Mikheev as an elite playmaker
After a seven-game losing streak, Vancouver suddenly erupted. Two wins in a row, and now Pittsburgh has been beaten in British Columbia (5-1). What’s going on with one of the most Russian clubs in the NHL?
Vancouver’s previous victory over Seattle (5:4) was not too impressive. The Canucks lost heavily in shooting (19-36) and weren’t always in control. But we managed to get everything out of our chances, a double was achieved coming back from injury Ilya Mikheevscored another goal Andrei Kuzmenko. And that was the victory after which Vancouver broke through.
Now the victory over Pittsburgh (5-1) proved more convincing. The hosts completely blocked all opportunities for the guests and Pence only created four dangerous moments in even compositions for the entire game. In other words, the Vancouver defense played almost perfectly.
What exactly did Mikheev bring to the game? He missed the start of the season with an injury and then played a few pale games. And now he has come to life on the right flank, winning 4 (2+2) points in the last two matches. Also, we have yet to see how well Ilya can play in the forecheck, when the whole team puts pressure and shows powerful hockey. But when he plays fast and shoots dangerously on goal, it can change the course of any match.
Vancouver head coach Bruce Boudreau, who earned the 601st career NHL win, didn’t change the roster of the hat-tricks. And he released a combination that he picked up in pre-season: Andrey Kuzmenko – Elias Pettersson – Ilya Mikheev. It should be added that the third Russian Vasily Podkolzin came out with Dakota Joshua and Niels Oman.
Thus, Mikheev surprised the Canadian experts, who believed that he was, in principle, not a very strong passer. The Russian shows himself, especially in the majority, as an elite playmaker. He knows how to shoot defenders at him, beat “on a handkerchief”, make tackles, look for a partner who opened up in an empty place with a pass…
Mikheev helped Vancouver open the scoring when he passed Tanner Pearson. And he also helped score a safety goal midway through the third period when the scoreline became 3-1. Such playing abilities of Mikheev are very nice to see.
Podkolzin as Kuzmenko’s interpreter
Kuzmenko found himself well in conjunction with Pettersson, who is first among Vancouver’s top scorers (4+5=9). Most importantly, the young Swede creates a lot of scoring chances, leads the Canucks in crease entries, percentage of puck control entries. Those are advanced stats, but believe me, Pettersson is now Vancouver’s main offensive engine. And it’s very good that two Russians connected with such a lively guy at once.
Kuzmenko scored the third goal of the season. And how is Andrei used? We’ve never seen this before in the performance of the KHL’s No. 2 scorer last season. He is actively determined on a patch to fix pucks there. A bit of a primitive role, but Kuzmenko has the dimensions to fight on the patch. In this role, it is effective.
And they told me: When NHL clubs were still showing interest in Kuzmenko and negotiating with him over the past few years, many said they saw him in that particular role. Andrei knew this – and as a result, he said he still needed to rebuild after leaving the KHL.
Kuzmenko most often dates Pettersson, leads Vancouver in chances to score in even comps. And now he scored an important goal, which became a turning point for the Canucks.
Why are you so happy to score a goal? Kuzmenko was questioned after the match. By the way, if earlier Andrei gave interviews in English, now he spoke in Russian, and Vasily Podkolzin translated his words.
“I wanted to celebrate my first decent NHL goal. And before that, JT Miller always gave me passes to an empty net. He’s a good guy.
Did you see the puck when Luke Schenn was throwing?
– Sure. How could I not see her?
Has the mood changed in the Vancouver locker room after two straight wins?
– Of course, the mood has improved. We are now happy, now we go from game to game. And we will get better and better.
– This is your first home win…
“Winning here is good. It’s the best I’ve had so far.
Why did you stop speaking English?
– I do not even know. Just a head tired of an overabundance of information. From day one in Vancouver, my rule of thumb is to learn English every day. And I agree with that. But after two weeks, my head just exploded! And now, after two months, it is clear that my head is not ready to learn English so intensively. Maybe in a month I’ll be back to daily tutoring. But now I’m not ready for that, sorry.
Vancouver should overtake Chicago and Seattle
How will Vancouver perform this season?
We cannot say that the British Columbia team has sunk. She had points, and now with six points in the West, she leads San Jose (6), Arizona (5) and Anaheim (3).
The playoff zone is only two points away. It is therefore entirely possible and necessary to correct the situation. Who should be kicked out of there? The same “Chicago” and “Seattle”, which show unintelligible hockey.
The main thing is that Vancouver finds its game. They already have the first line of killers. Kuzmenko – Pettersson – Mikheev: these guys are going to make some noise this season in the NHL, you’ll see.
And when the others rise – the same JT Miller has yet to enter his orbit, the same goaltender Thatcher Demko has yet to catch up – such a Vancouver can play tricks in the playoffs.
So expect a breakthrough from Mikheev, Kuzmenko and company. They will still surprise you.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
