Canucks Takeaways: the strong return of Nils Högander, Victor Mancini Experiment

6 days ago

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Vancouver – Who said that insignificant games cannot be legitimately amused once every now and then?

The Vancouver Canucks are almost officially eliminated from the playoffs, but on Sunday they organized an exciting show against the Golden Knights of Las Vegas. With both teams playing on the second stage of a back-to-back, you could expect this game to have a slow game and a low event flavor, but both teams were fast, aggressive and completely involved.

Both teams were producing the possibility of scoring in decks. Both goalkeepers intensified spectacular stops. The rhythm has been increased and both sides (in particular Las Vegas) were creating fun players of high competence.

The Golden Knights hit a completely new march in the third period and dominated the game in the end, but for the most part, this was a fun and competitive inclination. Here are three takeaways with the loss of 3-2 of the Canucks.

Nils Höglander returns with a bang

On two occasions last week, Rick Tocchet spoke of how much Nils Höglander was pushing to return to the formation of the Canucks from his injury. And you can understand why.

Höglander strongly fought during the first two or three months of the season, but before he had hurt himself against the Rangers on March 22, he was playing his best hockey. From January 1, he scored 16 points (all five out of five) in his last 33 games. It was also a gaming driving ace: the Canucks checked a huge 59.9 percent of the expected goals and exceeded the opponents 21-7 during the changes of five out of five in Hölander from 1 January.

Continuing this momentum and finishing the strong campaign would be a nice trusted manufacturer to save an otherwise difficult season. He could also give faith to the direction that Höglander will bounce next season, which would increase the chances of having it mutually as a high -level striker rather than exploring commercial opportunities in the summer to realize the blow from $ 3 million that his new contract eats.

Höglander did not skip a blow in his return to training against the Golden Knights. Less than five minutes of the game, Alex Pietrangelo, a strong defender of the net, until the bounce after the possibility of Pio Setter’s slot. Höglander took two shots on the album and Batté Adin Hill.

Welcome back, Högs pic.twitter.com/ybflbip4um

– Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) April 7, 2025

However, it was not only the goal that was distinguished. Höglander and his line with Brock Boeser and Setter have played quickly, decisive and connected. Individually, he created elegant items in the area with control and attacked the center. The Höglander line controlled 54 percent of shooting attempts and the outchated las vegas 11-8, which was impressive because it obtained the main matchup against the Jack Eichel line.

There is still room for improvement – he had a couple of turnover and would have benefited to iron his mural work in the defensive area – but this was the promising type of return that Höglader would have liked.

Victor Mancini-Quinn Hughes’ experiment did not oppose

With Tyler Myers wounded, Elias Pettersson and Victor Mancini both entered the training for the games of this weekend rather than rotating inside and outside each other. For Mancini, he also created the opportunity of a life to play on a couple with Quinn Hughes.

These are intriguing and useful experiments for the club to run with its hopes for playoffs. They give the organization precious Intel on how some of its young players appear in different points and higher leverage roles.

So far, however, Mancini has not clicked next to Hughes.

The Canucks were exceeded 14-2 and checked less than 10 percent of the goals expected during the 17 and a half minutes that Mancini and Hughes played together against the Ducks. Their struggles continued against Las Vegas, as they were mostly allowed in the defensive area.

Mancini had some rough moments during Sunday’s game. He dived and went out of position on an offensive area draw of the first period, which led to Las Vegas to contrast a dangerous race three against one. His disk touches in the defensive area was not sharp and led to a couple of freedom/failed outings. At the end of the second period, Brandon Saad established William Karlsson for a single timer from the slot, a passage that Mancini should have been stationed to intercept. It was on the ice for two of the three goals from Las Vegas, including the winner of the game.

His comedy was not bad at all: Mancini had an impressive solo race in the second period in which he exploited his speed to drive the Las Vegas network and produced a possibility of grade A. But the overall takeaway is that while its size, speed and offensive flashes better than expected seemed intriguing in an in -depth role, is still raw and requires more polishing. He is only 22 years old, so this is normal and it is not a problem, but it is an important reminder not to get as well Released by how optimistically we project some of these young players.

Kevin Lankinen bounces

Kevin Lankinen needed rebound performance. He had a solid season, but his game immersed himself from the break in front of the 4 nations, and his last release against the Blue Jackets, where he surrendered six goals against 38 shots, was particularly difficult.

The 29 -year -old Finnish Netminder faced a high volume of occasions of grade on Sunday. Vegas seemed electrical by attacking the race and generated several quality looks from the internal slot and the area of the net front outside the cycle. He was combed by a burst of shots and possibilities in the last period, when the Canucks barely clung.

Lankinen stopped 32 out of 35 shots. He anticipated and read the offensive games of Las Vegas well. Lankinen Flat-out robbed the Golden Knights on a couple of occasions with incredible saving of despair on the rebounds.

Kevin Lankinen makes a great rescue! Robano Brett Howden!

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/hjwzkk5zhh

– Canucksorm (@canucksormy) April 7, 2025