they made the switch and I would say that worked out just fine for the Vancouver Conucks. All right, let’s get to the three stars of this hockey game. the representation of Gretabar YVR and such a great place to catch all the games. I’m sure it was buzzing on a Friday with the baseball and CFL and of course uh hockey on your television too. So if you’re looking for a great place to uh pregame with the rink and the stadium right around the corner or if you’re watching these games on TV, Greta has you covered. All kinds of big screens, great street food menu, got the weekly drink specials, they’ve got game night specials as well. All the arcade games just add to the atmosphere there. Uh, check it out. Greta Bar, the place to be. 50 West Cordova. Greta Bar, let the games begin. Three stars in the building. Tyler Vatusi getting a little home cooking. He was the first star. Kevin Lanken in the second star and Brock Besser uh with the dagger there in the shootout. Besser is the third star. Goes a little different here. We like Max Assassin’s a tying goal. Uh boy, you’re playing for the second night uh in a row and travel and there’s those fresh legs and Max Assassin making the most his of his opportunities as you said uh taking that ball and running with it. And uh there’s Lankin and the second star. Canucks aren’t getting this victory unless the former Blackhawk who’s now 4-0 by the way against Chicago. Again, kind of goes back to this period of time. I think lots of guys are padding their stats against the poor Hawks, but uh there’s Lincoln 939 save percentage on the night gives up two in the first period and after that was an absolute wall. And yeah, Tyler Batusi all over the stat sheet. He was busy. He thought he had put the Hawks in front. Didn’t happen for him. But look at the night for Bertusi plays 19 minutes and two seconds. Has a goal. Takes a penalty. Six shots on nine attempts. He had three hits and he went seven and two in the faceoff circle. So, some heavy lifting by the veteran who’s there to insulate uh some of the young guys and uh the young guys are coming along, but they’ll get theirs. Yep. No, they’ve been competitive. Blackhawks had one backto-back games. They pick up a point here. So, a points in three straight now uh for the Chicago Hockey Club. What did you think of Conor Bard’s night on the whole? How much did you notice, Connor Bernard? A lot actually. Plus one, a couple penalty minutes. Um, four shots on net. And I think it’s those shots on net like you you noticed them most of them. There was this the shot that he had where he had Ronic right up in his grill and that release off his stick where in the third peri kind of bounced off him and then it kind of just dropped right in front of the net. Like not many players in the National Hockey League can do that. And Connor Bernard um is very very good at doing it and I like the feistiness in his game. I I I I do I think that he’s taken a jump and I think it’s not becoming a better player because he already has all the skill in the world and everyone knows that but it’s maturing in on the mental side of the game I think for him. You know, he might have to realize that he doesn’t need to do everything every single night. There’s other players around him like you mentioned Tyler Batusi there to insulate and help and do other things. Frank Nazar is going to be a player that you know the Blackhawks are going to need for a long time. guy like Ilia McKay, we haven’t even talked about him. Had himself a hell of a hockey game too for the Chicago Blackhawk team. But for um you know, North Vancouver’s Conor Bard, you notice him and you don’t notice him for the wrong reasons. I think when we talked about his game last year, you notice him for all the stuff that was going wrong for the Blackhawks and in the short term this season, it’s all the things that are going right. Also had that chance in close in the second period when it was two to1 could have put his team up by a pair and then they go back the other way and and Max Assassin scored. So, I thought that was uh one of the turning points in the hockey game. Have you looked at his ice time? Badard’s ice time? Yep. It is 25:01. 25 minutes plus for Connor Bard. Uh felt like about 18 minutes. So, that was the first shift of overtime. Highest on the team there. Yeah. Well, he was for 3 minutes I think in overtime. The overtime shift was 2 minutes and 12 seconds right off the faceoff. Kucks got the puck and Bedard and I love the fact that Jeff Bl starting Nazar and and Bedard like that’s the now it’s also the future that hockey club give them some leash in overtime. Uh it didn’t happen for them there but they didn’t get scored on either but 2 minutes and 12 seconds before they could get off and then he had another minute and 22 second shift. So a lot of ice time for Convidar 25 minutes and 1 second on the night. uh in his career, this was the fifth game that he has played against the Canucks. Remember the broken jaw? He missed the first trip through Vancouver uh in his rookie season, but he’s played the Canucks five times, two assists, didn’t figure in the scoring in this one, and still looking for his first goal against his hometown team. But that shot, and I made note of the one that you talked about there in the third period, uh honed over many years in the driveway in Lin Valley. So Conor Bernard uh he’ll come through Vancouver twice as long as he’s healthy. Blackhawks will be here uh to take on the Canucks twice this year at Rogers Arena. Let’s just touch on it briefly because I mentioned Jason Dickinson and you asked me if I was surprised. Uh I’m going to say no. I mean um for a number of reasons. One is the Conucks just aren’t built to go looking for their pound of flesh. I know that this has been a talking point uh in recent years here when other things have happened Quinn Hughes or some others you know why doesn’t anybody stand up um you know this happened in March it’s now midocctober you I saw people saying Aander Kane can you know get in the good books with his new teammates he wasn’t here he wasn’t part of you can’t look for him to be settling scores for yeah was a member of the Edmonton Oilers and second to back to backs ultimately the points matter most and I think the Canucks can get the last laugh that it was Sass scoring the tying goal with Jason Dickinson trying to catch up to him and couldn’t do it. So, uh, did I think that, you know, if there was an opportunity, would somebody finish a check on him? Sure. But I I did not expect that the Vancouver Conucks were going to go after uh Jason Dickinson. The league frowns on vigilante justice as we know, and I’m sure that the referees had been primed, even though these guys didn’t work that game. uh at the Raj last March. Bottom line is that Philip Heedle played this game, got through this game, and I know if the circumstances arise in future games against the Blackhawks and somebody decides that they want to try to send a message to Jason Dickinson, you know, fine, go ahead. But I I just was not the least bit surprised that nothing really materialized on on that front in this hockey game. Yeah. No, neither was I. And I think that, you know, they they won the game, right? And at the end of it, because of them winning the game, I don’t think that there’s a problem at all. I think they did exactly what they needed to do and they set out to do, and that was get the important two points um for that. And and you’re right, they just aren’t really built like that. You know, like Philip Ronick, like Tyler Meyers, no one really like you can’t ask Drew O’ Conor to go and do something. It’s it’s just not they’re not any of those guys aren’t going to do. And Keith for Sherwood, I know he was super pissed about it when it happened, but the guy’s the leading goal scorer on the team. you know, I don’t think that he’s trying to get off the ice for five minutes and maybe more if anything were to happen there. So, I I think when you look at it, you know, by all accounts, good for the Canucks for going and taking care of their business on the ice because they won the hockey game. Going to get to the stat that stands out in a sec here, but I want to get to a couple of super chats. Keep them coming. The BC Mental Health Foundation appreciates all of the support. Noah VC says, “Patterson did a lot of good. Just can’t seem to get the puck in the net, but he looked pretty good.” I assume we’re talking about EP 40 there. It’s always a multiple choice when uh you just say Patterson, but uh uh I do want to devote some time to his night. So, thank you for the super chat and we’ll sort of come around to that in a second here. Matt Blom says, “Tonight is exactly why the CDC paid Lanin to be the 1B goalender.” Yeah. And my hunch is that they will alternate on this road trip that you come back with Demco Sunday morning game against uh the Capitals. And some people might say, “Oh, early start.” Ah, um, I don’t think it’s an issue. Um, I may eat my words on that one, but I think you go Demco on Sunday and then you probably come back with Lankanin on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, unless for some reason they felt that they wanted to save Lanin for uh, another one of his former teams in Nashville at the end of the trip and give Demco back-to-back starts. So, we’ll see, but I I think Demco will end up getting three starts and Lankin will get two on the road trip. Bookham Dano says Jeffoff, how many points on this roadie to consider a success? What was it? Five games. Yep. So 10 be the max. I don’t know, seven. Like they got four now, right? So at the outset of the trip, I would have just gone with a conventional 500. this team that was one and two and sort of there were questions and where was the offense and all that kind of stuff. I I would have said if they can come out of this road trip two two and one, sign me up, take it and hopefully that’s enough traction to start them moving in the right direction. But when you’ve gone two for two to start, uh you got to up the goals here. And so I I like seven. Like I I’m not going to get greedy. I don’t think the Canucks will either. They’re not looking past Washington and look the Capitals are off to a really nice start here and that’s going to be a tough one on Sunday, especially with that early start time. Um, but you’ve taken the first two. Yeah. So, there’s six points remaining. If you can get three of the remaining six, there’s your seven points and absolutely you are coming on home and you got the Habs and the Oilers back to back when you come off the road trip. So, this is part of a seven game. Forget the five-game road trip. is seven games in 11 nights for the Vancouver Conucks and that’s where you need two goalenders. That’s where you’re going to need guys plugging into lineup and some load management and all that kind of stuff. Uh but great start to the trip. You know, the process hasn’t been perfect, but the end results have been with wins in Dallas and Chicago. All right, let’s get to the stat that stands out. It’s delivered by Uber Eats. Uber Eats is enabling fans to maximize their fandom all season long with exclusive game day deals on the app. And when there are home games, every time the Conucks are playing at home, you can get a buy 1 get one six-piece chicken McNuggets from McDonald’s in Vancouver only on Uber Eats. From game day eats to paper plates and napkins if you’re hosting to all the ingredients you need to make your favorite game day dip before, during, or after the game, Uber Eatats is assisting every fan’s hockey experience all season long. # crave the stats. And the stat that stands out, Vancouver power play is three for9 to start the road trip. Went out on the road without a power play goal. Got two in Dallas, got one uh here against the Chicago Blackhawks. So 33 and third percent, you would take that. But it also comes back to the conversation about the three in the third period. Like if they could have bumped that to four for nine in the road trip, again, they won. So, they didn’t need that additional power play goal, but I am encouraged. I actually I thought the puck movement was better against the Stars than it was here against Chicago. But I I just like the fact that, you know, Besser got a power play goal. De Brasquez has a power play goal. The empty netter turned out to be a power play goal for Quinn. So, it goes in the stats, but uh not your conventional power play goal, but there are some signs of life here. And I think rather than collectively the group wondering when’s this power play going to start to produce, uh they can sort of exhale as well and know that uh it’s starting to come now and hopefully uh we’ll just get better as as they go. Yeah. And I think the thing that for me at least when watching this power play and and maybe watching them play in a small sample size, say five games, you know, if they go one for four, if they go two for five, if they go, you know, 0 for three that game and then they go again one for three or one for four, it’s the consistency that you want to see. I think you don’t want to see them have a have a have a string of games where they’re like 0000, right? So, if they can get power play goals, chip away. It doesn’t need to be perfect all the time, but you’re right in that third in that third period, you get one more goal there, you really can bury a game and you can put a team away. But that’s one of these things that this team can learn right there. That power play unit is probably going to be changed again. You know, Connor Garland’s up there right now with Jake Deuskin obviously, um, Elias Patterson, Quinn Hughes there as well, and Brock Besser. Um, but you never know when the coaching staff is going to decide to change that again. And I think they’re going to stick with what’s working right now cuz Garland is always just moving and you know Quinn use obviously gets himself into any sort of situation. Um Elias Person on the left side I didn’t really like but you put him there because he’s not shooting when he’s on his side anyway. So it’s a different look. Maybe another pass for going across the across the seam of the ice there. Go rink wide. Um but there there is that chance to do it. So uh I I think that it is a work in progress. Nobody’s power play in the NHL is perfect, but showing signs obviously is important. So, I just want to backtrack here because sometimes this happens. They will go back and review game film before they set the final stat sheet in stone for the night. I think I said Jake De Brusk had seven shots in this hockey game. Double digits. 10. 10 shots on goal. Wow. 13 attempts on the night for the birthday boy and he was feeling it. He was feeling it. I don’t think the kind of I think the last guy that got 10 shots. We’d have to go back and look. We come back for that. Yeah, we need our research. Uh so yeah, I just want to make a note of that. A 10shot night for Jake Dros and he gets his first uh of the season. Uh all right. Uh I kind of feel like this is going to become a segment in and of itself each and every night. You know where I’m going here. This segment is presented by Pacific Toyota dealers and the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid. It’s a no compromise approach to electric vehicles that offers the best of both worlds. Seamlessly transitions from electric mode to the gas engine for a combined range of 962 km. No sacrifices when it comes to horsepower or style with its sleek, low, and wide exterior and sophisticated interior loaded with tech that’s actually easy to use. And right now, you can lease a 2025 Prius plug-in hybrid SE from $99 weekly at 3.49% APR for 64 months with $3,600 down. And it includes a $3,000 discount. Visit shoptoyota.ca or your local Pacific Toyota dealer today. Great segue, because this player is the last player to record 10 shots in a game. 22 23 2023. So that’s January 23rd, 2023. Elas Patterson had 10 shots against St. Louis. There you go. And since then, he hasn’t had that many in a game. No. Has uh six on the season through five games. So again, an area that has to it just it has to get better. Uh I I want to see him dig in and just say, I’m going to take this puck and tonight I’m going to have not 10 maybe, but let’s three. How about three? Let’s start with three and and work from there. Uh Alias Patterson, just want to make sure that I’ve got the final numbers right uh because they do change. Uh Alias Patterson plays 21 minutes and 34 seconds. So uh Adam Foot’s riding him. He’s he’s getting his ice time. I mean, it wasn’t that long ago. Was it the St. Louis game that he played 15 and a half minutes um up over 21 a half now. There was a lot of special teams time. Six minutes of power play time for Leas Patterson. Has the two shots on goal. He did have six attempts, so he was shooting a little bit more here. and he led the Conucks with 11 faceoff wins, went 11 and 10 in the circle. Um, and we talked about the faceoff that he won short-handed that that puck should have got out and down the ice. So, I thought he did his part there. Uh, there were moments in the hockey game. Again, I’m not questioning the effort level. I would have liked a little stiffer challenge on Bertusi there on the goal that ultimately didn’t count. You got to box your guy out and and make sure that he can’t get a couple of whacks of the puck there. Um, but you know, to me it’s hard to go much more than a C++ on the night for Elias Patterson. His team wins. It is a team game and he was part of that. Um, but didn’t figure in the scoring, hit the crossbar on his shootout attempt. Uh although wouldn’t it have like I thought he had reached forward like momentum and or his momentum had stopped there and he kind of u we’ll never know because goal didn’t go in but just tried a little too much I think ultimately on the shootout attempt. Uh yeah I mean I’d probably go C plus kind of six and a half seven out of 10 if I’m grading him. I think that his best period was overtime in this hockey game. I thought that he was engaged, he made moves, he deaked, he tried to shoot. Um, you know, he had that glorious opportunity where he split the defense and, you know, was almost able to bury it past Spencer Knight. Unfortunately, wasn’t able to do it, but I thought that that’s where he looked his best. That’s where he was was skating uh his best. I didn’t like the try the box out attempt against Tyler Bertusi. Um, you know, we always talk about the weight that he gained there. I like to see him try and use that a little bit more um and shoot on the power play. Yeah. You know, and I think that that’s probably everyone’s biggest thing with Elias Person is firing the puck. Like, be that selfish guy. You know, assert it. Take your dominance. Own it. Like, you’re the guy. You are the guy. You’re the highest paid player on the team. Shoot the puck as much as you want. Nobody on that bench, that coaching staff upstairs in management is going to get mad at you for shooting. Your teammates are going to get mad at you for shooting. They want to see that. So if you as long as you’re able to get through that and once you start realizing that firing the puck, I think good things are going to happen. I’m sort of of a mixed mind here. Like I get where he sits in sort of the, you know, the depth chart of this hockey club offensively. Uh but he didn’t score an overtime goal last year. This was their first look at overtime and not decided there. Um I mean he’s going to get overtime shifts, but like I want to believe that he can be a differencemaker in OT and um I’m still waiting to see it, but I did like in the dying seconds overtime when he knifed between the two defenders and took the puck to the net and and try to make something happen there. Um I was kind of hoping that Philip Heedle might be a little more assertive in overtime. I mean, the speed we talked about it. Uh he started overtime with Kefir Sherwood and Philip Heronic. Uh I think he had one other shift there. Um, but yeah, it wasn’t there wasn’t a whole lot in his uh and we didn’t see him in the shootout. They went EP40 Garland De Brusk and Besser. I’m always curious had the shootout continued. Um, you know, how deep would they have to go to get to a guy like Quinn Hughes? How deep would you have to go to get to a player like Philip Heedle? Uh, they didn’t need them. Obviously, Besser with the only goal of the four round shootout. But uh the Conucks were seven and 12 in games decided in overtime and then that was the storyline last year. At one point they lost eight straight games that required overtime. That’s flushing a lot of points. Yeah. Uh and I think it was them and Calgary that uh tied for the league lead in 24 of their game and 20 basically a third of their schedule going to to overtime and they came out with 10 overtime points from 24 trips. So left 14 points on the table here. They pick up the first bonus point of the season and and hopefully they’re able to settle games in regulation that they don’t need overtime as much. But if they are required to play extra time, uh they’re going to have to find a way to grind out a with Quinn Hughes. They should be a dominant overtime team. And again, Quinn played three minutes and 27 seconds. He’s out there trying to make things happen. But uh uh yeah, I I am curious to see sort of how the season goes along uh and what they look like uh in games that require overtime. My questions always vary to you in these postgame shows. What you like, what you didn’t like, you know, players and X, Y, and Z. What were you most encouraged by in this Conucks win? What made you wanting to see more? I think Well, I I think the fact that playing back toback isn’t easy, especially with the travel we’ve documented. I mean, some backto-backs, they’re going to have a backto-back at home. They sleep in their own bed. Like, that’s not the same as playing in Dallas one night and flying to Chicago. And now, of course, the quick turnaround with an early start on Sunday in Washington. This is a tough road trip. They lose an hour going to the Eastern time zone from Chicago. They’re going to overnight in Chicago and fly tomorrow. I think that makes sense. get the guys a solid night of sleep in a hotel room and uh and then fly and and they’ll worry about you. It won’t be a morning skate, but they’ll be warm up and away they go. Oh, on Sunday against the Capitals. So, it’s like the fact that there has been this resolve that even though they’re getting outplayed in first periods, the goalending I mean goalending is right at the top of my list of things that I’ve liked almost every every night out. And if you’ve got goalending in the NHL, you got a chance. And uh so far here they are uh with three wins out of five games when it looked like this road trip could have got off to a rocky start and instead they’ve turned that on. They’re here. I love uh the guys from Abbottzford making the most of their opportunity led by Max Sassin. That’s such a good story. And uh we should mention that Abbottzford suffered its first loss of the American Hockey League season got shut out uh in Laval and you look at the roster most of it the top end of it here in Vancouver. So they’re asking a lot of Manny Multra uh in his second year and coming off the Calder Cup championship that uh it’s a different roster this time around. Niels Omad and Vitali Kraussv are his uh top players and and they were playing every goalie there and tonight it was Tai Young. So, three games and they’ve had three different goalenders and uh they get back at it the rematch in Laval uh before they play the home opener and of course the banner will go to the roof of the Abbottzford Center uh in that first home game prior to that first home game. So, uh I like the end result. Just to bring it back to your question, I’m liking the end result ultimately here uh two games into this road trip. Uh, we got Prime Killer with the chat says Demco Wall and Blankin lethal goalie combo and yeah, I mean that’s the hope and you know this year 9 and a half million bucks. Next year it goes up with the Demco extension, but uh again I think you’re willing to invest in your goalending. It’s more than a lot of teams are spending, but I think there’s a lot of teams out there that’ll look at the Vancouver Conucks and be a little envious that they’ve got not one but two guys uh that can deliver almost every night that they are between the pipes. Want to tell you as we have on each and every episode here that uh make sure that you are following us on all our social channels. We’ve been active here. We got Jacob Fraser behind the scenes now pumping out content on the Rinkwide X channel, but also our Rinkwide YouTube channel. Uh, which is a place that many of you view the program here after each and every game. Uh, and some that watch it on X maybe not realize that. Yeah, we stream it on YouTube as well. Uh, either or. Just make sure that you’re watching, tell some friends. But, uh, on non-game nights, uh, when the Canucks are here in town, uh, practice reports and video from the ring, postgame scrums, we’re populating our YouTube channel, uh, with all sorts of Canucks content. Uh, so bringing you behind the scenes, uh, providing more. I mean, the demand is there and so we’re doing what we can. So, uh, make sure that you have subscribed to our YouTube channel, uh, Rinkwide Vancouver, and, uh, set your notifications so that you don’t miss a thing whenever we drop fresh new content there. Jeff’s doing stand-ups from the rink. It’s great, I got to tell you. Not stand upd. No, not stand up. Standups on camera. Yes. And, uh, we’ll continue to work at getting better uh, at those. Um, all right. So, two for two team day off, a little bit of travel on Saturday as they work their way to Washington DC where they run into Alex Ovetkin and a Capitals team that is 4-1 to start the season was a 5-1 winner over Minnesota earlier today. And that tells some of the story. The other part of that story is that the shots midway through the hockey game were 24 to4. Yeah. in favor of the Capitals ended up 4515. So Minnesota got a few more along the way, but uh no, I mean the Capitals deep team. We saw that last year. They got goalending obviously. Obie at 898. He scored his first of the season. So two to get to 900. And of course every goal he scores is somewhere that nobody has ever gone in the National Hockey League. I know that lots of guys have set records and hit those milestone numbers against the Vancouver Conucks. So, if he gets two, he’ll get to 900 on Sunday. That’ll be part of the challenge for the Vancouver Conucks. But, uh, no, I mean, this is a solid Washington team that was built to win. uh fell short in the playoffs last year, but uh there’s a lot to like there and that will pose a pretty good challenge for the Canucks with the early start. 9:30 Pacific time, 12:30 obviously in the Eastern time zone, but uh those early starts haven’t always been friendly to the Vancouver Conucks. So, it just kind of adds to uh the challenges that they will face. I think that game’s going to be sloppy. Like I I think I think I think you might take the over in that game. Like I I think there’s going to there’s going to be some goals to be had um early for both teams. team. I mean, Washington might where they practice tomorrow or they are they play tomorrow? No, they don’t play tomorrow. No, they play today. They play today. So, they don’t So, they don’t play tomorrow. So, they’ll probably have a practice day. The Canucks have an off day, travel to Washington, and then, you know, right at it, you know. So, I I think that there’s a chance that, you know, we see some goals early in the hockey game and, you know, you never know. I mean, puck’s wheelhouse. Putting Max Assassin down for one already. That’s just the way it works. But the Capitals 4- one. They’ve won four straight. So, they dropped their opener. They have rallied with four straight victories. 14 goals, four, you know, and you think of what you think of offense. Obviously, the Capitals, they’ve given up eight goals in five games. So, they’re stingy that way. Um, and that’s what I say. I mean, uh, again, the Capitals see themselves as a team that is still in its competitive window there and and wants to make some sort of statement and they’re off to a really nice start. So, well, Alexi Protraz isn’t just a unit of a human being. I remember watching him for Prince Albert against the Vancouver Giants in Junior and he was 66 230 some pounds then and it’s like it was I was like who is that guy and obviously the Capitals knew who that guy was. They drafted him and uh yeah bit of a late bloomer but uh he is a handful no doubt about it and has found the hands as well to be able to score at the National Hockey League level. So absolutely. Yeah. Uh all right well I think that’s going to do it for us. Back toback nights. You’ve got Sunday off. Yep. I will be back. We’re going to be watching football and baseball and and some hockey. And some hockey. I’ll be I’ll be tuning in. Tyson Cole is going to be sitting in your seat. So, get in here for the first time this season. Looking forward to that. We’ll have some fun. And uh yeah, just a crazy busy sports Sunday that starts at 9:30 Pacific time. So, get up early, watch the Vancouver Connections, the Washington Capitals, and then we will be here to deliver uh yet another episode of Rinkwide Vancouver. Jake De Brusk with his first of the season, Max Sassin with his second, and Kevin Lankinan sensational in goal. He gets his first win of the year for the Vancouver Conucks. So, a solid team effort required a shootout, but they get it done in the Windy City. Put the win in the Windy City for the Vancouver Conucks 32. They down the Chicago Blackhawks two for two to start the road trip into Washington on Sunday. All right. Well, I look forward to seeing you again then on Tuesday when the Conucks take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Absolutely. But before Sunday, we have Saturday. Yes, we do have Saturday work to do. Mhm. Time for our bet 365 portion of this show. All right, hear me out, chat. Okay, you just got to listen very carefully. This one’s going to get a little wild, a little bit wacky, a little bit weird, but I kind of like that we’re taking all the Canadian teams on Saturday that are in action except the Calgary Flames. So, the Leafs to beat the Kraken, Montreal to beat the Rangers, Oilers to beat the Devils, Jets to beat the Preds, and the Ottawa Senators to beat the New York Islanders. Vegas beats Calgary. 10 bucks pays you $213 on Bet 365, I’m going to do it. Probably should, but yeah, whatever your bet is, it’s never ordinary. Wild here on a Friday night. Yeah, bet 365. Getting frisky. Download the app and get in on the game. Use code nation. Bet 365 must be 19 or older. Please play responsibly. Might not be the most responsible bet, but that one it’s pretty sharp. I think it’s sharp. Did I hear you say that? Uh Seattle’s in Toronto. Yeah. On Saturday. Seattle’s in Toronto on Saturday. Yes. Seattle’s also in Toronto on Saturday. On Sunday. Yes. Looking to wrap up. I don’t think the C I don’t think the Seattle teams are going to sweep Toronto. No. Okay. Over the weekend. I think the Mariners uh they want theirs. Uh it may come at the expense of a Kraken loss, but the Mariners want theirs. They want to punch their ticket to the World Series. If they don’t, they’re going seven, a seventh in the siding game. We’ll see what happens there. Um but yeah, that series is back to Toronto and the Vancouver Conucks are on their way to Washington. Hey, big thanks to Jacob Fraser behind the scenes helping out once again for us here on Rinkquad. Appreciate all of his help and uh enjoy your weekend. We’ll catch up with you on Tuesday. For the rest of you, the viewers and the listeners, hopefully you’re back here on Sunday when the Canucks take on the Capitals. But for I’m Jeff. Thanks so much for checking out this episode of Rinkwide Vancouver. [Music]

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