3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks won 6-3 against Chicago Blackhawks

The Vancouver Canucks got a big 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the Frozen Frenzy action on Tuesday night.

J.T. Miller led the way for the Canucks with a goal and two assists. Danton Heinen got two goals, while Conor Garland, Brock Boeser and Pius Suter got the other for Vancouver. Ryan Donato, Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Blackhawks.

So, let’s take a look at the three reasons why the Vancouver Canucks won 6-3 against the Chicago Blackhawks last night.

3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks won against Chicago Blackhawks

#3. The Canucks power play clicked

The Vancouver Canucks’ power play was highly effective, going 2 for 3 on the night. The Canucks got tallies from Miller and Boeser while on the man advantage, making the Blackhawks pay for the penalties taken.

While Chicago is not among the league’s strongest penalty-killing teams, a team like Vancouver must take advantage of that situation. That’s precisely what the Canucks did on Tuesday night. They leveraged their talented power play to give them an edge over the struggling Blackhawks.

#2. Kevin Lankinen had a strong outing

While Lankinen gave up three goals on 34 shots, the outing was strong overall. Lankinen’s performance is encouraging, especially when taking into account the absence of starter Thatcher Demko. Demko’s injury made Arturs Silovs the default starter, leaving the Canucks with the need for a reliable backup.

That’s why Lankinen’s performance on Tuesday night was so significant. While Lankinen wasn’t lights out, he made the saves he needed to keep Vancouver in the game.

The Canucks deserve credit for avoiding silly mistakes and costly turnovers. Playing a solid defensive game allowed Lankinen to focus on staying focused on the play in front of him.

#1. The Canucks did not take their feet off the gas

The Canucks kept up the strong effort throughout the game. With the game 4-2 heading into the third period, the Vancouver Canucks did not try to fall back and defend the lead. Instead, they kept up the pressure, leading to two goals in less than a minute.

First, the Canucks scored on the power play at 10:20, then followed it up with another marker at 10:58. Those two goals were enough to put the game away at 6-2. While the Blackhawks got one back on the Bertuzzi power play marker about three minutes later, it wasn’t enough for the Blackhawks to overcome the deficit.

The 3-1-2 Canucks will get a breather before taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.