The genius of coach Rick Tocchet’s declaration that his Vancouver Canucks had “five or six passengers” in their Game 4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday is that it seems to have lit a fire under almost every player on the roster.
With just four points in 10 playoff games heading into Game 5 and only one goal against the Oilers, Elias Pettersson took a good chunk of the heat. And while some observers were concerned about Pettersson’s demeanor when he met with the press on Wednesday, Tocchet described the shifty Swede as “energized” on Thursday after a game-day video session and the unveiling of Elias Lindholm and Nils Hoglander as his new linemates.
“That’s my job,” Tocchet said. “I’ve got to help the kid out. It’s not all on him. I’ve got to get him going.”
The fans at Rogers Arena also decided to lend their voices to the cause. Starting just before the national anthem and continuing when Pettersson was on the ice during the game, they launched into a ‘Let’s Go Petey’ chant to show their support for the 25-year-old who has put up 412 regular-season points and delivered so many highlight-reel plays during his 407 games in Vancouver.
Canucks fans start a "let's go Petey chant". You love to see it! @MikeHalford604 @SadClubCommish @AndyCole1984 pic.twitter.com/og1wN84d7d
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) May 17, 2024
“I think the fans were unreal,” said Tocchet. “Them yelling his name, I mean, that was pretty cool. That’s great fans.”
The result? Pettersson delivered arguably his most engaged game of the playoffs — skating hard and putting himself in scoring positions.
And he saved his best for last, with the score tied 2-2 in the last minute of the third period. Up against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, Pettersson gained the zone along with Lindholm and J.T. Miller. A patient Lindholm held onto the puck near the boards before directing it toward the net. Then, Pettersson used his skate to bounce it off the post and onto the stick of Miller, who slammed it home with 33 seconds remaining.
Fancy footwork from EP40! 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/FfA9BDOVU3
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 17, 2024
Though no one has accused Miller of being a passenger, the outcome was still a moment of redemption for him after he shouldered the blame on the play that led to the Oilers’ last-minute tally that won them Game 4.
Thursday night, Miller said he’d never scored a bigger goal.
“I hit a post once in overtime in the playoffs,” he said. “That’s about as close to a big one as I’ve been.”
Defenseman Carson Soucy also delivered a moment of redemption after sitting out Game 4 due to his cross-check to the face of Connor McDavid. His long wrister off a Corey Perry giveaway was the second playoff goal of his career and his first with the Canucks.
Let it fly, Soucy 🎯 pic.twitter.com/G6P7A93T8s
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 17, 2024
And after missing the last two games to be with his wife, Maggie, as she gave birth to their second child following a difficult pregnancy, Phil Di Giuseppe delivered the night’s most heartwarming moment when he tied the game 2-2 with a gorgeous spin-o-rama in front of Calvin Pickard at 5:14 of the second period.
🌪️ Di Giuseppe 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/KUfLf5MEwc
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 17, 2024
“He’s got the baby legs,” said Miller. “It’s a real thing. I’ve seen a lot of guys come in and play their best game. It does something to you, your brain, and he was unbelievable.”
Di Giuseppe is a journeyman with 282 regular-season NHL games on his resume. Thursday was his 12th career NHL playoff game — nine of which have come this year — and the goal was his first in the post-season.
“This is a dream we’ve all been working for,” he said of the quest for a Cup and the perspective he has gained from the last few days with his family.
“I’m 30 years old. I’ve worked for this for 27 years, so pressure mounts. Then, in a situation like that — you care, but obviously you know your No. 1 priority and you’re taking care of that. So, yeah, maybe it took the pressure off.”
And that’s not all. Di Giuseppe teamed up on an effective new-look fourth line with Nils Aman and 2019 first-round draft pick Vasily Podkolzin.
Aman was playing his third career playoff game; Podkolzin his first. But according to naturalstattrick.com, the pesky trio held a 7-4 edge in shot attempts at 5-on-5.
Aman and Di Giuseppe also chipped in on an aggressive Canucks penalty kill that went a perfect 5-for-5 against the lethal Edmonton attack.
Vancouver’s best 5-on-5 combo? Pettersson, Lindholm and Hoglander, with a 13-8 edge in shot attempts.
The bottom line is that Tocchet’s roster adjustments delivered as hoped. And the coach’s request to see more from his players resonated from the top to the bottom of the lineup.
“I’m an honest guy, and they’re an honest group,” Tocchet said. “They love feedback.
“The bounce back, or whatever you want to call it — it’s been all year. It happened a few times this year where we didn’t like our effort, and we dealt with it.
“They can usually bounce back. So it’s all the players. You’ve got to give them a ton of credit.”
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News Summary:
- Supported by Fans, Elias Pettersson Steps Up as Canucks Push Oilers to the Brink
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.