Canucks News & Rumours: Pettersson, Öhgren, Meriläinen & Still Not Quite

Against San Jose, Pettersson showed how much he can contribute without relying on those old strengths. He played a physical game, won faceoffs, blocked shots, killed penalties, and helped drive the offence. His puck skills showed when he recovered possession after a turnover, danced around several Sharks defenders, and helped create the sequence that led to Drew O’Connor’s goal.

More importantly, the underlying numbers showed just how much Vancouver controlled play with Pettersson on the ice at even strength. The Canucks held a 19-8 advantage in shot attempts, a 13-3 edge in scoring chances, and a 10-3 advantage in shots on goal. That’s impressive. Perhaps Pettersson’s return isn’t about recreating the past. It’s about finding a new way to prove his value. If Thursday was an indication, that’s something Canucks fans can feel good about.

Leevi Meriläinen and Liam Öhgren Give Canucks Fans Reasons for Optimism

Other encouraging performances were worth noticing. Leevi Meriläinen was outstanding when Vancouver needed him, particularly early in the game. He stopped Michael Misa on a breakaway, made a terrific save on Ivar Stenberg, and stopped another shot from Kiefer Sherwood late in the first period. Those saves helped Vancouver maintain its advantage.

Simply put, Meriläinen made key saves at crucial times. That’s exactly what a young goaltender needs to do when given an opportunity. A team doesn’t always play perfectly in front of its goalie, and sometimes the difference between a comfortable lead and a much closer game is having someone who can make the difficult save.

Liam Öhgren also provided an encouraging moment. After taking an undisciplined penalty in the second period, he responded by getting himself into a good scoring position and firing a terrific shot past Yaroslav Askarov. It’s a small example of something coaches like to see from young players: making a mistake doesn’t have to determine what happens next. The Canucks will still want more discipline from their younger players, but Öhgren’s response was encouraging.

What’s Next for the Canucks?

The frustrating part of Thursday’s game was how quickly Vancouver lost control of a game they had worked hard to establish. The Sharks scored twice in 11 seconds, and both goals exposed problems with defensive coverage, faceoff execution, and attention to detail. Head coach Manny Malhotra didn’t hide from that afterward, pointing to the same recurring concerns that have hurt his team in important moments.

Those are areas that need improvement, particularly with so many young players learning their way through the NHL. But I wouldn’t throw out the encouraging parts of this performance because of one difficult stretch. The Canucks showed they can control play, generate offence, and get saves when they need them. Pettersson looked increasingly comfortable, Meriläinen gave them a chance, and Öhgren responded after a mistake. There is still work to do, but there are also reasons for Canucks fans to keep watching.