The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their 2024 preseason with a impressive 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. The game featured plenty of emotion as two fights and multiple scrums broke out during the 60 minutes. As for the goals, they were scored by Nils Höglander, Filip Hronek and Pius Suter, while Artūrs Šilovs stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced.
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While he wasn’t overly busy, Šilovs was fantastic in his first start of the preseason. He made some highlight reel saves and looked very calm in the crease. When asked about his goaltender after the game, head coach Rick Tocchet said, “You can see that demeanour. I really enjoy that. I don’t think I ever seem to be rattled.” With the organization now having three NHL calibre goaltenders, these type of performances are crucial as they show Šilovs is ready to become a full-time NHLer this season.
As for the Canucks best skater, that was Aatu Räty. In 15:10 of ice time, he finished with an assist, three hits, and two blocked shots while also going 14 for 18 in the faceoff dot. Ultimately, Räty was able to build off a strong Training Camp and while it has only been one preseason game, looks like he is ready for a spot on the roster.
The other star up front was Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who finished with two assists in 16:09 of ice time. What really stood out was his ability to read the play, with the most prominent example coming late in the game when he made a safe bank pass to Suter with the net empty rather than just throwing it down the ice and trying to hit to open net. When asked about Lekkerimäki, Tocchet said,” Just very crafty, smart guy, pretty good patience with a puck. I really liked him on that Suter goal. You know he made a nice bank pass, things like that. I think he’s a pretty smart kid. I think he’s gonna get more and more comfortable.” Even if Lekkerimäki doesn’t start the season in the NHL, performances like this show that he is not far off from becoming a valuable piece in the lineup.
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As for the blue line, Hronek stood out for multiple reasons. Yes, he scored a goal, but he was also defensively sound in the 22:35 he played. Hronek also played a big role in helping defenceman Elias Pettersson in his first NHL preseason, as the two played 10:52 together at even strength while limiting the Kraken to only one high-danger chance.
Lastly, Vancouver’s physicality and willingness to stand up for themselves was on full display against Seattle. After laying a massive hit, Vilmer Alriksson did not shy away from fighting John Hayden, while Tyler Myers, Mark Friedman, Derek Forbort, Conor Garland and Höglander all got into scrums throughout the game. While it is only the preseason, it is clear that there is a rivalry starting to be built between these two teams, which should produce some exciting matchups during the regular season.
The Canucks don’t need to wait long for their next preseason game, as they take on the Calgary Flames in Abbotsford on Wednesday night. Some players fans will get to see at the Abbotsford Centre include Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk. Game time is set for 7:00 pm PT.
