The banged-up Vancouver Canucks had a much-needed day off Monday before they wrap up a three-game homestand by hosting J.T. Miller and the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
The Canucks’ roster depth will be tested against New York as they battle a string of early-season injuries, including the latest one to their leading scorer from last season, Quinn Hughes.
The 2024 Norris Trophy winner was added to the growing injury list three hours before the faceoff of Sunday’s 4-3 overtime win over Edmonton.
The Canucks were down to only five defensemen against the Oilers after Hughes’ replacement, Victor Mancini, left the game late in the second period.
Despite the difficulties, the Canucks are doing a good job of staying motivated.
“It’s not something you can dwell on,” said goaltender Thatcher Demko. “You start feeling bad for yourself, it’s easy to let even more games slip away.”
Kiefer Sherwood and Elias Pettersson ignited the offense against the Oilers, with Pettersson scoring a power-play goal early in the second period and Sherwood adding a pair, including the overtime winner.
Sherwood, a relentless forechecker and physical presence, has started to show his scoring touch and leads the team with six goals. He would have had his seventh Sunday, but the goal was called back because of an offside.
“The games are coming fast here, so we’ve just got to dig in,” said Sherwood of the Canucks, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
“Every day is a new day. It would be nice if we can just keep rolling and get on a nice streak, but it starts with one. We’ve got a big game against New York coming up, so we’ve got to buckle in and stay ready.”
The Canucks played six of their first eight games of the season on the road and have five road trips of four games or longer.
“We fought hard. You know, most of the season is going to be like this,” said forward Conor Garland, who leads the team in points with 11.
New York has to be pleased to hit the road. The struggling Rangers have yet to win a home game in five tries this season, failing to even score a goal in their first three home games.
“We’re not at our best right now, and we’ve got to find a way to dig our way out of it,” said new head coach Mike Sullivan after losing 5-1 in Calgary on Sunday night. “I just think it starts with effort and attention to detail on the defensive side.”
This is Miller’s first game back in Vancouver since his blockbuster trade in January. The Canucks dealt him to the Rangers after he became entangled in a rift with his former teammates, most notably the team’s other top center, Pettersson.
Miller said there’s a long list of issues with their current play, but they need to move past them.
“If we can come out ready (against Vancouver) and not try to fix a thousand things, then maybe we will be ready,” Miller said.
This is the second game of a four-game road trip for the Rangers, who are seeking to avoid a fourth-straight loss.
Noah Laba, with his first NHL goal, scored the lone tally for New York against the Flames, who snapped an eight-game losing skid.
“I thought tonight, the types of mistakes we made, they’re egregious,” said Sullivan.
This is the first of two games this season between the teams, with the Rangers hosting the Canucks on Dec. 16 at Madison Square Garden.
