Preseason games are not typically intense, passionate affairs unless they’re in a hockey romance novel.
But, at least in terms of emotion, the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken played Tuesday night’s preseason game like they were in a battle for the playoffs in the final weeks of the season and not easing their way out of training camp.
The game was chippier than a too-thick salsa, full of crosschecks away from the play, hits after the horn, two fights, and plenty of post-whistle shenanigans. The Canucks and Kraken looked like they were ready to turn their forced regional rivalry into an actual rivalry.
And Tyler Myers was right in the thick of it.
Myers, who is already after questionable hits on Matty Beniers and Oliver Bjorkstrand in the past two seasons, didn’t do his reputation in Seattle any favours on Tuesday night. He got into a scuffle with Brandon Montour after the newly-minted Kraken slashed him across the hands as he drove the net, giving him a good slash back.
But even before that, Myers was cementing his reputation as the anti-Kraken. When Will Borgen shoved Conor Garland into the boards at the end of the second period, then started scuffling with Nils Höglander, Myers came flying in like a and nearly took Borgen’s head off.
“Guys told me I looked like Superman,” said Myers with a chuckle. “I was just trying to grab him, I didn’t want Högs getting into it. I think just because of my size, it looked funny.”
It may have seemed like a bit much for a preseason game but head coach Rick Tocchet didn’t mind at all, saying, “I love what Mysie did.”
“It’s a rival team, Seattle,” said Tocchet. “That’s what happens with rivalry games, it’s good. I’m sure they’re saying the same thing.”
In terms of geography, the Canucks and Kraken are perfectly set up for a significant rivalry and it seems like they could become a couple of teams that legitimately don’t like each other. All that’s really needed is a heated playoff series between the two teams and the rivalry is on.
Yes, please forgive me, but I was already thinking about the playoffs when I watched this game.
- Aside from Myers, there was plenty of other heat in the kitchen on Tuesday night. Vilmer Alriksson and Mark Friedman both dropped the gloves for fights and the two teams combined for 44 minutes in penalties. This game was a feisty little one ().
- Alriksson made a very literal impact on the first period, hammering Logan Morrison into the boards with a massive hit. That led to experienced pugilist John Hayden challenging him to a fight, in which Alriksson…well, he lost, as Hayden was able to get inside his reach and deliver a couple of uppercuts. But considering Hayden is 29-years-old and has 41 career fights () and Alriksson , he did all right.
- I hate to say it, but Elias Pettersson needs to be sent down to the AHL. The defenceman, to be specific. That’s nothing against Pettersson, as he’s a 20-year-old prospect coming over from Sweden for his first season in North America, but it was clear on Tuesday that he needs some time to adapt to the pace of play. There were a few too many mistimed pinches, missed assignments, and panic plays.
- Without Quinn Hughes in the lineup, Filip Hronek was tasked with carrying a pairing on his own and did a magnificent job, especially considering he was also helping acclimatize Pettersson to the NHL. He looks stronger than last season. One of the weaknesses of his game has typically been board battles in the defensive zone but he had several sequences where he easily shouldered his man off the puck. It was an encouraging sight.
- Nils Höglander averaged 32 seconds per game on the power play last season but he made a bid for a little more time on special teams with the opening goal. It looked like Höglander was looking to prove that his 20.0% shooting percentage last season was no fluke, scoring his first goal on his first shot. Regression? Where we’re going, we don’t need regression.
- Of course, the goal was more about the lovely setup by Aatu Räty and Linus Karlsson, who showed off the chemistry they build up on the Abbotsford Canucks’ power play last season. Räty skated down the left side like an off-brand J.T. Miller, threatening with his shot before firing the puck down low to Karlsson, who one-touched the puck in front to Höglander to gift him an open net.
- "We ran that play a lot," said Räty, referring to last season in Abbotsford. "Especially against that kind of triangle PK, it's kind of the only play you have: the 2-on-1 at the netfront. We tried to exploit it and it worked."
- Beyond the assist, Räty had one heck of a game. He excelled on both sides of special teams and was all over the ice at even-strength, playing some exceptional defensive hockey. One sequence in the second period was exactly the type of play that will get him to the NHL: he neatly stole the puck down low in the defensive zone, calmly made a pass to start the breakout, and then got on his horse to join Höglander on the rush. I’m surprised Tocchet didn’t immediately jump over the boards to give him a hug.
- “There were a couple of penalties where I put him on the right side — we were getting killed on the right side — and he went out there and three-in-a-row, boom boom boom,” said Tocchet, miming Räty clearing the puck down the ice. “That’s huge. That’s 25 times three — 75 seconds of PK time.”
- In addition, it was also a dominant performance in the faceoff circle for Räty, who went 14-for-18. Räty downplayed his faceoffs, saying, “I haven’t really taken faceoffs against those guys, so I had that advantage of having some tricks up my sleeve and I don’t think they knew my game, so it worked.” But that kind of performance still sends a message to the Canucks coaching staff that he can play centre and win key draws. It’s hard to imagine a better way of getting in Tocchet’s good books.
- The power play struck again in the second period to make it 2-0. At 17:17, the Kraken’s number 17, Jaden Schwartz, went into the box to serve a penalty taken by the Kraken’s goaltender. Then the Canucks’ number 17, Filip Hronek, took advantage, hammering a one-timer into the top corner of the net. It was the 17thiest goal since Ryan Kesler played for the Canucks.
- Jonathan Lekkerimäki had a fine, if unspectacular, night. He didn’t make any highlight reel plays but he showed he can handle the pace of the NHL and picked up two assists. He had the secondary assist on Hronek’s goal, then made a smart bank pass into the neutral zone for Pius Suter’s empty-net goal that capped off the win. He drew a penalty too. As much as Canucks fans are dying to see him rifle a wrist shot past a goaltender, performances like Tuesday’s are more likely to help him stick in the NHL.
- The Kraken kicked off the third period with a goal right off the opening faceoff to keep things interesting. Pius Suter got caught napping a little bit off a set play and couldn’t catch up to Ben Meyers as he finished off a pass from Jaden Schwartz. Look, Suter, I know it’s been a long summer, but you’re supposed to nap before the game, not during the game.
- I know it’s just the preseason, but boy oh boy did Derek Forbort have a tough game. He looked a little slow to the puck and had a couple of ugly turnovers. His worst came late in the third period, forcing Arturs Silovs to bail him out with a big save. The worst part for Forbort is that it was a really good save, so the giant video board over centre ice kept replaying his turnover over and over again, like some cruel torture.
- Silovs looks locked in already, making a series of big saves down the stretch to secure the (ultimately pointless) win. He played like he wanted the Canucks to wonder why they even bothered signing Kevin Lankinen. His best save was a mirror image to Marc-Andre Fleury’s most famous save of his career: his in the dying seconds of Game 7 in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals. Silovs' similar save in the first game of the preseason may not have been as consequential but it was still pretty nice.
- “When you call his name, it doesn’t matter if it’s a playoff game, the first preseason game, or a blue and white scrimmage, he’s a very calm kid,” said Tocchet. “He’s very confident, you can tell.”
