University of Bo: Canucks’ Horvat rejoins some familiar linemates – Sportsnet.ca

WASHINGTON – Sunday was like a homecoming at the University of Bo.

There was Brock Boeser (Class of 2018), who coached on the right wing at Bo Horvat, where Boeser’s National Hockey League career began. Boeser completed the Bo U. about 10 minutes after Elias Pettersson arrived on the Vancouver campus four years ago.

On Horvat’s left wing, returning student Tanner Pearson was Horvat’s longest-serving linemate before Bruce Boudreau became coach of the Canucks last December, transferring Pearson alongside center JT Miller. Horvat helped restart the winger’s NHL career when Pearson was traded to the Canucks in 2019, scoring nine goals in his first 19 games.

Horvat joked a year ago, after Nils Hoglander was removed from his line after an impressive rookie season, that he was like a prep school sending wingers to bigger things.

But it was old-school Sunday for Horvat, Boeser and Pearson — and desperate times for the Canucks as Boudreau messed up his lines after Vancouver managed to lose their first two games in regulation despite being 3 The Edmonton Oilers and the Philadelphia Flyers led 0-0 and 2-0.

Horvat helped Pearson and Boeser get better. He could use some of her help now. All three fought their way through the first two games.

“I think everyone in this room knows we can be better and everyone has a little bit more to give,” Horvat said as the Canucks prepared to play the Washington Capitals on Monday. “I think we can certainly help each other get going.

“There are some good things about my game, but there are also things that I need to clean up a bit. I think I can be a bit more dangerous offensively. Defensively I think I was fine. It’s just finding the confidence with the puck to try and make a little more plays. But you know, that’s all coming.”

Soon, Boudreau hopes.

I’m still looking for his 600th^th NHL win — mostly so reporters wouldn’t ask him about it again — Boudreau traded Miller and Horvat in practice, giving each center the other’s wingers after the Miller-Pearson-Boeser topline in Saturday’s 3-2 loss in Philadelphia was territorially wiped out.

Horvat wasn’t much better with Conor Garland and Vasily Podkolzin training with Miller on Sunday.

Horvat didn’t look like his powerful, dynamic self in the first few games. The Canucks captain is at his best when pushing the game and using his speed to fend off defenders and get to the net.

A few turnovers against the Flyers made him look nervous. Horvat said during pre-season that he couldn’t let his contract situation – which hasn’t been signed beyond this season and negotiations appear to have stalled – affect his game. Is it in his head?

“Of course, that will always remain in the back of our minds,” he said on Sunday. “But for me it means not letting it get to me and just going out there and playing. I can only control so much. All I can do is control my game on the ice and help this team win. Of course, if the team succeeds, I will succeed and everyone will be happy. If we come back to that, it will be fine.

“The whole team has to limit its turnover. But for me, I just find the easy 200ft game I’ve always been known for. I won’t be the flashiest guy out there, but doing the little things is what makes me different.”

Horvat scored 31 goals last season and his only point so far is a power-play assist. But that unit was outplayed 2-1 by opposing penalty killers and is half the reason the Canucks have built up a 6-1 deficit against special teams in two games.

Horvat’s expected batting average in five-a-side is just 43.9 percent, although that number shines when compared to Pearson (27.1 percent) and Boeser (26.3). The tiny two-game sample doesn’t deserve any major conclusions, but Boeser has only had two shots on target in two games, while Pearson looked unusually suspect, having three small penalties and scoring just one so far.

“I have some things to clean up,” Pearson said. “I take pride in shipboard battles and small details like that. And check ahead instead of doing everything (in the offensive zone) and chasing the whole game.”

Pearson noted that he’s played with Horvat more than any other linemate since joining the Canucks and believes the two have “chemistry.”

“When we’re good, we stand on the forecheck and lose possession and then go offensive,” he said.

Boeser has at least one reason if this is going to be a slow start for him: He missed pre-season for the second straight year through injury and is only now getting the replays many others had in September.

He has two assists, but the Canucks have been outmatched with equal strength when Boeser is on the ice.

“It’s not easy,” said Boeser. “I was so excited to have a full camp and have my body feel good and then get a hand injury by accident that I was definitely frustrated. But I worked hard to come back for the first game. Obviously there are some things. . . small details that games will need to come back. Little things that I have to focus on now and try to build and keep building every game.

Boeser’s absence allowed Kuzmenko to take over his goal-scoring position on the first unit’s power play.

“I’m a competitive guy and I’d love to be in that first session with these guys,” Boeser said. “But wherever I’m deployed, I’ll try to do my best. When I get out of there I’ll try to score a goal. It doesn’t really change my attitude: try to help the team win.”

Boudreau said he believes Horvat, Pearson and Boeser could become a “check-scoring line” – a unit that can defend against top strikers while also generating attacks. As an example, the coach cited the trio of Mikko Koivu, Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker that Boudreau had with the Minnesota Wild a few years ago.

Tucker Poolman, who missed the last two periods in Philadelphia after costing the second half of last season, believed to be due to a recurrence of migraine complications, did not train on Sunday, although Boudreau said the defenseman was feeling better.

Backup defender Jack Rathbone is expected to make his season debut on Monday while Kyle Burroughs is promoted to the top-four role to replace Poolman alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson. For depth of the blue line, the Canucks remembered American League defenseman Noah Juulsen and sent Sheldon Dries the other way.