The Vancouver Canucks expect to receive a boost with the NHL debut of 2022 first-round draft pick Jonathan Lekkerimaki when they host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
After Vancouver’s most recent outing, which continued the club’s home-ice struggles, the Canucks could use it.
Lekkerimaki, who was selected 15th overall in that draft, will be counted on to provide some of the scoring punch lost with Brock Boeser on the shelf due to a suspected concussion.
Lekkerimaki, 20, collected five goals and two assists in seven games for Abbotsford of the American Hockey League before being summoned. He practiced on a line with J.T. Miller and Pius Suter on Monday.
“I’m not nervous right now, but probably get (nervous) the same day or a few hours before the game,” Lekkerimaki said. “I will just try to play my game. But at the same time, the first NHL game is special, so try to enjoy it, too. Just have fun and enjoy every second, on and off the ice.”
The Canucks, who have only one win in six home games (1-2-3), saw their three-game winning streak snapped by a 7-3 thrashing from the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Struggling forward Elias Pettersson registered his first multi-point performance of the season with one goal and one assist.
The Canucks likely will turn to goaltender Arturs Silovs, who had some mop-up duty after Kevin Lankinen surrendered all seven goals.
“We wanted to get him in a game and we’ll go from there,” coach Rick Tocchet said.
The Flames arrive after skating to a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings at home on Monday night.
“There was a lot of good from a lot of players. There’s not a lot I can be overly critical of. It was a pretty solid 60 minutes,” coach Ryan Huska said.
Goaltender Dustin Wolf turned in a sparkling 28-save performance. His shutout bid was quashed in the final minutes, but the victory was a solid effort through the lineup.
“I think everyone, as a whole, just shut them down,” Wolf said. “Any chances they had, I was able to see, for the most part. I’m just trying to help keep pucks out of our net and if we score one more than they do, then we’re going to be in pretty good hands.”
The Flames finished a three-game Eastern road swing before returning home to face the Kings.
While it will be a mean feat to rack up another victory on the West Coast, Calgary did show the blueprint in beating the Kings. The Flames controlled play from the start, were rewarded offensively and continued to hold momentum with a patient game that included a smart forecheck.
“We needed to start on time and be all over them, and that’s what we did. Doing that all over them wears them down,” forward Jonathan Huberdeau said. “Scoring two quick goals and taking advantage (of the first period edge in play), we deserved it the way we were working. We needed to capitalize, and that’s what we did, and after that, we didn’t look back.”
Calgary won the first meeting of the season between the Pacific Division rivals, a 6-5 overtime clash to open the season, in a game in which the Flames trailed 3-0 midway through the first period.
