Canuck Conor Garland’s new line seeks to turn fleeting fame into lasting dynamism

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Fame can be fleeting. Hope is always lasting.

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We know of the 15-second variety, where someone does something spectacular for a short period of time to earn accolades.

And now we know what a fascinating 50-second change from Elias Pettersson’s new lineup between the attentive rookie Vasily Podkolzin and the deft and speedy Conor Garland can do to quicken the pulse of true believers and bring help and hope to the Vancouver Canucks. . a five game road trip.

When the trio twisted and turned on their way to total dominance Sunday in an astonishing sequence of pace, puck control and three Grade A scoring opportunities, including a more confident Pettersson making his dekes and nearly blocking a short side effort home, it was a tease of what could be after a 1-0 setback to the Chicago Blackhawks that featured 40 shots, six of them (and eight attempts) from Garland.

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For Pettersson, the experimental joining of forces could help the slowly improving center emerge from a funk of just one assist in his last six games and one goal in his last seven heading into Wednesday’s game against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. . He had five shots and nine attempts Sunday.

For Garland, scoring in two of his previous three games was an indication of why the Canucks were eager to acquire a small but skilled winger who could rise to the mark in today’s game doing what he does best.

Speed ​​kills and so does the willingness to attempt a spin-a-branch move on the fly to outrun a blueliner and then unleash a dangerous backhand. That’s why he was second in team scoring after his first 19 games with 14 points (5-9), first in recovery points with 11 and on pace for 21 goals. Garland’s personal record is 22.

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However, no one can thrive as a perimeter player.

“We just have to get a guy through the net a little bit more and I thought we had a lot of high-quality chances against Chicago and we just couldn’t find one to get in,” Garland said after Wednesday’s morning skating. “It’s a different story if we don’t hit some posts and they come in and we could have blown that open. We just have to keep playing the same way, myself included. I have to find a way to get closer to the network and I’ll get in. “

Being nimble and spinning is a good starting point.

“When everyone moves and cuts seams and works for the record, and works to open up to each other, it works well,” Garland added. “It doesn’t really matter who’s out there. If the guys play that style and play hard, it will work.

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“Those two guys (Pettersson and Podkolzin) are very good shooters and I like to meet guys in open spaces. And that’s probably why we had a bit of chemistry there, just the dynamics of everything.

But we’ll see. We are not going to spend every turn in the outer zone and we have to make sure we defend well and play with rhythm and keep our feet moving. “

The comfort factor PP

Familiarity could be the trigger for Brock Boeser and Pettersson to shoot and hit the scorer target more often.

Boeser was useless in six games and didn’t have a goal in his previous seven to start this journey. Working on the second power play unit with Pettersson might be the solution because they were slated to be back on sweet shooting points at opposite opposing spots Wednesday.

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And while that may lead to predictability, making the league’s 23rd power play that was left blank in six of the previous seven games and 10 of the last 12 easier to defend, there is something to be said for him. comfort factor.

Boeser has been moved and used as a presence at the front of the network. Pettersson has switched sides to cause more confusion in matchups and get different looks. But with just three power play goals between the pair, and facing the Penguins’ top-ranked penalties, it’s more than just shooting.

Pettersson has more mid-wall touches to be a multi-dimensional threat as a playmaker and goal producer. The same goes for Boeser.

“I feel that way and I’m sure he (Pettersson) does too, when you put your stick on the puck in the middle of the wall, you feel it if you make the power play work,” Boeser said. “It’s good to be back there, and with Petey on the other side we know the plays we’re looking for and our entire unit has been moving the puck well.

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“When the power plays are struggling, you have to get the pucks to the net, get them back, and do it again.”

What could also help Boeser match the force is having JT Miller in the middle.

“We played together last year and he’s comfortable in the center position and he’s obviously good at draws,” Boeser said. “He communicates well and wants the puck on his stick and he’s good at getting it through the neutral zone and the offensive zone.”

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