“I really love his progression and you can see it as clear as day and his teammates see it too, the potential this guy can go to.” – Canucks coach Travis Green on rookie Vasily Podkolzin.
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First there was the opportunity to poke fun at Vasily Podkolzin’s career potential.
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Then came the pace, the chase, playmaking, game awareness, and more minutes for the scheming Russian rookie.
And now comes what the struggling and downcast Vancouver Canucks desperately need.
In Podkolzin, the club has evidence that its 2019 first-round draft pick is moving rapidly up the adaptability curve to be an encouraging element of the present and a key component of the future.
The last example came on Saturday.
Podkolzin worked his way to a weak spot in the high slot and established a projection position with Tanner Pearson before kicking home with an Oliver Ekman-Larsson point shot. They tied the Canucks even before falling 4-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Eight of Podkolzin’s 11 at-bats at 12:53 on ice time came in the third period as the Canucks attempted to narrow the goal gap. He’s played the power game and his game of speed and chase is well suited to eventually helping out the worst penalty shootout in the league.
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“It seems that we are talking a lot about him, from the beginning when he did not play as much as everyone wanted, or maybe what we thought of his potential, and what we had seen in streaks in training and games. ”Canucks coach Travis Green said of the impressive 20-year-old who is learning a new game and a new language.
“He is still a young player who takes his game seriously and has a great body. But it’s not just about scoring with him. He does a lot of little things and hangs on to a lot of details that really come into play in a game that equates to winning.
“I really love his progression and you can see it as clear as day and his teammates see it too, the potential this guy can go to.”
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How can you help the Canucks heal the Canucks from an anemic offense that has scored more than two goals just eight times this season, field a pair of once-feared snipers in Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson, who have teamed up to a goal in their last twelve games?
Lotto Line had encouraging turns in the third period on Saturday. There was pace and movement and Grade A scoring opportunities. Familiarity with demanding and motivated linemate JT Miller helped make him better.
It’s not a solution to everything that is plaguing the Canucks, who are 3-7-1 at Rogers Arena, but calling back to players who should know and feed each other is a start.
Reference-theprovince.com