3 least impressive Vancouver Canucks players from 3-1 loss to Calgary Flames feat. Conor Garland

The Vancouver Canucks dropped their final contest of 2024, 3-1 at the hands of the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome. While the game was hardly a blowout, the Flames took advantage of a depleted Vancouver lineup.

With Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson out for the Canucks, the Flames did their best to outlast Vancouver. Despite the absence of two key players, three others stood out as having disappointing performances on the ice.

So, here’s a look at the three least impressive Vancouver Canucks players from their 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on New Year’s Eve.

3 least impressive Vancouver Canucks players from loss to Calgary Flames

#3 Jake DeBrusk

The absence of Elias Pettersson demands that other players on the Vancouver Canucks roster step up to pick up the offensive slack. However, Jake DeBrusk, someone who could step in to become an offensive leader, failed to do so against the Flames.

DeBrusk played 16:57 over 24 shifts, registering three shots on goal. However, he could not generate many scoring chances, ending the night a minus-1.

The Canucks will need DeBrusk to become a significant factor on the ice as both Hughes and Pettersson’s offensive production is missed.

#2 Carson Soucy

The Canucks' top two defensemen, Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek, are out with injuries. As such, Carson Soucy and Tyler Myers are now playing in that role. However, both Soucy and Myers played top-pairing minutes but failed to make a significant difference.

Soucy ended the night playing 21:33 over 28 shifts. He registered a shot on goal and a block. He had no points on the board while showing a minus-2 rating.

On the bright side, Soucy was the only Vancouver blue liner to end the game without registering any penalty minutes.

#1 Conor Garland

Conor Garland has been expected to step into a solid top-six role during Elias Pettersson’s absence. For the most part this season, he has been up to the task. He’s got 28 points in 36 games, showing promise in becoming a fixture in the Canucks’ top six.

However, Garland disappointed on New Year’s Eve. With the Canucks needing more offense from their entire squad, Garland did not deliver. In a team-high 20:07 of ice time for forwards, Garland was a minus-2 with two shots on goal. That sort of performance is something the Canucks will hope improves as the club needs others to pick up the slack in Pettersson’s absence.

Of course, the Flames deserve credit for playing a strong game. However, the Vancouver Canucks cannot afford to continue getting subpar outings from their top-six forwards and expect to win.