The Vancouver Canucks have had a busy seven days and the train continues to roll.
After two straight games, the team is regrouping and preparing for the Seattle Kraken to visit Rogers Arena on Saturday night for a true showdown in the “Heart of the Pacific” between the divisional foes.
With their record of 12-4-1, the Canucks maintain the second best record in the Western Conference. The Kraken enters Saturday’s game with a 6-8-4 record and a 3-3-4 road record in the first quarter of the year.
The Kraken are coming off a 4-3 shootout victory over the New York Islanders where former WHL player Kailer Yamamoto was the first star of the game. The 25-year-old winger had a goal, an assist and added the shootout winner to seal victory for the Kraken – who had lost five of their previous six games.
Jaden Schwartz is currently leading the offense in Seattle. He has a team-leading eight goals this season. The Kraken’s points leader lives on the back end with Vince Dunn. The 27-year-old left-handed defenseman has 16 points this season and ranks fifth among NHL defensemen in assists this year. Quinn Hughes continues to lead the league with 21 assists this season, for the record.
Dunn and Schwartz have connected for a lot of their points this season – especially on the power play. Of Schwartz’s eight goals this season, Dunn contributed to six of them.
In addition to their top scorers, the Kraken have some exciting young forwards on their roster. Eeli Tolvanen, 24, has been great for the Kraken since the team picked him up on waivers last season. Tolvanen has 19 goals and 19 assists in 66 games since Seattle acquired him.
Tolvanen is exciting, but he’s no Matty Beniers, who was selected 2nd overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. Beniers is now in his second full season in the NHL and was impressive in his rookie season l last year. He finished the 2022-23 season with 24 goals and 33 assists for 57 points in 80 games as a rookie en route to winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.
The Kraken will have a British Columbian in its lineup with Justin Schultz, born in Kelowna. The 33-year-old right-handed defenseman is averaging 16:13 of playing time this season and will have time on his second power play unit.
Each of the Kraken’s two goalies has a save percentage below .900% on the season and it’s a coin toss as to who will be in net for them on Saturday night. Philipp Grubauer started against the Islanders on Thursday, but it could be Joey Daccord in net for the Squids on Saturday night.
The Canucks are 6-0-1 at home this season and the boys in blue and green will look to cook more at home Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada. The club has only played three home games in November, but has yet to lose in regulation at Rogers Arena this season.
JT Miller has been an offensive dynamo of late, putting up 19 points in his last 11 games. It’s not just the offense that has been impressive for Miller over the last 11 games. He’s been on the ice just five-on-five at five-on-five during that span and has won 59 percent of the 278 faceoffs he’s played over the past 11 games.
When it comes to playing well defensively over the last 11 games, Elias Pettersson is leading the Canucks forwards on the penalty kill over these 11 games. He was only on the ice for one shorthanded goal.
The bottom six continue to play well at five-on-five and GOOD This is an understatement for their defensive quality. The Canucks currently have six players in the top 50 goals allowed per 60 minutes played. Sam Lafferty, Conor Garland, Nils Höglander, Pius Suter, Dakota Joshua and Anthony Beauvillier are all clicking with a GA/60 below 1.25.
Beauvillier is the league leader in goals against per 60 minutes at even strength. He was only on the ice for one goal against in his 207:25 of ice time at even strength.
A big disparity between these teams is at five-on-five.
The Canucks hold the best goal differential in the league at even strength with 48 goals scored and 27 against, giving them a +21 goal differential and 64% goal share control.
As for the Kraken, they made hay on the power play and clicked at 26.8%, giving them the seventh best power play conversion rate in the league. At even strength, the Kraken have a -15 goal differential and are only behind the San Jose Sharks in goal share – holding a 40% control.
Saturday’s game is sure to be entertaining at Rogers Arena. This rivalry in the Pacific division develops with the Canucks and the new NHL organization. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT and you can watch the game on Hockey Night in Canada or listen to the radio call on Sportsnet 650.
