Canucks 3, Flames 1: J.T. Miller stirs drink for home-ice victory

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Jonathan Lekkerimaki had his meaningful moments but he knew who would probably command the spotlight Tuesday at Rogers Arena.

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The Vancouver Canucks rookie right-winger made his NHL regular-season debut and didn’t look out of place on a line with J.T. Miller and Pius Suter. That’s because Miller was back to driving the play with a presence that had been missing.

Miller was in high gear. He set up goals by Elias Pettersson and Pius Suter and also fed Lekkerimaki for a power play chance that was denied in a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames to improve to 2-2-3 on home ice.

It was vintage Miller. He also found Conor Garland with a laser cross-dish from wall to wall in the second period that forced goaltender Dan Vladar to make a tough save. He also had five shots and eight attempts and won 60 per cent of his draws.

“Miller is a great guy and does everything great with passing the puck and all the small details,” said Lekkerimaki when asked what it would be like to align with the driven centre.

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On a night when the Canucks looked like they were fighting the puck by committing nine turnovers in the opening 10:11, they surrendered the first goal for the eighth-straight game to a team trying to find its leg on the second half of back-to-back games.

It showed when the Canucks played one of their best second periods of this young season.

“We took care of the puck when we had to and the ice seemed to open up and they (Flames) were tired and we took advantage of that,” said Miller. “They had the long change in the second and we knew we could kill them there. We did a good job executing the plan and putting it down their throat.”

However, the Canucks found their game and some much needed moxie in the second period.

Here’s what we learned as Erik Brannstrom also scored for the Canucks, who got a 27-save performance from Kevin Lankinen, while Justin Kirkland replied for the Flames:

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Miller time was right time

Rick Tocchet sounded like a prophet when he addressed a sour streak by Miller.

The centre had one goal in his previous six games, just two points in the last five and had only scored in consecutive games twice. He was still owning the faceoff circle at 59.5 per cent efficiency, which ranked seventh overall, but something was missing.

Miller battled a nagging injury in the pre-season and played just one game. He then appeared to suffer another ailment off a faceoff early in the season and didn’t take draws. And when Miller vowed Monday to get his game back to a higher level and then delivered, Tocchet wasn’t surprised.

“He’s hard on himself,” said the Canucks head coach. “He knows there’s another level. Last game (Saturday) was probably his worst of the year. And he’ll tell you that. He has had some good moments for us and he’ll round it out.

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“I’m not worried about him. What I do love about J.T. is some guys think they’re playing well, when they’re just OK. He doesn’t do that.”

What Miller did was help get the perplexing power play going in the second period. He took a Quinn Hughes pass and quickly sent a laser pass to Pettersson for the easy redirect. He then followed up by setting up Suter in the slot. Two goals in 2:15 turned the tide.

“I feel good,” said Pettersson. “Just chipping away and trying to get better every day.”

Kiefer Sherwood then set the perfect screen in the third period for Brannstrom to score his first goal off the season to make it 3-1.

“We just played fast,” said Miller. “We don’t mess around with the puck and we don’t swing. When it (puck) gets flipped out, they’re tired or make a bad change or play tired. That’s what we’re trying to do to teams. We didn’t give them a chance of any life.”

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Lekkerimaki debut really rates

You always remember the first one.

Good, bad, or indifferent, the biggest take away for Lekkerimaki was pure joy in a debut where he nearly scored twice and didn’t look out of place. His uncanny ability, overcoming adversity and a quick acclimation the North American game all played a part in what transpired Tuesday.

After all, when you label six AHL games in Abbotsford late last season after 19 goals in 46 games in the Swedish Hockey League as “not a big deal”, you know the 15th overall selection in the 2022 draft already had a leg up on making his mark.

Add five goals in his fist seven AHL games this season and it wasn’t a matter of if, but when the Tullinge, Sweden native would get to this place. And with his parents on hand to witness the moment, he didn’t disappoint.

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His first five shifts showed a combination of speed, smarts and the ability to take a hit.

Lekkerimaki breezed by Jonathan Huberdeau in the neutral zone on his first shift to set up Suter. He then absorbed a hard sideboards hit from Ryan Lomberg while stick handling, hustled back to top of the defensive slot to cover off his check, fed Miller at speed and threw an endboards check on Nazem Kadri.

“I felt pretty good, a little nervous,” said Lekkerimaki. “It was a great opportunity to step on the ice and do my thing. It was a special moment and I tried to enjoy it and have fun. I just tried to get in there as fast as possible and work hard.

“It was special to have them (parents) here and it was special — they’ve been there for me since Day 1.”

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Then came the second period and a swat at a bouncing puck at side of the net before Suter scored. Then came a power play when he took a Miller feed and was denied by a glove save.

“He played really well,” said Miller. “He makes a lot of subtle little plays and seems to be in the right spot most of the time. Very good and I’m very impressed. He can get more comfortable as we go on. And where he’s playing on the power play, he’s just not standing there. A lot of pucks some through him.

“That one in the second period, if he’s a couple feet closer to me, the guy doesn’t get his stick on the puck. He’s super smart and you can tell he has a lot of sense.”

Said Pettersson of Lekkerimaki’s regular-season debut: “I’m very happy for him. He deserved it. Good plays and he looked good. I’m excited to see what he does next.”

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For Lekkerimaki, a string of career adversity started with mononucleosis at the world junior championship in the summer of 2022. Then came a November concussion from a high hit and a month on the sidelines.

He then had a poor 2023 world junior tourney with just one goal in four games and was benched as Sweden finished fourth. His regular season ended in early February after suffering a foot injury in practice.

Lankinen keeps his promise

Kevin Lankinen wanted to make amends for allowing four third-period goals on a dozen shots Saturday and getting the mercy hook against the Edmonton Oilers.

He made a series of first-period saves to frustrate the Flames, including a post-to-post move to deny Andrei Kuzmenko on a backhander in tight after the former Canucks winger was sent in on a cross-ice feed from Rasmus Andersson.

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That came after rescuing the Canucks from a pair of poor clears in their own zone by Danton Heinen and Teddy Blueger, which resulted in a Grade A chance for Matt Coronato. And then with Kevin Rooney cutting to the net in the final minute of the opening frame, Lankinen covered up short side, but the puck popped loose at top of crease. Hughes put his clearing attempt on stick of Kirkland.

Reading between Boeser lines

The Canucks have yet to provide an update on the injury status of injured winger Brock Boeser.

A brutal and targeted blindside hit from Tanner Jeannot in the neutral zone Thursday saw the Los Angeles Kings winger plant his shoulder into Boeser’s jaw, just he completed a pass, for what was ruled an illegal check to the head (Rule 48.1). It resulted in a match penalty and five-minute power play. And upon review the following day, the department of player safety assessed supplementary discipline with a three-game suspension.

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The whiplash effect of that blow — Boeser’s head snapping back upon the actual impact — are classic concussion symptoms. That will invite league-mandated protocol for recovery. He must be symptom free for at least five days and be medically cleared by a club physician. When Tocchet was asked about Boeser’s condition, especially after the team only labelled it an upper-body injury, he offering the following Tuesday:

“There’s really nothing to report. With these things, you’re hoping he’s gaining three or four per cent per day and that’s the way you have to look at these things.”

When pressed to confirm that Boeser is in protocol, he followed up by saying “I can’t confirm.”

What we do know for sure is the Canucks miss the winger, who had six goals and 11 assists in his first dozen games, which includes three power-play goals and 23.6 per cent shooting accuracy. His spot on the first man-advantage unit was taken by Pius Suter.

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bkuzma@postmedia.com

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