JT Miller’s triumphant return, Kevin Lankinen shuts door, and more: 3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks shut out Florida Panthers 4-0

The Vancouver Canucks shut out the Florida Panthers 4-0 on Thursday at Rogers Place. The win snapped a two-game skid for Vancouver pulling them to within one point of the third-place Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division.

Carson Soucy, Danton Heinen, Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk scored for the Canucks. Kevin Lankinen made 27 saves to earn a clean sheet against the Panthers.

3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks shut out Florida Panthers

#3 Canucks’ special teams got the job done

The Vancouver Canucks special teams played a huge role in the win. The Canucks scored on their lone power play opportunity.

The Canucks did not get a power play chance till 12:48 of the third period. By then, the game was already 3-0. But that didn’t stop Jake DeBrusk from notching his 14th goal of the year, roughly seven seconds into the power play.

The perfect night on the power play helped boost the Canuck’s power play, ranked 10th in the league with a 24.4% rate.

#2 Miller gets two points in his return

JT Miller was a welcome sight for Canucks’ fans as he returned to the lineup after missing some time on personal leave.

Miller assisted on DeBrusk's goal and again on Boeser's in the second period. Miller contributed two assists on the occasion, making his comeback as effective as it could be.

Miller played 14 minutes in his return and most importantly his play seemed like he hadn’t missed a game.

#1 Kevin Lankinen shut the door

Kevin Lankinen slammed the door against the Panthers, shutting out top scorers such as Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett.

The Canucks got 27 solid saves from Lankinen. The overall solid defensive effort is a step in the right direction, as the Canucks look to leave their mini-skid behind them.

Lankinen's performance was critical since he remains the starting goaltender despite Thatcher Demko's return to the roster. Lankinen will continue to spend the majority of time in the crease while Demko adjusts to a regular workload.

The Canucks will be back on the ice on Saturday as they host the Boston Bruins in what should be a highly entertaining contest.