I Watched This Game: Canucks' Pettersson excels despite big loss to Rangers

There are many reasons why the Vancouver Canucks lost 6-2 to the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Kevin Lankinen allowed six or more goals for the third time in five starts. The Canucks gave up yet another power play goal. Trailing heading into the final 20 minutes, the team managed just four shots on goal in the third period.

There’s one player you can’t blame, however: Elias “D-Petey” Pettersson.

In a 6-2 loss, the young Swedish defenceman finished plus-two. Moreover, Pettersson thoroughly tilted the ice whenever he stepped over the boards.

Shot attempts were 28-to-9 for the Canucks when Pettersson was on the ice at 5-on-5. Shots on goal were 11-to-3; scoring chances were 13-to-5; high-danger scoring chances were 6-to-0.

“When it comes to Petey, he understands who he is and who he needs to be as a defenceman,” said head coach Manny Malhotra. “He did a good job of that tonight, just being physical and killing plays when he could.”

Pettersson did all this in 21:30 of ice time, which is just short of his career high, and while facing a steady diet of the Rangers’ top-six forwards.

To top it off, Pettersson scored the first shorthanded goal of his career. He had a major impact on both ends of the ice, with a team-leading four hits and seven shot attempts.

“It’s always nice to get on the scoresheet, but he knows that’s not part of his regular expected behaviours on the ice,” said Malhotra. “But he knows who he is and he plays the game the way he’s supposed to.”

Tom Willander can have a pinch of praise as well. He was the only other Canuck to finish plus-anything, and he was also plus-two. He and Pettersson were paired together for the first time this season, and the combination immediately made sense.

The only thing is that Willander didn’t tilt the ice quite as much as Pettersson. In his minutes away from Pettersson, Willander got shellacked with shot attempts 8-to-1 for the Rangers when he was with Guillaume Brisebois, and 5-to-0 when he was with Luke Schenn.

The other issue is that Willander and Pettersson playing together meant a third pairing of Brisebois and Schenn.

That duo didn’t do so hot. Brisebois and Schenn were on the ice together for three goals against at 5-on-5

But in a rebuild, you look for the positives from your youth, not your veterans. And the Canucks got those positives when I watched this game.

Strong work by Elias Pettersson on the boards to keep the puck in the corner until he can get help from Jonathan Lekkerimäki, then a remarkably quick release from Jake DeBrusk — so quick that none of the replays captured it. #Canucks

From the source Elias Pettersson looking like a young Elias Pettersson out there. #Canucks

From the source Scary moment late in the game as D-Petey gets J.T. Miller's skate to the chest. Thankfully, he seems to be all right. #Canucks