Author Archives: Sean Chesman

The Go-To Guy: Suter’s hat-trick, chrome domes, and Pettersson’s struggles in Canucks’ OT loss vs St. Louis

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Pius Suter scored a hat-trick and the Canucks STILL found a way to lose.

The Vancouver Canucks just lost to the St. Louis Blues, 4-3 in overtime. While the end result was not ideal, the Canucks still came out of this game as the sole leader in points and points percentage, thanks in large to Boston dropping their game vs Carolina in regulation.

69 points (nice) over a 48-game sample is so far above what was expected from this team and I can’t stress that enough. With that said, I would’ve liked a win over the most middling team in the NHL right now. The Blues had zero business winning that game, yet here we are talking about the Canucks coming out of the game with just one point.

There were multiple reasons as to why the Canucks dropped this one despite their efforts in the game’s final frame. Luckily for you, I am literally “The Go-To Guy”, so I’ll be able to help you determine what those factors are; but first…

A quick nod to the chrome buckets

On December 8, the Canucks official X (formerly known as ‘Twitter’) account dropped a teaser to something that would be released in the new year.

Some shrugged it off thinking it may be a new sponsorship for the helmets, but “NextGen” is still present on the animation and has been the Canucks’ helmet sponsor over the course of this season. So, naturally, fans began to speculate.

The speculation across the fanbase had many worried. Why? Well, if you watch the teaser video, the only thing of note is the shiny streak at the top of the helmet. Many connected the dots and concluded that the Canucks were going to add chrome blue helmet’s to their rotation.

I mean, it wasn’t very difficult to figure out, but Canucks Twitter ended up being proven right.

The chrome domes made their debut vs the Blues and I loved it. While I don’t love how it blends with the home jersey’s, the helmet itself looks gorgeous. Throwing those puppies on the white jersey’s would make for a banger combo.

Oh yeah, there was a game. Alright, let’s actually talk about the game.

2nd Period – Suter-Miller-Boeser and future-Canuck Pavel Buchnevich

The first ten (or so) minutes of the game had the Canucks putting the Blues on their heels time and time again. The Lotto Line were also split up for the first time since early January.

One of the new combo’s really worked. The other…

More on that later.

The new-look Suter-Miller-Boeser line looked dynamite all game. The Miller-Boeser duo has struggled in the past depending on who’s played on their wing. The Phil Di Giuseppe experiment only lasted a handful of months, and Nils Höglander got an even shorter leash in December.

I was of the impression that Ilya Mikheyev would be a good fit considering his speed and defensive profile, but Rick Tocchet opted to go full experimental mode on everyone.

Pius Suter has been a wicked find for Vancouver on a wildly valuable contract (2 years, $1.6M AAV). The production may not jump off the page, but if you watch him, you know how valuable he is. The high-end defensive results have been staggering and he’s been the glue of the Canucks’ penalty kill. He may not have the speed of an Ilya Mikheyev, but I think Tocchet has found something here.

It’s a shame their run of form in that first period didn’t end up meaning anything, as the Blues scored two goals in the final ten minutes of the frame. Robert Thomas made a great play to Jake Neighbours for the first tally, and it was Neighbours on playmaker duty on the second goal, with him taking advantage of a Nikita Zadorov miscue to get the puck to Pavel Buchnevich, who made no mistake.

Buchnevich hasn’t had his best season production-wise, but his play-driving results have been high-end for years. If the Blues are looking to sell, he would be my #1 target for the Canucks, especially if they’re looking for a fit with Elias Pettersson.

One thing to note at the end of the period was that Andrei Kuzmenko stayed on the Canucks bench long after his teammates had already left for the dressing room.

What a sight for sore eyes.

 

 

Kuzmenko showed glimpses of his talent in his previous two outings, but Wednesday night’s match vs St. Louis was more of what we’ve seen throughout the start of 2024.

It looks as if The Kuzmenkshow will be heading to another city in shirt order, and he knows it.

2nd Period – ‘UGH’

That 2nd period was awful.

Sure, the Canucks controlled the puck throughout the period’s duration, but… what did they do with it?

Besides a successful four-minute penalty kill and a goal by Brayden Schenn that was immediately waved-off, there was next to nothing of note from this period.

Blegh, blah, and everything in-between.

3rd Period – Pius, Pius, Pius

Before we get to the Pius Suter fireworks display, one thing to note is that Nikita Zadorov played just one shift in the third period and worked 1-on-1 with Rick Tocchet at practice on Thursday morning. His lone third period shift came on the Blues’ third goal where, again, he was late to cover his man in front of the net.

Yeah, I said “the Blues’ third goal”. Luckily, the Alexey Toropchenko tally only made the score 3-1; because Pius Suter scored at the start of the third period. The Miller line got back to work with some solid pressure in the very next shift with nothing to show; but Ilya Mikheyev drew a penalty and the power play didn’t disappoint.

With Andrei Kuzmenko’s ice-time dipping, Pius Suter has gotten repeated looks on PP1, and the Canucks have found some modest success with the new-look first unit. Suter scored again in the bumper spot, receiving a pass from Brock Boeser after the puck took a funny hop in the left corner.

Suter’s second of the night was the rally cry the team needed, as the Canucks really started to heat up. Quinn Hughes was dancing and spinning…until he got hit in the numbers.

Oskar Sundqvist cross checked Quinn Hughes into the boards, and the latter was struggling for the remainder of the third period. But what have we learned about Quinn Hughes this year? He’s a machine. Nothing is going to stop this guy from getting on the scoresheet.

In the final minute of play, with the Blues’ net empty, the Canucks found a way to tie the game.

Pius Suter recorded the hat-trick with Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek picking up the assists. It’s official, Pius Suter is required to wear a chrome helmet in every game from this point on.

Overtime – GET UP!!!!!

Brayden Schenn would get retribution for his disallowed goal and won the game in overtime. He just had to blatantly cross check Elias Pettersson to do it.

Yes, Elias Pettersson was cross checked. Yes, it directly led to the game winning goal. Yes, NHL officiating is a joke and there’s a serious lack of accountability.

But man, Petey, GET UP.

That entire shift was nightmare fuel for Pettersson. Several turnovers, terrible defensive reads, and a lack of effort to get himself back in the play after being hauled down; but it wasn’t just overtime, he was off all night.

Should we be worried? Not at all. We are just a week away from the All-Star break, after all.

His performance just emphasizes even more how much the team needs another top six forward that can control play. You notice how most top players in the league have a play-driver along side them? Yeah, Pettersson hasn’t had that since J.T. Miller was a consistent fixture on his wing in 2020.

Kuzmenko and Mikheyev aren’t efficient enough at creating offence. Pettersson needs someone else to help get the most out of him. Whether it be a Pavel Buchnevich; or a Jake Guentzel; or even a Trevor Zegras, anyone!

The Canucks have one more game before the All-Star break vs the Columbus Blue Jackets. After that, I think it’s time for Patrik Allvin and co to start looking at ways to upgrading this team, and judging him and Rutherford’s track records, I’d expect at least something over the next few weeks.

The Go-To Guy: The Höglander hype isn’t just real, it’s justified

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Have you heard the news? HögMania is taking over the city, and everyone is excited.

Nils Höglander has been one of my personal favourite players for a few years. His mix of tenacity, speed, and flash is a fascinating toolset, profiling unlike any other forward the Canucks have had in quite some time.

I really don’t know where Höglander’s trajectory will take him, he’s a total wild card. He could profile as a Jannik Hansen-type with more agility and flashy stickwork, or he could end up being a star-caliber forward due to the level of production he’s had in limited minutes throughout his NHL career.

I legitimately have no idea what to think of this player in the long term, but what I know now is that he is a wildly entertaining player, and one that I hope sticks around in Vancouver for years to come.

I believe in Nils Höglander, and why shouldn’t I? I know he is on an absolutely ridiculous shooting percentage heater at the moment, but I think there are avenues for this player to put up even better production over the coming years.

If you’re a Nils Höglander like me and want some in-depth analysis as to why I think the Canucks may have a seriously good player in their back pocket, you’re in the right place.

The uber-impressive rookie season

I don’t think it’s a particularly astute observation that Nils Höglander was rushed into the NHL, thanks in large-part to Jim Benning opting to not re-up many key players in the 2020 off-season; as well as not signing any top-six forwards… at all.

So, the then-20 year-old Höglander got the nod to start the 2021 season on the 2nd line with Tanner Pearson and Bo Horvat. While many were high on the Hög, it wasn’t a secret that he was being mismanaged by the team.

While the team didn’t have *any* success that season, Höglander did, scoring in his NHL debut vs the Edmonton Oilers.

Höglander made a name for himself by being a true competitor. While only standing at 5’9″, Höglander used his speed and agility to create offence and pick-pocket opposing players, whilst also boasting high-level stickhandling ability at such a young age.

That part of his game was well-documented during his time in Sweden, as well as the World Juniors. We haven’t seen the borderline excessive amount of Michigan goals and between-the-legs shots from Höglander in the NHL yet, but I feel like it’s only a matter of time.

The main issue with his rookie year was that his defensive game was still pretty raw. I mean, he was a 20 year-old playing in the National Hockey League, that’s to be expected.

Höglander finished the season with 14 goals and 27 points through 56 games, and instantly became a fan-favourite in Vancouver. Some thought that the Canucks had a potential star and I can totally see why. A near 0.5 point-per-game clip at age 20 is a rare stat-line, and players who produce at *that* clip at *that* age typically end up becoming high-end contributors.

It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s still possible that Höglander could be a consistent, top-six forward in the coming years.

His 5v5 scoring has always been there

Höglander has never been given substantial power play time, and that includes the second unit. Even when he would get the occasional looks on PP2 under Travis Green, Bruce Boudreau essentially put Höglander in the doghouse throughout his tenure as Canucks’ bench boss.

After a successful playoff run in Abbotsford which saw the young Swede amass six points through all-six playoff games, it was time for Höglander to make the jump to become an NHL regular in the 2023-24 season.

Not only has he become a fixture in the lineup, he leads the team in 5v5 goals (14).

Höglander has been on a heater which could only be compared to that of Pink Floyd in the 70s. No matter what he does, he can’t miss, shooting at a near 17% clip so far this season.

According to MoneyPuck, Höglander has generated 8.28 expected goals and 1.03 expected goals p/60 at 5v5, meaning he has scored roughly 6 goals above what has been expected. He’s generating a fair amount of offence, no doubt; but the counting stats are obviously a little bit inflated.

I mean, when you’re sniping the biscuit like this, none of those stats come as a surprise.

I wouldn’t worry about a vast level of regression once he plays higher in the lineup in the coming years, and I’m actually a firm believer that he could actually expand his totals with more opportunity.

Höglander has been a consistently admirable play-driver at 5v5 throughout his career, and has scored at an impressive clip in sheltered minutes.

I’m going to lean on MoneyPuck again, but just in case you’re not sure, points per/60 (points per 60 minutes) is a stat that typically is used for players in Höglander’s situation, where his counting stats don’t jump off the page because of limited minutes. Think of it as a points per game metric that’s adjusted for every 60 minutes an individual plays. Since Höglander typically averages roughly 10 minutes a night, he reaches the 60 minute mark every ~6 games.

For perspective, Höglander recorded just 9 points through 25 games, but his points per/60 was 1.79, meaning he was making the most of his very, very limited minutes. In his rookie year, he managed a 1.87 points per/60, which is wildly impressive, especially for a 20 year-old rookie playing primarily top-six minutes.

So, how is he doing this season?

Nils Höglander currently has a points per/60 of 2.41.

I get that he has found success in a limited role, and I actually think they should keep him there (for now), but this really jumps off the page. I don’t think this is just a player riding a random heater, I think that there’s a legitimate chance that this is a young player making the most of his opportunity.

I’m just happy for him, honestly. Höglander deserves a bigger role, but with how he’s fit on the fourth line, along with how the rest of the team has played as of late, it’s justifiable as to why he hasn’t been given more time to cook this year. Just give him some more time on PP2, for crying out loud.

Finding a mix of north/south and east/west

Höglander has adapted to Rick Tocchet’s north/south style of hockey, and it’s a style that suits his toolkit.

The unique thing about Höglander is how he combines north/south and east/west hockey. His relentless forechecking showcases his speed and stickwork, but he’s able to create space with the puck using his edges, and the same can be said for when he’s in the defensive zone; as he has improved tremendously at stripping the puck from opponents by using east/west skating ability.

These factors have driven his success this season, but there’s still one more avenue for him to level-up even more. I am confident in Höglander becoming a 40-50 point guy in a middle-six role, but we still haven’t seen the creativity and flashiness that he showed in Sweden.

It’s not hard to imagine what it could look like if Höglander is able to combine the flashier parts of his game with what we’ve seen this season, and I’m not just talking about the lacrosse goals. If he were put in a position where he was a complementary play-driver as opposed to being the main driver on a line, Höglander will have more space to create chances whilst also giving the puck to more skilled players.

It doesn’t have to be this season, but Nils Höglander deserves a long look in the Canucks’ top-six, and he’s proved it.

The Go-To Guy: Demko shuts the door and ‘The Kuzmenkshow’ returns in Canucks’ third-straight win

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Would you believe me if I told you that the Vancouver Canucks won again?

I know, it’s becoming kind of ‘same-y’, isn’t it?

It may not have been the most exciting game (it was an absolute snoozer), but hey, you’re not going to see me complaining *too much* after the Canucks just picked up their third-straight win on this homestand. Not only that, it was also the club’s 8th win over their last 9 games, extending their point streak to, well, 9 games.

It doesn’t matter how they do it, it doesn’t matter who you are, the Canucks will find a way to beat you. my

This game didn’t have much meat on its bones, and to be totally honest, I thought this was maybe the team’s most boring game of the entire season; but who am I to complain, they just had maybe the most entertaining game across all NHL teams on Saturday vs Toronto. Not every game can have the fireworks that one had.

This game wasn’t devoid of substance, in fact, we witnessed the return of someone that has been going through it, a stunning goal from a player playing at the absolute peak of his abilities, and another shutout.

Another installment of my Go-To Guy bit is about to begin, and I want to put on a show for you. With that said, there was a performance on Monday night that will be tough to follow…

The return of ‘The Kuzmenkshow’

Please take your seat as you are about to witness the return of one of the greatest shows Vancouver has to offer. The main event involves a spin-o-rama pass, dominant puck control over the course of several shifts in the first frame, and a between the legs shot attempt.

Oh yeah, The Kuzmenkshow is back.

Andrei Kuzmenko needed a period of hockey like this so, so badly. If you read my post game piece after the Arizona game, I pointed out how Kuzmenko wasn’t doing any of the game-breaking, jaw-dropping stunts that we became accustomed to last season.

Once again, crow has never tasted so good. Kuzmenko was pure kerosene throughout the duration of the first period.

Rather than concluding the show with a bang, he opted to play all of the hits to start things off. In just his first shift of the game, Kuzmenko receives the puck from Noah Juulsen, holds, and holds, and holds some more, to then successfully pull-off a spin-pass to Pius Suter who makes no mistake.

Again, this was Kuzmenko’s fist shift of the game. Add-on the fact that this was Pius Suter’s first goal in 10 games, and this goal started the game off perfectly. It’s no secret that this Kuzmenko-Suter-Mikheyev unit has struggled to produce since they were brought together via The Lotto Line’s reunion, but I think this first period was telling that if you’re able to match them against other teams’ lesser competition, this line could cook.

Another thing of note is that whilst Kuzmenko has been primarily stationed on the right-wing, I think his style of play is best suited on the left. Kuzmenko’s edgework allows him to get to the inside rather easily, especially near the front of the net. Combine that with his stickhandling ability in tight and his underrated playmaking ability, he’s just able to make these jaw-dropping plays at a higher volume on the left.

Look at the majority of Kuzmenko’s goals and you’ll notice that most of them come from the left wing.

Funny enough, Ilya Mikheyev, who has primarily been stapled with Kuzmenko over the course of the last two seasons, also plays better on his off-hand. This isn’t an uncommon thing for Russian players, especially if they had previously played in the KHL. The hockey in the KHL is vastly different than the NHL. The ice-sheet is bigger, leading for more east/west movement rather than north-south movement.

Both Kuzmenko and Mikheyev have adapted to the North American, north/south style of hockey just fine, and that’s been proven by their production since arriving in Vancouver (and Mikheyev’s final year in Toronto). Kuzmenko in particular showcased the north-south style that Rick Tocchet has been wanting from him, just with some flash and dash in last night’s game.

Kuzmenko’s confidence was on full-display last night, even if it was against a lowly Blackhawks squad, but that doesn’t matter. I think this team’s highest possible upside for this season is if Pettersson is driving a line with that version of Kuzmenko, with Miller and Boeser playing against lesser competition with the addition of another top-six forward (preferably another centre). Heck, maybe they could put said hypothetical 2C with Kuzmenko.

Either way, we need to see this more often from him if this team wants to reach their full potential this season, and I just hope that it sustains.

Quinn Hughes is better than everyone, ever.

I mean, come on.

While Kuzmenko’s line was creating chances all period, Quinn Hughes also had himself a stunning opening 20 minutes. Hughes was dancing at the blueline, with Sportsnet’s Justin Williams calling him “a spin-cycle” during the first intermission.

Hughes exuded control during one shift in particular. He danced past several Hawks defenders before throwing a wrist shot through traffic, but to no avail. Kuzmenko’s line jumped on the ice and the pressure continued. Kuzmenko ‘kept the play alive after being knocked over behind the Chicago goal, and Ilya Mikheyev left the puck for Hughes who was making his way down left boards.

Rick Tocchet said post-game how Hughes “added 10-15 miles per hour” on his wrist shot alone, and I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.

Quinn Hughes continues on his Norris-caliber season with his 12th goal, and it was a beauty, unleashing a drag-shot that found its way over the shoulder of Petr Mrazek and under the crossbar. That entire shift was a vulgar display of power from the Canucks captain, but it’s just become the norm over the course of this season.

Hughes’ evolution into becoming the best defenceman in hockey (at least this season) has been nothing short of electrifying. It’s been a never-ending fireworks display all-season, just without the environmental hazards. The only thing he’s harming is his competition, and he isn’t even showing a glimpse of slowing down.

There really isn’t more to talk about from this game, seriously. The Canucks displayed a business-like final 40 minutes by way of them not letting Chicago generate much of anything. But as is the case for any shutout, Thatcher Demko had to be perfect; and he was just that on Monday night as he picked up his fifth of the season.

Remember how I said the Canucks now have a nine-game point streak? Well, what if I told you that they have only trailed for a grand total of 53 seconds over that span. Not minutes. Seconds.

While Demko is having the best season of his career, the team’s defensive improvements have been crucial in managing Demko’s work-rate this season. The Canucks’ netminder has consistently played behind terrible defence for years, and that’s not just due to the personnel; it’s been the system’s in which said defencemen were playing.

With Tocchet implimenting a more structured, clamp-like defensive structure, along with upgrades in terms of the personnel, this is the best the Canucks have looked in their own end in over a decade. Instead of watching the likes of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Travis Hamonic’s defensive miscues, we now get to watch the likes of Ian Cole and Carson Soucy provide some of the most defence the city has seen in years, whilst also being able to move the puck pretty well (even though I still think they need more in that regard).

The Canucks have two more games on this homestand before the All-Star Game in Toronto, where six Canucks (including Tocchet) will be taking the trip. Luckily they get a bye week beforehand, but I am actually interested in watching the game this year solely because of the amount of representation Vancouver has this year.

The Blues and Blue Jackets are up next. Get ready for a potential sweep of this homestand if all goes well.

None of this feels real, and I’m starting to wonder when it’ll all set in.

The Go-To Guy: The 3 Western Conference teams that scare me the most (a Canucks fan’s perspective)

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This has been one of the most predictable season’s in the history of the National Hockey League… is what I would have said had everyone not predicted everything with a level of accuracy that hasn’t been seen since the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic.

Of course I didn’t know that the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks were going to be the class of the NHL, but here we are!

This NHL season is incredibly fascinating. Typically, the league has 8 or 9 teams by the halfway point that solidify themselves as the cream of the crop, the true contenders in the league.

This season? No, there’s more than 8 or 9. Try 12.

The league is wide open and it’s hard to get a grasp of who *isn’t* legit. Teams like the Canucks, Jets, and Flyers have shocked everybody with the consistent dominance of which they’ve displayed. Meanwhile, we have teams like the Devils, Kings, and Penguins who have all performed *way* below expectations.

But I’m “The Go-To Guy”. You think I don’t know who the legitimate foes are? Of course I do! And I’ll tell you what, the Canucks are one of them!

Speaking of the Canucks, I’ve been thinking a lot about which teams in the Western Conference would give this team the best run for their money. I think the Canucks would be able to beat literally anyone in a seven-game playoff series, but that doesn’t make them some automatic force like the 2021-22 Colorado Avalanche, who just cakewalked their way to a Stanley Cup (and I ain’t talking about the mugs).

So, who are the teams that I am most worried about? I came up with three potential first round matchups that could potentially be a tough go for the boys in blue and green.

Edmonton Oilers [0-0-3 record vs VAN so far]

Wow! The team that features Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard would be a tough matchup? I’m stunned!

The Oilers are a juggernaut that just hit the snooze button to begin the 2023-24 season. Remember when they were the laughing stock of the league in October and November? I miss it, a lot.

The Oilers have been stampeding up the NHL standings for the better part of the last month and a half, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be slowing down any time soon; as they are currently on a 13-game winning streak at the time I am writing this article.

The main keys to the Oilers success is, obviously, the top of the lineup. Their top line of Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, have been best line in the entire league by xGF% (expected goals-for percentage), meaning they are absolutely dominating possession every time they jump off the bench. McDavid hasn’t even been producing at his usual rate, but Hyman is ripping the league to shreds right now with 28 goals so far this season.

Add Leon Draisaitl and Ryan McLeod to the equation, and you have a truly formidable top six. You’d seriously be hard-pressed to find one better in the entire NHL. Their top defensive pair of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard have been terrific, as well as Stuart Skinner finally playing at the level of a competent NHL starting goalie! It was looking like he was going to finish the season with a save percentage below .900, yet he’s bounced back to bring it to a .906 at the halfway mark. That’s actually stunning.

The main areas in which I think the Canucks have them are team defence, goaltending, and forward depth. The Canucks have put up some of the most impressive defensive numbers across the league, and their forward depth hasn’t just ‘kept their heads above water, it has won them some games. And if the Oilers can’t solve Demko, they’re done, but that goes for just about any team in the league.

I think the Oilers would handedly be the toughest opponent the Canucks could face, and I hope we get to see that matchup at some point, just preferably not in the first round.

Seattle Kraken [1-1-0 record vs VAN so far]

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Yes, the Seattle Kraken currently sit outside of the playoff picture, but that might not be the case for much longer.

The Kraken are a team that ride percentages to win hockey games, at least offensively. They won’t be creating many high danger chances, but they have four lines of stupidly efficient shooters.

You know who else has four lines of stupidly efficient shooters? The Vancouver Canucks.

The Kraken are also one of the best defensive teams in the league, and have put up some of the best defensive numbers over the course of this season. Does that not sound familiar?

If the Seattle Kraken are Wish You Were Here, The Canucks are Animals, a similar structure and makeup, just with more quality. Sure, the you could mistake the Kraken as a pseudo-Canucks type, but they scare me. If bounces don’t end up going the Canucks’ way, this team will end up making them pay.

Hilarious of me to assume that bad bounces won’t be in the Canucks’ favour.

Regardless, the Kraken should not be taken lightly by anyone come playoff time. They handled the title defending Colorado Avalanche last season, and very-well could do the same if faced against a formidable team like the Canucks or Oilers this season.

Don’t sleep on these guys, I’m telling you.

Vegas Golden Knights [1-0-0 record vs VAN so far]

I mean, they’re the defending Stanley Cup champions, I at least feel a little obligated to give them their fair shake.

While their underlying numbers don’t jump off the page, the Golden Knights remain one of the top teams in the Western Conference yet again this season, and it’s not difficult to pinpoint why.

Jack Eichel as your number one centre? Mark Stone still playing at a high level? A rotating goalie cast including the likes of Adin Hill and Logan Thompson? Yeah, that seems like a solid enough formula to remain a damn good team.

The Golden Knights are very much built like a Jim Rutherford-led team. Star caliber forwards, big, hulking defenceman, and formidable goaltending. But do the Knights have Rutherford running the show? Nope! That’s Vancouver’s music.

Vegas probably won’t have the cap space to go big game hunting at the Trade Deadline, whilst the Canucks have basically all but confirmed adding a top six forward to their roster if one they like happens to shake loose.

The main thing that scares me about the Knights is that, much like Seattle, they remind me a lot of this Canucks team. Not to mention the Knights absolutely rolled over the Canucks in their one match this season, thanks in large to Jack Eichel displaying a tantalizing performance against the Canucks’ top talent.

I do genuinely hope that the Canucks get a crack at revenge for the sins of the 2020 second round, and you know that they would be fired up to play them. Heck, if Demko has one stellar game, that might be enough to rattle that entire team, much like he did in the latter half of that series.

No matter who the Canucks end up facing, they’ll be worthy. They have proven that and then some so far this season.

Just please hurry up and trade for a 2C already. My patience is running thin!

The Brock Boeser article

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The date is June 26, 2015, and it’s the first round of that year’s NHL Entry Draft. This one is touted to be one of the greatest drafts in NHL history, and it’s especially easy to see why in hindsight.

The Edmonton Oilers landed a generational talent in Connor McDavid (let’s not talk about what they did with the 13th pick), whilst other elite talents like Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, and Timo Meier were all in the opening ten picks of this draft. I recommend you scroll through this draft’s first round. It’s just an embarrassment of riches, even in the round’s latter half.

But, as is customary with every draft, there were no shortage of stinkers. The Boston Bruins had THREE STRAIGHT first round picks and walked away with just one, bonified NHL player in Jake Debrusk. A good player in his own right, but not near the caliber of a Kyle Connor or Thomas Chabot, who were both selected shortly thereafter.

Luckily for the Vancouver Canucks, they crushed it with the 23rd overall pick, with them selecting Burnsville, Minnesota native, Brock Boeser. The American-born winger was touted as a pure goal-scorer, and many analysts considered the pick to be a potential steal.

In the latter half of the 2016-17 season, after two successful years at the University of North Dakota, Boeser made his NHL debut in his home state in a game against the Minnesota Wild.

He was known for scoring goals at every level, and it was no different in his inaugural game.

Boeser buried a rebound off of a Bo Horvat rush chance to tally the first goal of his NHL career. The next season was the infamous rookie year, which saw Boeser light the lamp 29 times in 62 games, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting behind Coquitlam native, Mat Barzal.

It’s no secret that since his rookie season, Boeser hadn’t lived up to the expectations many placed on him. I mean, when you score 29 tucks in not even a full season, and as a rookie, that player will become a star nine times out of ten.

The 2023 season was particularly unremarkable on the ice for Boeser. Although he tallied 55 points through 74 games, only 18 of them were goals and he had the worst underlying numbers of his entire career. All of that is to be taken with a grain of salt, as people forget about the human element in sports.

We don’t have to get in to all of the awful off-ice stuff that Boeser went through in 2022, but all I’ll say is that if I were someone in his position, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be playing at the apex of my ability. He’s a human being and was put through the ringer, and I seriously empathize with all of his struggles over the last few years.

Coming into the 2023-24 campaign, the general expectations weren’t high for Boeser, at least from the fanbase. Many just assumed it would be more of the same, mid-level top six production that he had over the previous two seasons; but I didn’t make any foregone conclusions.

This was a player that had produced at a top of the lineup rate for the majority of his career. Off-ice struggles and injuries were major factors in Boeser’s decline from 2021-2023. A player with a history of top line production should’ve never been written off as quickly as he was.

But man, I bet all of those people are happily feasting on crow right now. What a season so far for Brock.

It all started in the Canucks home opener vs the Edmonton Oilers on October 11, 2023, which was a game in which I attended with some friends. The player introductions started things off, Quinn Hughes got a mini ceremony for being anointed as captain; but it didn’t really feel like anything special was in the air.

After Elias Pettersson gave Conor Garland one of the filthiest assists I had ever witnessed, Brock Boeser would get himself on the scoresheet shortly thereafter.

Phil Di Giuseppe would steal the puck from Evan Bouchard in the corner, and the puck found its way on to the stick of J.T. Miller, who sent a pass into the slot to Brock Boeser. This goal was like reuniting with a friend you haven’t seen in years, as Boeser scored on a wrist shot that was vintage Brock. An absolute laser to make it 2-0 Vancouver.

Boeser would find the twine once again in the 2nd period. Filip Hronek would fire a wrist shot towards the Oilers net, a scramble insued, and Boeser batted the puck out of mid-air to notch his second of the game. Simply a high-level play from a high-level player.

Boeser’s fortune both on and off the ice has been brutal. You can’t help but to sympathize and empathize with his struggles, and they were broadcasted for millions to see, so for him to have this wicked start in the opening game of the season was good enough for me.

But it clearly wasn’t enough for Brock.

While on the power play, Elias Pettersson threw the puck to the middle of the ice with a pass that was intended for J.T. Miller. Instead, the puck deflected off of Boeser’s skate and went into the Oilers net past Jack Campbell. Oh, and he would add a fourth goal later in the game. I say this wholeheartedly, that was probably the greatest possible scenario for that game.

The game would end with the Canucks winning 8-1, but the main story was obviously Brock Boeser.

Brocktober was in full effect, then came Brockvember, the Boesember, and now we’re in Brockuary. This whole season has been a joyride for the Canucks, but Boeser’s renaissance has maybe been my favourite storyline of the entire season. I don’t want to say that I feel vindicated after defending him for the better part of four years, but I kind of want to say that I feel vindicated after defending him for the better part of four years.

Boeser has amassed 27 goals and 46 points in 46 games so far this season, and although he hasn’t recorded a point in his last four games, that doesn’t matter. Goal scorers are streaky and Boeser isn’t immune to cold streaks, but he has found another gear this year and has withstood a point-per-game average over the course of half a season. That is wildly impressive for a player that was really going through it just a year prior.

We were all asking ourselves if this was finally going to be the year where Boeser reaches the 30-goal mark, and he only has three more to go with just under half a season left to play.

I don’t know about you, but I say he does it.

That question has been flipped on its head. Now we’re asking if he could hit 40 by the end of the season.

I don’t know about you, but I say he does it.

This has been a dream-like season for Boeser, which is something that he previously never had.

As a fan of the player, this has been so, so enjoyable, and I hope for many more seasons like this from him for years to come in Vancouver.

The Go-To Guy: The return of the Höglem Globetrotterssons, benchin’ buds, and takeaways from one of the most insane Canucks wins of the season

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I am surprised that I am even bringing you this article right now. No, seriously. That hockey game probably took a good five years off of my life. I mean, what can even be said about what we just saw?

Well, there was a lot to take away from this bonkers affair. You came to the right guy to break it down.

It’s Hockey Day in Canada. Every Canadian team plays at some point throughout the day, and since there are only seven teams in Canada, only 6 of them can actually go head to head. Luckily for me, this day brings one of my favourite matchup’s of the entire NHL season.

Something is in the air whenever the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town, and no, it’s not the amount of carbon emissions being put in the air from Maple Leafs fans flying into Vancouver.

Many call this “a one-sided rivalry” and it definitely was for many years. But here’s the thing, the Canucks are actually good this year, and it’s the first time since I’ve been alive where both teams are formidable foes in sequence. So yeah, I was more than amped for this game.

This is a big one every year, but this year’s matchup is different. The vibes in Rogers Arena tonight could be felt through the broadcast. Everyone knew this game was going to bring it, and oh man, it did not disappoint.

Sharp Shöötin’ Hög and the short king crew

I got to my friend’s place at 4:02 PM, and we decided to walk over to 7/11, meaning we’d be missing the first few minutes of the game. I put the game on my phone whilst we were walking back from the aforementioned convenient store giant, and my friend said, and I quote, “dude, we’re thirty seconds away, turn it off.”

Just as we were about to head inside, Nils Höglander scored off a rebound from a Quinn Hughes shot. I knew to put the game on, so I will gladly take full credit for the Canucks’ good fortune just ~3 minutes into this game.

Oh, you wanted more? Nils has got you covered again.

Nils Höglander had one of his best games of the season on Thursday vs Arizona, and he followed it up with two first period tallies in this one, with this second one being an absolute beauty. Höglander doesn’t have a lot of room to pick a corner, yet he does, an unbelievable wrist shot from someone who isn’t really known for his shooting ability. With that being his 14th of the season, Höglander has now surpassed his career-high in goals, and will most-likely snooze his way to 20.

I love it.

Toronto would eventually get their first power play of the night, but no dice. Not too long after, the Lotto Line got to work with one of their few, actually good 5v5 shifts. Yeah, it wasn’t a particularly great night for either thr-

OH MY GOD TYLER MYERS JUST DUMPED CALLE JARNKROK INTO THE CANUCKS BENCH.

Did you blink? I hope not, because shortly thereafter it’s 3-0 Vancouver!

Conor Garland had himself a night, once again. The puck finds its way to him and he makes no mistake, as Leafs goalie Martin Jones slid far to his right, leaving the the top right corner wide open for Garland… 3-0.

It was a good night for Canucks forwards under 5’9″.

The Leafs had a bit of a pushback, but the third line of Joshua-Blueger-Garland had a great shift to relieve the pressure in the final few minutes of the first period.

Ok, that was fun! How about more of that, eh?

…EH?

Swede, Swede Revenge!\

So, the 2nd period sucked. Like, it was awful.

The Leafs pushed to start, but they weren’t really generating much of anything to begin the period.

Then, disaster struck. Tyler Myers’ big, 6’8″ frame was blocking Demko’s view. William Nylander took full advantage of this, sending a harmless looking wrist shot towards the goal, but Thatcher Demko just couldn’t see it.

You may as well have had Fred Vanvleet standing behind Victor Wembanyama, it wouldn’t have made any difference!

Just about two and a half minutes later, Jake McCabe makes it 3-2… and then William Nylander gets his second of the period just 53 seconds later.

You know that Donald Trump video where he’s screaming for people to “get those lights off”? That’s the Canucks in both games vs Toronto this year. I couldn’t believe it, but it was now 3-3.

I was honestly feeling upset. This was the first game during this season where I could honestly say that. It wasn’t just the score, the Canucks were dead on arrival come the second period. That entire 2nd period was as nightmare-like as one could draw up.

With that out of the way, HERE COMES BIG Z!

Nikita Zadorov’s second period gave this team a little bit of life, he was a monster. Constantly involved, jumping in to create offence, and was just throwing hits left and right. I honestly thought he looked great all night, *THIS* is the Nikita Zadorov the league has become familiar with. Easily his best period as a Canuck.

Oh, would you look at that, he’s entering the zone.

Zadorov creates a little pressure with the Suter line out for Vancouver. They hem the Leafs in for a fair bit, then the third line jumps on.

It’s time for a game of “What Will the Third Line Do?”

Will they:

A) Score, like they always do.

There are no other questions to be asked, of course they scored.

Conor Garland gets a fortuitous bounce in front that finds its way past Martin Jones, and with just one minute to play in the 2nd period, the team that is 27-0-1 when leading after two periods has the lead.

Hints of the Kuzmenkshow and the Höglem Globetrotters complete their mission

I kind of ripped into Andrei Kuzmenko in my last post game piece, but he made an impression on me tonight.

Kuzmenko’s second half of tonight’s game was real good. He was spinning, creating chances, doing exactly what we were all accustomed to last season, and he drew a penalty to boot. It was exactly what Tocchet has been looking fo- and yeah okay now he’s not on the ice for the power play. Cool!

Oh, great, Mitch Marner ordered a pizza from Elias Pettersson. Unfortunately, he had to wait a few minutes as it was accidentally delivered to Brock Boeser’s door, but alas, it found Marner.

Brutal, brutal pass from Pettersson, and Marner is not missing that. Knotted up again.

Boeser would get a cross check in the back from Max Domi, and they actually did a *good thing*on the ensuing power play. Quinn Hughes fired a shot/pass towards the net where J.T. Miller just so happened to be! Canucks now lead 5-4

The power play got another crack, and this is just world-class stuff from J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson.

Pettersson tips in a beautiful shot/pass from Miller, and the infinity gauntlet is filled. Höglander and Pettersson scored in this one, meaning the Höglem Globetrotters made an appearance as a unit.

Deep breaths. 6-4 Canucks.

The penalty kill was razor sharp in the third, and Pettersson almost doubled up with his Globetrotters teammate with a short-handed 2-on-1 shot that pinged iron.

Some rough stuff ensued, Demko single-handedly weathered a 6-on-3 storm, and the Canucks won the wackiest hockey game they’ve played all season.

They can’t stop, they won’t stop, and they’re about to potentially add more firepower in the coming weeks. As All-Star Weekend inches closer, trade rumours continued to swirl as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman hinted at the Canucks potentially looking to add to their top six forward group.

A win is a win, and with more help on the way, this is potentially shaping up to be the most fun regular season of Canucks hockey in the organization’s 54-year history.

It feels so, so sweet.

The Go-To Guy: Laffing and Höwling, Kuzmenk(n)o, and a big Canucks win over the Coyotes

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What even was that hockey game?

No, genuinely, that game had a vibe to it unlike anything we’ve seen from the Canucks this season.

If you’re not in the know, the Vancouver Canucks extended their point streak to six games with a 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes this past Thursday, which also just so happened to be Pride Night at Rogers Arena. It was a solid defensive effort from the boys in blue and green, and they didn’t have to be particularly sharp to get the win.

The Coyotes resembled a flock of chickens with their heads cut off. They would endlessly chase for the puck, running into anything that moved; yet had no idea what to do with the puck in transition. The Canucks are going to win against these types of teams 9/10 times. Their structure and team defence has been sound, and it was no different on Thursday night.

If you came for in depth analysis on a weird, weird game of hockey, then you came to the right guy.

Laffing to the bank + don’t mess with Nikita Zadorov!

The start of the first period was sluggish, with either side not really giving each other a whole lot of anything. The game would eventually open up after a few solid shifts from the fourth line.

Sam Lafferty and Nils Höglander were buzzing around all night, but Lafferty decided to set off every Coyotes player, as he absolutely labeled Michael Kesselring, leading to Liam O’Brien jumping off the Coyotes’ bench and proceeded to rain down punches on Lafferty.

A player who was unknown in the Vancouver market prior to this game instantly became public enemy number one in just a matter of seconds.

The Canucks went to work on the power play, and although they weren’t able to convert, something was different. Quinn Hughes in particular looked like a man on a mission.

Not too long after the power play, it was the fourth line again with a great shift which saw Lafferty lay another big hit, as he absolutely belted Logan Cooley to the ice as the Canucks were in transition.

And then, it happened. Liam O’Brien and Nikita Zadorov dramatically dropped the gloves and went for a donnybrook at center ice. O’Brien came charging in, but once Big Z got that hand free it was all over. To the delight of the Rogers Arena crowd, Zadorov fed O’Brien his lunch.

The Canucks would score just about a minute later, but because it was off the stick of Brock Boeser, it didn’t count. That’s definitely the standard the league’s officiating has set. Boeser is no longer allowed to score, he just has too many!

In all seriousness, I really don’t understand the call. J.T. Miller was directed into the blue crease, didn’t contact Connor Ingram, and that was enough for the refs to wave the goal off immediately.

Nils Höglander was creating havoc in front once again, redirecting a Filip Hronek blast that was stopped by Ingram. Shortly after, Hronek lobs the puck on a breakout, Höglander chases it down, and draws a tripping penalty.

Finally, the Canucks convert on the power play, and it was Elias Pettersson, the leader of the Höglem Globetrotterssons, who ripped a one-timer right off the faceoff to take the lead.

This fun was short lived, as one of Canucks faithful’s favourite allies in Travis Dermott scored against his former team to even the score at one apiece. For real, I’m happy for Dermott and I hope his success continues. He seemed like a lovely person and, as mentioned, an ally.

But dammit. Not now, Travis!

The Canucks definitely deserved better than a 1-1 score line after the first twenty minutes. They were razor sharp and didn’t give Arizona any runway, but that trend didn’t continue once the second period began.

The Kuzmenk-no show

The second period begun and Tyler Myers decided that he had enough of Zadorov taking all the chaos and took two(!) minor penalties at the start of the period. Fortunately, the Canucks PK was razor sharp… or maybe the Coyotes power play was just bad? Either or, both kills were successful and the game remained tied.

The Canucks struggled to find a rhythm after the two kills. Maybe don’t take two penalties to start a period!

If we wanna talk about not finding a rhythm, look no further than Andrei Kuzmenko. The poor fella has been absolutely going through it, and this was maybe the worst game of his young NHL career.

The analytics were actually pretty good, and if you know me, I lean on those stats like xGF% (expected goals-for percentage). If you were to only look at the numbers, Kuzmenko was perfectly fine, but you also have to factor in the fact that he didn’t play in the third period, with him even being benched during the team’s lone power play chance in the final 20 minutes.

Kuzmenko has completely lost his confidence. The turnovers, bobbled pucks, and lack of production are all there; but he isn’t even doing the game breaking stuff that made him such a joy to watch last season. I can’t think of a single moment over the last handful of games where he did something that made me think, “huh, that was cool.”

It looks like Kuzmenko’s days are numbered here in Vancouver, and with trade rumours swirling and the Canucks’ lack of cap flexibility, he seems to be the current roster player that is most-likely to be dealt, even if his value has been exponentially diminished over the course of this season.

The Canucks slowly but surely found their rhythm again, and that’s in large part due to another power play that looked dangerous, followed by another great play by Höglander, who landed a great reverse hit and threw it in front for Nils Aman.

The power play would get to work again after 5’9″ Michael Carcone tried to fight… 6’5″ Carson Soucy. Gutsy. This one didn’t look nearly as deadly as the others, and Kuzmenko just couldn’t get a bounce. It was seriously a nightmare game from him.

Finally, with mere seconds to spare in the 2nd period, Nils Höglander being the little buzzsaw he is, sets up a chance for Dakota Joshua, who showed great hands in tight to bury his career-high 12th goal of the season. 2-1 Vancouver.

Joshua has been such a good find for this team, and is yet another example of the organization’s razor sharp pro-scouting. On the other hand, MAN was this an impressive 60 minutes from Nils Höglander, and maybe his best performance of the season. I wonder if Tocchet will promote him to the 2nd line with Ilya Mikheyev and Pius Suter, as it seems more than likely that Linus Karlsson will draw into the lineup on Saturday vs Toronto after the game that Andrei Kuzmenko had.

The third period was a whole lot of nothing, although I do want throw a shoutout to Carson Soucy for a really sound game. I’ve been impressed with just the sheer competence he has shown so far in Vancouver. He’s been even better than I expected.

The Canucks dusted off their shoulders, packed their bags, and soundly claimed the victory.

Not a particularly thrilling win, but a win nonetheless.

The Canucks will now prepare for a Saturday night banger vs the Toronto Maple Leafs. Get ready for the 2024 Stanley Cup Final preview, and keep enjoying the wins as they come.

I can’t stress enough just how fun it is to see a winning team in Vancouver again.

The Go-To Guy’s five favourite alternative songs of 2023

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I don’t have to try and sell you the fact that 2023 was actually a pretty good year for music, all things considered. But dammit, there’s more music that I feel the need to share with you. I have already written about my favourite albums of 2023 (you should definitely check that out), and while I would have normally started with this top five songs list, I found this list to be considerably more difficult, for whatever reason.

But here we are. There were so many amazing tracks released in 2023 and it was hard to pick just five for this list, but nonetheless, I have completed my objective.

Let’s just jump straight into it, shall we? Here are my picks for the five best songs of 2023.

Thornhill – Viper Room

The obligatory Thornhill acknowledgement is finally here!

If you’re not in the know, Thornhill are a band from Melbourne, Australia. They began their musical journey in the metalcore scene, and released a string of EP’s between 2016-2018, eventually signing with UNFD around the time of their ‘Butterfly’ EP.

After the record deal, Thornhill released their full-length debut, ‘The Dark Pool’ in 2019. The album tends to be more on the prog/djent side of the genre, with some airy, ambient passages in the mix as well.

The band wouldn’t release another record ’til June 2, 2022 with the release of their sophomore album, ‘Heroine.’ It was a rather controversial release as the band opted for a new sound, pulling elements from 90’s/00’s bands like Deftones and The Smashing Pumpkins. While the record can sound a little derivative at times, it’s still Thornhill; and I think they nailed the sound that they were going for.

Thornhill aren’t afraid to try new things. I mean. they may as well be metal’s Swiss Army Knife. Fans knew that the next release would be different than the first two, and they would be correct; as Thornhill released ‘Viper Room’ in October, 2023.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyNfh7GJmht/

This, in my opinion, is one of the best songs Thornhill has ever released. It’s just a boatload of fun from start to finish.

Moving away from the shoegaze influence on their previous record, Thornhill now shifts to something more in the vain of Queens of the Stone Age, while adding punchier production and soaring vocals from lead singer, Jacob Charlton. Jacob is an absolute star on this track, and I think the band has found a way to maximize his vocal ability with this sound.

The riffs are chunky, the choruses are huge, and the bridge section features drumming from Ben Meida which, to me, is very reminiscent of the Arctic Monkeys classic, ‘Brianstorm.’ This section especially stands out as one of Meida’s best moments in the band’s catalogue.

‘Viper Room’ is electric, and is definitely worth a listen if you’re into 2000’s garage rock, with this song providing some extra punch to an already timeless sound.

Big Thief – Vampire Empire

Big Thief are a group that were always in the backburner for me, and I’m not sure why I didn’t listen to them prior to this song’s release.

‘Vampire Empire’ was released in August, 2023 and is one of the best folk-rock tunes of the past few years. Adrianne Lenker and co created a song that I believe has the chance to stand the test of time as a classic in the genre.

The acoustic and electric guitars complement each other perfectly, but it’s Lenker’s vocals that steal the show. She carries the release in the chorus, which is enhanced by the slightly distorted instrumental elements in the background.

The other thing that makes this track so special is the lyricism. Lenker uses beautiful metaphors and similes to potray the love and affection that she feels towards someone in her life. She also uses repetition and alliteration to her advantage, with the line “Reeling, feeding, feeling, filled by everything you fed” standing out as one of the better lyrical moments on the track.

If you’re feeling a little love-dovey, this song should do the trick.

Knocked Loose – Deep in the Willow

Here it is, y’all! The best metal song of 2023!

Knocked Loose are maybe my favourite band in metal right now. Their 2021 EP ‘A Tear in the Fabric of Life’ is my favourite EP of all time, and one of the best metal projects of the 21st century. Clearly I’m not alone, as it has been arguably the group’s most successful work to date. Add to the fact that the EP was accompanied by an animated music video and this record was a home run.

There had been almost next to nothing from the band for almost two years until this past June. The band released two songs ‘Deep in the Willow’ and ‘Everything is Quiet Now.” I remember being at work when the initial teaser was dropped, and I couldn’t have been more excited.

Luckily, the hardcore quintet did not disappoint.

Again, the single was accompanied by a music video, with this one being more in the vain of an indie/horror short film. The vibes are unsettling and it’s perfectly matched by the music itself.

Oh yeah, the music. While both tracks are incredible, ‘Deep in the Willow’ is my personal favourite. This track is an absolute bombardment from top to bottom, hurling one disgusting breakdown after another. The production is also a lot punchier than their previous work, leading for breakdown drops that sound like they could trigger explosions.

And, of course, lead singer Bryan Garris has one of the best breakdown callouts of all time on this one (which is unfortunately not article-friendly).

‘Deep in the Willow’ might be Knocked Loose’s best song to date, and I can’t wait to hear what other crazy, breakdown-filled bombardments they have in store for us in the future. They’re a band that has steadily been picking up steam as of late, and if you’re in to modern metal, give these guys a spin.

Caroline Polachek – Welcome To My Island

I haven’t been super “in the know” when it comes to the art-pop scene, but that all changed when one of my friends suggested an artist to me by the name of Caroline Polachek, as she had just released her newest full-length record ‘Desire, I Want To Turn Into You.’

‘Welcome To My Island’ was the album’s opening track and it contorted my brain. This is one of the greatest pop songs I’ve ever heard. Full stop.

Caroline is one of the most dynamic vocalists in music today, and she showcases her talents brilliantly on this one. The intro is stunning with Caroline essentially wailing over a lush instrumental passage, which is followed by a verse that has her sounding monotone, at least in comparison to the fireworks that the intro provided.

But it’s the chorus on this thing that sends this track into another stratosphere. I’m not kidding when I say this might be the greatest hook in any pop song I’ve ever heard. It seriously might be my favourite moment in music from this past year.

Well, it would’ve been had it not been for the track at number one.

Jeff Rosenstock – 3 SUMMERS

Yeah, my number one song of the year was glaringly obvious if you read my HELLMODE review. I have sung this song’s praises enough, but I am totally content with doing it again.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwnJuBZrXtA/?img_index=1

This coming of age banger from punk veteran, Jeff Rosenstock, is maybe the best pop-punk track of the century so far. With elements of power-pop, pop-punk, and post-punk; ‘3 SUMMERS’ is a triumph for the Long Island native. It’s a seven-minute track that feels more like a journey of accepting and embracing yourself and life as a whole.

To me, this song serves as a reminder to acknowledge your past, learn from it, and focus on growing, having fun, and enjoying your life while you have it. Life is precious and there are reasons to keep going, and I didn’t know that music was capable of conveying such feelings; but that’s exactly what this track does.

Once again, kudos to Jeff Rosenstock for this one. Without question my favourite song from 2023.

The Go-To Guy: The Höglem Globetrotterssons, Cody Hodgson’s comeback, and other fun takeaways from the Canucks’ toughest road trip of the season

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Could you imagine talking about this Canucks team to a fan who woke up from a two and-a-half year coma?

The 2021 season was so, so bleak, featuring no fans in the stands, four brand new divisions, and a rather meek total of 56 games for every team as opposed to the usual 82. The Canucks were following up a relatively successful 2019-20 campaign that saw the team make the playoffs for the first time in five years, albeit in a weird, fandangled format that hosted 24 teams instead of the 16-team format the league has had for ~30 years.

The Canucks fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2nd round but hope was abound in Canucks Nation, especially with the world beater-esque performance from a then-23 year-old Thatcher Demko.

The best way to describe the off-season that followed: horrific.

Then-GM Jim Benning was like a kid who was told to pick out something for his birthday at Toys R Us, scanning every shiny new product that was at his disposal. He was so distracted that he forgot to sign *any* of the Canucks’ top unrestricted free agents, with the likes of Chris Tanev, Jakob Markstrom, Troy Stecher, and Tyler Toffoli opting to sign elsewhere.

After a few desperate attempts to soften the blow, the Canucks were ready to hit the ice for the 2021 season, and it was my least favourite year of Canucks hockey… ever.

Most awful Canucks seasons are reminiscent of Tommy Wiseau’s The Room: awful, but not too difficult to find amusement. The 2021 season felt more like the 2010 live action Avatar: The Last Airbender movie: a joyless, lifeless slog with little to no redeeming qualities.

We’ve been through a decade of darkness, and this season was the worst for me. Yeah, I got more enjoyment out of the 2023 season. Seriously.

So, would you tell that same formerly coma-induced Canucks fan that the team is currently first in points, third in points percentage, and just went 5-1-1 in their toughest road trip of the season?

For me, hard no.

Patrik Allvin and the rest of the front office deserve full praise for what they’ve been able to accomplish this season. The pro-scouting has especially proven to be a boon, with razor sharp bets such as Pius Suter, Filip Hronek, and Teddy Blueger all being acquired in 2023.

As previously mentioned, this latest road trip was touted to be the team’s toughest of the entire season, yet it felt like a cakewalk. I swear that I blinked once and the Canucks had already rattled off five-straight wins. If you’re looking for the most fun takeaways from it, then you came to the right guy.

“The Powerball”

After a lackluster performance in St. Louis to start the road trip, The Lotto Line began their comeback tour after a roughly three-year-long hiatus (with some reunion shows sprinkled in between) in a high-scoring affair against the New Jersey Devils. During the 2019-20 season, the trio of Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, and J.T. Miller were absolutely demolishing anyone who crossed their path, toying with opposing defences. It was like watching the computer-smashing scene from Office Space every single night.

Add the highest scoring defensive pair in the league to the equation, and this ain’t just ‘The Lotto Line’ anymore, no, this is now what many are calling: ‘The Powerball’.

The five-man band were absolutely torching opponents on this road trip. Elias Pettersson led the charge notching 13 points since the start of the tour, and J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser helped him get there; with the three combining for 30 points through 6 games. Hronek and Hughes also combined for 13 points, matching Pettersson’s total. The underlying numbers were, you know…

It’s been an incredible reunion so far. Stacking your top line can add another element, the Canucks have done just that and are now raking in the rewards. Even if Tocchet opts to split The Lotto Line up, it was still a wildly memorable six-game stretch from them.

The Höglem Globetrotterssons

Thomas Drance (The Athletic) said the Canucks were “the greatest show on ice”, and that’s due in large-part to Elias Pettersson and Nils Höglander stunting on the New York Rangers. The Swedish forwards were in a competition of “who can embarrass the Rangers more?” and it was Harlem Globetrotters-esque.

‘The Höglem Globetrotterssons’ have arrived, and tickets are going fast.

Pettersson started the madness when he received a pass from Brock Boeser, cut away from a sprawling K’Andre Miller, collected his own rebound after the initial save by Igor Shesterkin, and tucked it in whilst avoiding a stick check.

Enter: Nils Höglander. He bats the puck to Pius Suter in the neutral zone, who then gives Höglander a terrific pass, and he makes no mistake, transitioning the puck from forehand to backhand between his own legs and sliding it five-hole for one of the slickest goals of the season.

Stupid, stupid stuff. It’s one of the nicest goals I’ve ever seen by a player in a Canucks uniform.

It’s unknown if the Globetrotterssons will make a comeback, but I wouldn’t write it off. From a pure entertainment perspective, the 6-3 win over the New York Rangers was as good as it gets.

More games resembling that one, please.

Tyler Myers and the Cody Hodgson Game 8 slap shot

Three Canucks defenceman scored in last Tuesday night’s matchup versus the New York Islanders. Filip Hronek went bar-down, Quinn Hughes scored a goal that is typically scored by a top winger opposed to a top defender; but it was Tyler Myers who scored a goal that Cody Hodgson would be proud of.

Maybe the ex-Canuck used his former Buffalo Sabres teammate as inspiration, as Hodgson is now making his comeback to professional hockey after nearly eight years, signing a professional tryout with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Nothing would make me happier than to see Cody Hodgson back in an NHL lineup in his mid-30s. What a cool story that would be.

Whether it’s pure coincidence or not, the timing was impeccable.

Myers’ Hodgson-esque goal ended up being the game winner in a 5-2 victory over the Islanders. This was one of the club’s sharpest defensive performances of the season, with the Islanders generating just ~1.9 expected goals for.

Thatcher Demko’s career shutout total

The Canucks ‘kept on rolling with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the leader of the Globetrottersons carrying the squad on his back. Elias Pettersson had himself a four-point night to accompany the team’s winning streak being extended to four games.

The onslaught of fours carried over to the following game against the Buffalo Sabres, as Thatcher Demko notched his fourth shutout of the season. Despite a few pretty crucial stops, Demko only had to be good to earn this shutout, which is usually not the case for him since he’s had the task of backstopping the 2021-2023 Vancouver Canucks.

The shutout was also the seventh of his career, meaning the Californian netminder has already surpassed his previous career shutout total in just 31 starts this season.

This season has been so stupid.

Demko was also the first Canucks goaltender to register a shutout vs Buffalo since Roberto Luongo’s effort on October 17, 2013.

Demko has continuously proven over the course of this season that he is for real. No more hot runs and cold stretches, just consistent dominance; and that’s why he is a frontrunner to win the Vezina trophy by season’s end.

The Canucks now set their sights on a five-game homestand, starting with the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, and the skidding Toronto Maple Leafs on Hockey Day in Canada this coming Saturday. If the Canucks continue to control games like they did over the past two weeks, this’ll be another fun stretch of hockey.

That road trip was dinner, now it’s time for dessert. Let’s keep eating!

BeerSos: A podcast deserving of its climb in popularity

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Let me set the scene for you.

The year is 2023. Spring break is in full swing and a freshly turned 20 year-old Sean is working his part-time retail job at London Drugs. He gets to work at the back of receiving, meaning he can listen to music and/or podcasts whenever he pleases. One day, the hockey podcasts he would normally be listening to weren’t doing the trick so he opted for something new.

Sean knew of someone in his same program that had a podcast which he had not previously checked out, and curiosity got the best of him. He clicked play, and to his delight, it was an enjoyable episode.

There was just one thing that was rather surprising to him.

Sean had barely talked to the co-host that went to his school, but in the few interactions he had with him, he interpreted him as a light-hearted, funny guy who would usually be committed to whatever bit he decided to try on any given day.

So when the two hosts started discussing topics such as mental health and addiction, it was quite the heel turn from what he initially expected to get from the show.

And that’s exactly what brought him back.

‘BeerSos’ is a podcast hosted by fellow Vancouverites, Nicolas Phonsavath and “D-e-r-e-k-Z-h-u, Derek Zhu.” The two have co-hosted the show for the better part of two years, with them experiencing exponential growth within the last few months; and they are more than well deserving of their recent success. With just under 5,000 subscribers and over 380,000 views on YouTube, as well as 20.5K followers on TikTok, it’s safe to say that the duo are on the rise.

The growth of BeerSos can’t just be attributed to one, singular thing. There are multiple factors as to why they have been able to amass a cult following in such short order, and that’s exactly why I am writing this piece.

So, as someone who has listened to the show consistently over that past ~10 months, I figured I’d tell you why this show is so special, and why I think it has the potential to grow even more in the coming years.

Moving to video podcasting and weekly uploads

This is maybe the most instrumental part of the duo’s recent success.

For the first ~2 years of production, BeerSos would regularly post one episode every two weeks, strictly on podcast-friendly outlets like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. While you can find moderate success doing that, it’s crucial to be a multi-media outlet in order to succeed in today’s social media landscape.

Nico was in school and has gone on record saying that he felt it was holding the show back from its true potential. He would eventually drop out, putting his focus solely on BeerSos.

I mean, talk about a high risk, high reward decision; but so far it has paid off.

One decision would lead to another as Nico and Derek would expand their podcast to YouTube, giving the show another gear. One of the show’s previous strengths was how interactive it felt, and expanding to YouTube increases the interactivity since you can actually see the conversation that is taking place, making the listener more involved.

Before the new year, BeerSos announced that the show would transition from bi-weekly uploads to weekly uploads. This was music to my ears (seriously, I heavily lean on podcasts while at work). The quality hasn’t dropped in the slightest, with each new episode being just as engaging as the last.

The show has stayed true to its roots and has continued to have the same genuine appeal that it previously had, even with all of the recent changes. The adaptiveness and willingness to change and grow has only helped the show’s quality, which isn’t always the case for others.

Maybe one day we’ll get multiple podcasts a week, but I, along with thousands of others, are more than satisfied with the show’s current formula; and it’s clearly working.

Vulnerability, relatability, and candor

I think the main reason why this show resonated with me, personally, was because of just how candid Nico and Derek were during the first episode I heard. It was honestly impressive. Luckily, the two are still just as honest and candid as they’ve ever been.

It truly feels like the two use the show as an outlet to get their emotions out, and it’s something that I have admired about them ever since the first episode I heard titled “drowning.” The two actually called back to this episode in “We’ve changed a lot…” and mentioned how they were in a really tough spot at the time of its release.

And that right there is exactly it. You get the same level of honesty and candidness in every episode. It’s not always doom and gloom, but you’ve got to respect the fact that they are not afraid to say what’s on their mind, even if it may be difficult to hear.

BeerSos isn’t one dimensional as it explores a plethora of different topics. Mental health, addiction, and self-worth have been consistent talking points for the two, even in their more lighthearted episodes; but they have brought on many different guests from many different backgrounds and occupations, keeping the show fresh and exciting with each new release.

Many people in today’s world want this type of content (especially Gen-Z), and it makes a lot of sense. The COVID-19 pandemic put all of us through the ringer, forcing us to dig deep and reflect on basically everything. Everyone is constantly looking for outlets to get their emotions out, and I think BeerSos has probably helped many in that regard.

They’ve been able to relate and connect with thousands of people, which is something that every show strives to do; and it’ll only reach more and more people as time passes.

Dialing in and focusing solely on the show

Nico and Derek are no strangers to trying new things. When only uploading bi-weekly, the two attempted to grow their brand in various different ways. Whether it be ‘SkillSos’ where the two would try to learn new skills like writing music and skateboarding; or their ‘Zesteas’ series that was basically them just trolling people in Vancouver with a pop-up lemonade stand.

These videos were wildly entertaining, but they weren’t garnering the attention that they may have hoped for.

Nowadays, the podcast is the sole focus. Not only do they post one episode a week, but they also post clips in between each full-length release on TikTok and YouTube.

I mentioned earlier how being a multi-media outlet is crucial to succeeding in the social media landscape. Although people tend to clown on TikTok and YouTube Shorts, this change has helped the show grow exponentially. Whether it be one-minute shorts or extended bits from an episode, the volume of content they’ve dropped has spiked, therefore leading to more engagement and interactions on several platforms.

They’re not on Twitter (I’m not calling it “X”), but I honestly can’t blame ’em. That site is in the mud right now.

Overall, BeerSos is a product that Nico and Derek should be immensely proud of. The two are clearly gifted and talented. Having the skill to mix harmless potty humour with genuinely thoughtful commentary is something that is so, so rare. You’ll be wheezing one moment and tearing up the next, and it never feels like whiplash. The show doesn’t feel overly structured and that’s one of the biggest possible compliments that a podcast could receive. The flow is seamless.

These two are *seriously* cooking with oil and I can’t wait to see what’s in store. It’s an already great podcast, but I truly believe it’s capable of becoming a giant in the industry.