Boudreau pulled Boeser aside during his first morning skate Monday, reminded him of all the goals he scored against the Minnesota Wild when Boudreau coached them, and asked him to shoot more. Boeser scored his first goal in 14 games and had an assist in the win against the Kings.
Pettersson, who signed a three-year, $22 million contract ($7.35 million average annual value) on Oct. 3, has scored 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 26 games this season. His average of 0.50 points per game is down from the 0.93 points he averaged his first three NHL seasons (153 points in 165 games).
"It's like a do-over," Boudreau said. "It's like golf. You play the first nine holes and shoot 52 but you're a 4 handicap and you come to the back nine and go, 'OK, I got another chance.' Sometimes new coaches come in and they put you in different positions, different roles, and it works for you. But it's like a do-over, like you've had a mulligan."
That includes using skilled players like Pettersson to try to fix a penalty kill that was last in the NHL at 64.6 percent before the coaching changes, and the worst in the NHL in a team's first 25 games since 1977-78, when power-play opportunities began being tracked.
Much like a higher-pressure forecheck at even strength that seemed to energize players like Pettersson and Boeser on Monday, the Canucks were more aggressive in going 2-for-2 on the penalty kill against the Kings. It's a style initiated by new assistant coach Scott Walker, who was hired the same day as Boudreau, and one that requires four sets of forwards for quick changes and high pace, which led to Pettersson being added to the penalty kill.
"You look at good teams, a lot of their best offensive players are also better killers," Boudreau said. "They get more ice time and they feel more into it, so it's a good thing as long as they're committed to doing the right things defensively."
Boudreau said Boeser will be next, and Hughes said he's also asked to kill penalties.
"The success hadn't been there with anybody, so we're trying different things, and I'm a big believer in if I ask a player and he says, 'I'd really like to do this. I think I'm capable of doing this,' I want to put the onus on them and give him a chance," Boudreau said. "That way either they succeed or they shut up, one of the two things."