PREVIEW | Canucks vs. Sabres
MATCH-UP INFO
LAST MEETING - MAR. 20/22: VAN 2 vs BUF 3 (OT)
J.T. Miller opened up scoring for the Canucks with a goal at 2:31 in the second period...Conor Garland and Luke Schenn registered assists on the play...Bo Horvat scored a power play goal assisted by J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes...Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson led the team in shots (4)...Horvat led the team in blocked shots (3) and won 13 face-offs (72%)...Quinn Hughes led the game in TOI (26:13)...Thatcher Demko faced 29 shots.
LAST GAME PLAYED - OCT. 20/22: VAN 3 at MIN 4 (OT)
Bo Horvat tied the game just prior to the eight minute mark of the first period, assisted by Tanner Pearson and Brock Boeser...Nils Aman scored his first NHL goal to give Vancouver their first lead of the game, assisted by Dakota Joshua and Quinn Hughes...Dakota Joshua gave Vancouver its second lead of the night with 6:23 left in the second...Nils Aman recorded his first NHL assist on the goal, with Oliver Ekman-Larsson picking up the second assist...Oliver Ekman-Larsson played a season-high 25:26...Thatcher Demko stopped 33 shots.
LAST 5 vs Buffalo
CLOSING IN ON 600
Currently holding a career regular season coaching record of 599-320-126, Bruce Boudreau is just one win shy of becoming the 22nd coach in NHL history and just the fifth active head coach to reach 600 regular season wins. Among coaches with 600 wins to their name, Boudreau's .634 points percentage would rank second only to Scotty Bowman (.657).
ELIAS PETTER-CENT
Netting his third goal of the season on Oct. 18 at CBJ, Elias Pettersson registered his 100th career NHL goal, requiring the second- fewest games in Canucks history to reach the mark among players to debut with the franchise, trailing only Pavel Bure (154 GP).
• The goal also tied Pettersson with Jake Guentzel (PIT) and Brayden Point (TBL) as the ninth-fastest active player to reach 100 career goals. He also is the first player from the 2017 NHL draft class to reach the milestone.
SHORTHANDED SHOOTER
Opening the scoring with a shorthanded tally on Oct. 18 at CBJ, Bo Horvat passed Matt Cooke for sole possession of eighth-most shorthanded goals in franchise history (9), and now sits just one back of tying Ryan Kesler (10) for seventh-most. Pavel Bure holds the club record with 24 shorthanded goals.
SPENCE-TACULAR
Turning aside 29 shots in an overtime defeat on Oct. 18 at CBJ, Spencer Martin improved his record with the Canucks to 3-0-4, and now sits just one game back of tying Curt Ridley (6-0-2 in 1975.76) as the only goaltender in franchise history to earn at least a point in each of his eight starts with the team.
CRACKING THE TOP 50
Brock Boeser skated in his 326th career game on Oct. 15 at PHI, passing Ron Sedlbauer for 50th most games played in franchise history and joining Bo Horvat (574 GP, 18th) as the only other active Canuck in the top 50 games played in club history. With 258 career points (121-137-258), Boeser already ranks inside Vancouver's top 50 in goals (t-20th), assists (t-37th), and points (28th).
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Making his 137th NHL regular season appearance on Oct. 12 at EDM, Thatcher Demko gained sole possession of most games played in franchise history by a Canucks-drafted goaltender, surpassing Glen Hanlon's mark of 136 games. Demko also currently stands just five wins away from tying Gary Smith for sixth-most wins among all goalies in Canucks history.
QUICK START
Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller combined goals for a 2-0 Canucks lead just 2:40 into the season opener on Oct. 12 at EDM, marking the fastest two goals to begin a season in franchise history, 75 seconds faster than the previous team mark (3:55 on Oct. 5 vs CGY). The goals also marked the eighth-fastest two-goal start in any game in Canucks history.
RECENT CANUCKS MILESTONES
• Elias Pettersson recorded his 100th career NHL goal, Oct. 18 at CBJ
