Canucks continue overhaul

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Canucks continue overhaul, part ways with Benning

The Vancouver Canucks are parting ways with general manager Jim Benning, the team announced late Sunday night.

Benning had held the position with the organization since 2014. The club also relieved Travis Green of his head coaching duties earlier Sunday and hired Bruce Boudreau to take over. Assistant GM John Weisbrod and assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner were also let go.

"First, I want to sincerely thank Jim, John, Travis and Nolan for their passion and dedication to the organization and our community," Canucks chairman Francesco Aquilini said in a statement. "We are grateful for everything they have done for the Canucks during their tenure, and we wish them nothing but success in the future.

"These are difficult decisions, but we believed we would have a competitive group this year. As a result, I'm extremely disappointed in how the team has performed so far. I'm making these changes because we want to build a team that competes for championships and it's time for new leadership to help take us there."

Stan Smyl will be in charge of hockey operations in the interim as Vancouver searches for new leadership. Ryan Johnson, Chris Gear, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, and Doug Jarvis will also aid in the day-to-day operations of the club.

During Benning's reign, which dated back to 2014-15, the Canucks owned the NHL's sixth-worst points percentage (.487) while holding a 242-257-61 record.

Benning is responsible for drafting a number of franchise stars, including Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko, and Brock Boeser. He also acquired J.T. Miller from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019.

 

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Canucks hire Bruce Boudreau as head coach

The Vancouver Canucks replaced head coach Travis Green with veteran bench boss Bruce Boudreau, the team announced late Sunday night.

Boudreau becomes the 20th head coach in franchise history and will be joined on the bench by Scott Walker, who joins the team as an assistant coach.

"I am excited to add Bruce Boudreau as our new head coach, and Scott as assistant," Canucks chairman Francesco Aquilini said in a statement. "Bruce is one of the most experienced coaches in the NHL, with nearly 1,000 games behind the bench and a successful track record working with some of the game's best talent. Scott is a young coach with an excellent reputation who will fit in very well with our group."

Boudreau will coach the club through at least next season, TSN's Darren Dreger added.

The Canucks also moved on from assistant GM John Weisbrod, and assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner on Sunday.

 

[capsfan30]

I think the Pacific better watch their backs. With that grouping of players, Boudreau could turn the 2021-22 Canucks into the 2007-08 Caps, and get them into the playoffs on the last day of the season. Wouldn't that be something??

 

[99goals]

I think the Pacific better watch their backs. With that grouping of players, Boudreau could turn the 2021-22 Canucks into the 2007-08 Caps, and get them into the playoffs on the last day of the season. Wouldn't that be something??

I have a lot of faith in Demko.

 

[coderedxm]

The team as a whole isn't complete in my opinion. Offence & goaltending are there, but the defense is lacking to say the least.
Special Teams is horrifically terrible. PK is possibly the worst in HISTORY (yet, through 25 games). Powerplay is mediocre at best.

Boudreau will be a great addition, hoping he inspires & motivates the team in the right direction. Green just didn't seem to push the team to reach their potential, every play seemed to be the same, very boring & predictive hockey...every play was copy and paste, while the opposition read that play a large portion of the time.

Maybe a move around Trade deadline day for a decent Defensive D-Man can push the Canucks across the finish line in March/April.

 

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Canucks hang on to beat Canes, improve to 4-0-0 under Boudreau

Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser scored and the Vancouver Canucks extended their win streak to four games with a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night.

The Canucks are undefeated under new coach Bruce Boudreau.

Martin Necas scored for the Hurricanes, who outshot Vancouver 29-26. Carolina had its four-game win streak halted.

Thatcher Demko made 28 saves for Vancouver. Carolina’s Antti Raanta stopped 24 of 26 shots.

Carolina was playing without star center Sebastian Aho, who missed the game with an undisclosed illness.

The Hurricanes called a timeout with two minutes left in the game and pulled Raanta in favor of an extra attacker. Demko was forced to make a big kick save on a shot by Andrei Svechnikov with just seconds left and the Canucks held on.

Necas’ goal put Carolina on the board early in the third

Vancouver’s Vasily Podkolzin sprawled out on the ice in an attempt to prevent Seth Jarvis’ pass, but the center managed to find Necas in front of the Canucks net. Necas flipped a quick backhanded shot at the 2:32 mark.

Vancouver came into the third up 2-0 after Pettersson scored off the rush 7:44 into the second. He took a nice pass from Conor Garland and scored on a shot from the hash marks to pad the Canucks’ lead. The goal was Pettersson’s fifth of the year and his first at even strength.

The Canucks went into the first intermission up 1-0 thanks to Boeser.

Stationed at the goal line, J.T. Miller sliced a pass in the high slot. Boeser blasted a wrist shot past Raanta on the stick side at 18:29 for his seventh goal of the season.

Miller got an assist on the play, extending his point streak to four games. He has a goal and four assists during the stretch.

Svechnikov batted a puck into the Vancouver net earlier in the frame, but the goal was quickly waved off for a high stick.

NOTES: Both sides were 0 for 1 on the power play. ... Former Canuck Jalen Chatfield played his first game in Vancouver since signing with Carolina as a free agent in July. ... Sunday marked the first meeting between the Canucks and ’Canes since Feb. 2, 2020.

 

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Horvat rallies Canucks past Blue Jackets 4-3 for 5th in row

Bo Horvat scored twice and the Vancouver Canucks rallied from three goals down to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory since Bruce Boudreau took over as coach.

Horvat buried his second of the game on a power play with 58.8 seconds left to put Vancouver ahead. Elias Pettersson and Vasily Podkolzin also scored for the Canucks (13-15-2). Quinn Hughes had three assists and Tyler Myers added two.

 

[grains]

Canucks

I'm impressed....they are playing now like they are having fun, too! And just in time for another CV-19 onslaught.

Grant