3 Canucks That Need to Step Up in Game 6

With how close this series has been, with fits and starts from both sides, maybe it’s not a surprise that we are going for more than five games. But the fact is, the Canucks had a 3-1 series lead and couldn’t close it out the first time they had the opportunity to. Now, the pressure is on to avoid a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Vancouver on Sunday.

With that, let’s take a look at three players that will need to step up their game so that Canucks fans won’t be nervously waving their towels at Rogers Arena for a fourth time in this series.

Elias Pettersson

It’s time for Elias Pettersson to break out of his slump, just like his countryman William Nylander did for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday against the Boston Bruins. He hadn’t scored in 14 games and posted two goals in his team’s most important game of the season. Pettersson needs to follow suit tonight. While his slump isn’t nearly as long at eight games, and the Canucks aren’t in do-or-die mode, he still has to make a huge difference in the outcome of Game 6 if they hope to avoid being in that boat themselves in a few days.

Pettersson hasn’t looked like himself since his dominant January where he scored 14 goals and 21 points in 13 games. Since that outburst, he only has seven goals and 27 points in 38 games, including a measly two assists in five games in this series. The biggest red flag for me is the amount of shots he has against the Predators so far – seven. Yes, the whole team is struggling to get pucks through to Juuse Saros, but with the lethal nature of his wrist shot and one-timer, he should be loading up every chance he gets. Surely the Predators’ forwards and defencemen can’t get in front of everything, right?!

Bottom line, Pettersson has to be the Canucks’ best player in Game 6, nothing less. He needs to show that he can dance with the elite or his team might be out in the first round after squandering a 3-1 series lead.

Ilya Mikheyev

Ilya Mikheyev is marred in yet another 20-game goalless streak and hasn’t scored since March 13 against the Colorado Avalanche. Game 6 is the perfect time for him to snap out of that slump. The last time he was in the playoffs was back in 2022 with the Maple Leafs, and he was productive with two goals and four points in seven games. The Canucks need that forward right now. He was noticeable in Game 5, showcasing his speed and tenacity on the forecheck, posting two shots and two hits in 12:20 of ice time.

Mikheyev has been stapled to Pettersson’s wing for most of the series, and has yet to record a point. He is also a minus-2 and has been held to zero shots in two of the five games. With the Brock Boeser, JT Miller and Pius Suter line doing most of the heavy lifting offensively, it’s time for Mikheyev to break out and start pulling on the rope a bit more. If he can use his trademark speed and finally get some luck around the net in Game 6, the Canucks will have a better chance of winning and moving on to face the Edmonton Oilers in the second round.

Nils Hoglander

It’s not a coincidence that every member of the so-called second line is on this list of players that need to step up in Game 6. Like Mikheyev and Pettersson, Nils Hoglander was more like himself in Game 5, throwing his weight around on the forecheck and getting chances around the net. The 24-goal man from the regular season has yet to make his presence known on the scoresheet in this series but was closer to the even-strength monster that fans grew accustomed to in the regular season. He, like Pettersson, needs to shoot the puck a lot more, as he only has two shots in the entire series, going shotless in Games 1, 2 and 5.

I’m a little surprised that Hoglander has taken this long to become a factor in the playoffs. His playstyle and ability to get under the skin of his opponents should have him in Brad Marchand and David Bolland territory in terms of impact. Game 5 was a step in the right direction, so hopefully we see more of it in Game 6 and a crucial goal or two from the man they call “Hogs”.

Canucks Need to Treat Game 6 Like It’s Game 7

While the Canucks will have a third chance at making it to the second round if they lose tonight, they have to put that out of their mind and treat Game 6 like it’s Game 7. They cannot follow the Boston Bruins’ lead and fall flat on their face. It’s time for Pettersson, Mikheyev and Hoglander to be the leaders on the scoreboard and match what Miller and Boeser have done so far. Pettersson being the chief among them.