The Vancouver Canucks endured rough seas for the past few weeks, but they visit the San Jose Sharks on Friday with hopes of claiming back-to-back wins for the first time in more than a month.
The Canucks started a four-game road trek on a positive note with a 5-4 win at Pacific Division-leading Anaheim on Wednesday. Max Sasson scored a goal and added an assist for Vancouver, which previously lost six of its last seven games.
“We said in between periods that we’re not taking this thing to (overtime). We need to win in regulation,” Sasson said. “We got the job done. … It’s a big win to start the road trip.”
Rookie goalie Nikita Tolopilo stopped 37 shots in his season debut to earn his first career regulation win. Tolopilo, who played in two games last season, got the call after Kevin Lankinen started eight of Vancouver’s last nine games.
Lankinen has had to play more since Thatcher Demko, the Canucks’ top netminder, suffered a lower-body injury on Nov. 11. However, the team announced earlier in the week that Lankinen was out because of a personal matter.
That means the crease belongs to Tolopilo and Jiri Patera, who has played in just nine NHL games. Patera gave up seven goals on 40 shots in his season debut, an 8-5 loss at Florida on Nov. 17.
Such a green tandem is not ideal for a team like the Canucks. They have allowed 90 goals, the second most in the NHL, and their only winning streak was a three-gamer from Oct. 16-19.
Vancouver’s recent skid came as reports surfaced that the team may consider trading captain and star defenseman Quinn Hughes, whose 20 assists lead the team. The 26-year-old American is eligible to sign an eight-year extension next summer, but he has also acknowledged it would be fun to play with his two brothers on the New Jersey Devils.
The Sharks are coming off a 6-0 defeat Wednesday against the red-hot Colorado Avalanche, who extended their winning streak to 10 games.
Coach Ryan Warsofsky said the young Sharks can learn from how a team like Colorado, a top Stanley Cup contender, plays.
“We continue to learn as we go here and get better, and we’ve probably taken a step in the right direction as far as a sample size of the season,” Warsofsky said. “But obviously we have a ways to go.”
The shutout ended a five-game points streak for Macklin Celebrini, who has been on the scoresheet in nine of his last 11 games. The second-year forward leads the team with 14 goals and 20 assists, and his 34 points tie him with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for second in the NHL.
Goalie Yaroslav Askarov gave up four goals as his three-game winning streak ended. It was the most he’s allowed since yielding four in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 28. Warsofsky pulled Askarov early in the second period Wednesday for backup Alex Nedeljkovic.
Friday’s game will be the first of back-to-backs for both teams. Vancouver plays at Los Angeles on Saturday, while the Sharks will face the Vegas Golden Knights on the road.
