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Vancouver Canucks playoff report cards: Grading each defender and
goalie in Round 1
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It's felt like an eternity waiting for the Vancouver Canucks' second-
round series against the Edmonton Oilers to get started.
On Friday, Vancouver won its first playoff series with fans in the
building in 13 long years. The victory was a celebration for a long-
suffering fan base and set up a western Canada grudge match that
promises to be intense and filled with polite, cordial social media
interaction.
Before the puck drops on an epic second-round series, we wanted to
look back at how each Canucks player contributed to Vancouver's six-
game victory over the Nashville Predators in the first round. We
profiled the forwards on Monday, and today we'll get into each
individual defender and goaltender who appeared in more than one game
in the Predators series.
* * *
**Quinn Hughes:** B+
_6 GP, 0 goals + 5 assists = 5 points_
There were moments in the first round when Hughes looked to be
battling through it.
Run by the Predators repeatedly, with Nashville's physical fourth line
making a point of finishing its checks in particular, Hughes' minutes
were sharply reduced in the middle of Vancouver's first-round series.
He appeared to be winded briefly in Game 4, and concerns mounted about
Hughes' health and status, especially as Vancouver struggled to
generate offence.
Through it all, Hughes just went about his business, controlling play
ably and conducting the game from the back end. In Game 4, Hughes made
an impossible play to keep the puck alive at the blue line and convert
what should've been a clear into a key game-tying goal. In Games 5 and
6, Hughes was back to being the most impactful skater on the ice for
either team.
The only meaningful blemish for Hughes in Round 1 was the frequency
with which his shot attempts didn't end up on goal; only nine of
Hughes' 36 attempts reached Juuse Saros for a shot on goal.
Hughes' work will be essential if Vancouver is going to upset the
Oilers in Round 2. And he proved in Round 1 that he won't be dissuaded
from taking over the game, no matter how frequently or how hard he
gets hit in the process.
**Nikita Zadorov:** A
_6 GP, 2 goals + 1 assists = 3 points_
Zadorov was a two-way monster and emerged as the Canucks' best
defenceman besides Hughes in Round 1.
The hulking 6-foot-6 Russian defender contributed in nearly every
facet of the game. He delivered bone-crushing hits, defended the
interior well, ably moved pucks and was an ace on the penalty kill,
using his long reach and competitiveness to win battles. The Canucks
controlled a dominant 65 percent share of scoring chances during
Zadorov's five-on-five shifts. He was on the ice for just nine high-
danger chances against for the entire series at even strength. On top
of that, he chipped in offensively with two goals and an assist.
Zadorov was rewarded for his strong performance with a significant
uptick in his ice time. He averaged 20:20 in Round 1, which is
substantially higher than the 16:30 he averaged from the All-Star
break to the end of the regular season. This dream playoff start is
making him a fan favourite in Vancouver, with many fans already
clamouring for him to be an offseason extension priority.
Zadorov emerged as a fan favourite and the Canucks' best defenceman
besides Hughes in Round 1. (Bob Frid / USA Today)
**Filip Hronek:** C+
_6 GP, 0 goals + 0 assists = 0 points_
Hronek's minutes were down at five-on-five in Round 1. Zadorov played
top-line minutes and Hronek was given second-pair deployment, despite
mostly still skating on Hughes' right side.
The underlying numbers for the Hughes-Hronek pair were excellent
against the Predators, as they typically are, but Hronek's impact felt
muted in the series. The Predators seemed to win more than their share
of 50/50 battles against Hronek on the wall, and offensively, Hronek
was quiet. The Canucks' top right-handed defender only managed four
shots on goal in the first round, didn't seem to be as dynamic a
playmaker from the blue-line in and rarely transitioned the puck as
the Vancouver offence stagnated.
In some ways, it was a continuation of a larger offensive slump Hronek
appeared to hit in the second half of the season. Dating back 45 games
now, including playoffs, Hronek has managed just two goals and 12
total points.
Even as Hronek remains an exceptional fit on Hughes' right side and a
solid two-way contributor, the Canucks will likely need him to find
the level he hit early in the season if they're going to get by
Edmonton (and, if they do, whichever of Dallas or Colorado await in
the conference finals).
**Ian Cole:** B+
_6 GP, 0 goals + 1 assists = 1 points_
There were times down the stretch when you wondered if age and fatigue
were catching up to Cole. He was such a steady bottom-four presence in
the first half of the season, but he looked just a tad slower and more
mistake-prone in the second half. Heck, with Noah Juulsen's sturdy
play, some wondered about a month ago if he should get a shot in the
playoffs as the No. 6 defenceman over Cole.
But then Round 1 rolled around and Cole reminded everybody how
valuable he is as a savvy, veteran blue-line presence.
Cole was a rock on the penalty kill, even paying the price with a shot
block off his face. He did an excellent job clogging the middle
defensively and disrupting backdoor passing lanes. He was calm and
poised escaping pressure and making plays on the breakout, even though
he still had the occasional giveaway. And, of course, playing
alongside Zadorov, Cole's underlying numbers were sterling and
included a 4-2 edge in five-on-five goals.
**Carson Soucy:** C+
_5 GP, 0 goals + 1 assist = 1 point_
Soucy emerged as Vancouver's third most important defender for long
stretches of this dream Canucks campaign, but found himself playing
third-pair minutes and spending a lot of time hemmed in his own end in
the first round.
The stalwart defender continued to impact the game with his smart
defensive positioning and long reach. He remains the best friend of
Canucks defenders for the way he minds the back door. But the Soucy-
Tyler Myers pair really struggled in transition and the Canucks
generated next to nothing in terms of shots or scoring chances when
they were on the ice.
Ultimately, for all of the time spent defending, the Canucks didn't
give up much with Soucy on at five-on-five. His defensive game held up
in Round 1, even if it wasn't always pretty.
Against a team with the level of finishing talent that Edmonton has,
however, Vancouver's ostensible second pair has to start playing more
frequently in the offensive end of the rink, or it's going to get
burned.
**Tyler Myers:** B
_5 GP, 0 goals + 0 assists = 0 points_
Remember how Myers was a whipping boy for his mistake-filled game at
the start of the season? Now he's a steady, indispensable part of the
Canucks' blue line. Life moves quickly.
Myers has all but eliminated the panicked, glaring giveaways on
breakout attempts that used to haunt him — he's making calmer, smarter
decisions on defensive zone retrievals. He isn't chasing the play
defensively, pulling himself out of position or making ill-timed
pinches that leave him caught up ice. Myers is suddenly defensively
reliable in a top-four role without these big, costly mistakes.
Myers' pair got hemmed in the defensive zone for many shifts (it
controlled just 37 percent of five-on-five shot attempts) in Round 1,
but he was tagged for just one five-on-five goal against for the
entire series. It was a bend-but-don't-break style where he defended
the slot well and won net-front battles to limit Nashville's offensive
damage significantly. Myers was also a standout on the penalty kill.
Juulsen had to step in for Game 2 when Myers was ill. Filip Forsberg
mercilessly torched Juulsen for a goal, which underscored just how
important Myers has become.
**Arturs Silovs:** A+
_2-1-0 record, .931 save percentage_
Imagine if you told somebody in October that Silovs would be the hero
to clinch a Canucks playoff series win. These are the beautiful,
completely unexpected storylines we all watch sports for.
Silovs outdueled Juuse Saros from Games 4 to 6. He was steady and
confident in Games 4 and 5 before delivering a sensational 28-save
shutout in Game 6. Silovs' rebound control was on point; he flashed
explosive athleticism and was surprisingly quick at reacting to broken
plays in front of him. The Canucks deserve credit for defending cross-
seam passes so he didn't have to make near-impossible backdoor saves,
but he passed the test against virtually every other scoring chance
type.
Besides the physical tools, Silovs looks ready for the big moment
mentally. It's as if his affable, happy-go-lucky personality rejects
pressure and nerves. He's down to Earth but has swagger on and off the
ice.
Considering how much the Canucks scuffled offensively, there's no way
they would have advanced past Nashville without Silovs' heroics in
net.
**Casey DeSmith:** A
_1-1-0 record, .911 save percentage_
Considering his shaky play down the stretch, it was fair to wonder
what version of DeSmith was going to show up once Thatcher Demko went
down with an injury.
Game 2 was a tough outing, through little fault of his own, as the
Predators opened the scoring with a laughably unlucky deflection just
over a minute into the first period. You couldn't blame him for
getting beat by a wicked play by Forsberg in tight or Colton Sissons'
second-period goal after a Canucks turnover either. Yet at the end of
the night, three goals on 15 shots wasn't a pretty stat line.
DeSmith redeemed himself with an excellent Game 3 performance,
stopping 29 of 30 shots to help the Canucks squeak out a 2-1 victory
despite registering just 12 shots. He more than capably held down the
fort when called upon until, of course, his injury forced Silovs into
the crease.
_(Top photo of Quinn Hughes and Arturs Silovs defending against
Colton Sissons: Derek Cain / Getty Images)_
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