BEST PLAYER

In many ways, this was the defining moment of Elias Pettersson’s meteoric rise in the NHL.

It was a game in which he was not going to be denied playing for a team he was not going to let lose.

He had a hat trick, something he had been chasing for the entirety of his brief 37-game career. So, uh, that took long.

But this is so much more than his three goals in one game.

This is about a player who was targeted early by a team bent on making sure he didn’t beat them. Not only did the Senators blueprint fail, they made things worse for themselves. Far worse.

Look, Pettersson will have big games against better teams and it will have more weight and import.

But today EP took big hits, absorbed cheap shots and had sticks gouged into his face, and he responded to all of it by playing smarter, faster and better.

“He took like it was something which was going to give him energy,” Baertschi said. “At times, for some players, when they get bumped around it can make them more confident,

“It’s like he said ‘OK, they’re worried about me out there and I’m going to make it harder on them.’

“That’s exactly what he did and it was sick.

“He never complained. And it was really fun to watch him.

“Everyone in this room looks at him and learns little things about the game when they watch him play.”

Today, class was in session in this sleepy Ottawa outpost. For anyone watching, pencils were down and eyes were up, trained for most of three periods on one player who commanded the spotlight like few in Vancouver have been able to do.

Pettersson started great, improved as the game dragged on and when the game was on the line in overtime he had the best 3-on-3 shift of his season.

The Canucks easily could have let this one slip away and would have lost it in most years they didn’t have Pettersson.

Vancouver set a season standard in missed chances and collapsed in the final minute, giving up the tying goal in a game they should have won by six.

They were ripe to be picked off in overtime.

But that wasn’t going to happen today.

Not on Pettersson’s watch.

BEST QUOTE

“I’m very happy I finally got a chance to get a hat trick.”

— EP

Yeah, that took years.

BEST PASS

How good was EP today?

Even Boeser didn’t think about shooting when setting him up.

EP: “I think the goalie was really expecting him to shoot.

“He went out to play that shot but Boeser made a great pass and it went in.”

So did two others, but honestly Pettersson left another two or three goals on the ice.

BEST EFFORT

Ottawa had a plan. It just wasn’t a good one.

They held EP’s stick even as the play went on all around him.

They took him down by any means necessary.

They sticked him.

And they lit him up when the puck wasn’t anywhere close to him.

BEST EXCHANGE

In your wildest dreams did you see this happening?

EP: “If you work hard, and believe in something, anything is possible. It’s always been a dream. It’s always what I’ve been working for growing up.

“Now I’m here living my dream playing in Vancouver.”

(What followed may have been the wort post-game question of the year thus far and we (the media) have had some really bad days along the way to get here).

MEDIA: If your dream was to play in the NHL, what team was your dream to play for?

EP: “Vancouver.”

(I wish I had the shot of the incredulous laugh and “as if” reaction from the Ottawa media. As though it’s implausible for a young Swedish kid to dream to play in the NHL for a team that has had the pleasure of hosting some of the greatest Swedish players of all time).

EP saw it, how could he not?

EP: “I was five years old and I had a Vancouver t-shirt.

“Yeah.

“Google it.”

BEST EL-OH-EL

NHL announces Elias Pettersson as January rookie of the month. — DK (@khatinthekar) January 3, 2019

BIGGEST MISS

“NHL officials can’t call all the penalties on Pettersson in a game.”

Not even this one?

BEST LOW KEY PLAY

Some people say to me Goldy should just watch Pettersson and play like him more. But how many players can play like this?

He ducks a defender and then lays out as he slides head first into the corner. As he does it, he executes a perfect bounce pass back to Alex Edler at the point and Edler actually gets a shot off.

BEST ZONE ENTRY

I can’t even believe how easy this looks.

It’s mesmerizing.

BEST HAT TIPPING

McKenna hasn't even been a Canuck for 24 hours and he's already getting hat tips on TV @botchford pic.twitter.com/6RiMPL9JsB — Miguel (@strombone99) January 3, 2019

BEST THIS IS WHY

Why doesn’t Goldy work with Granlund when Granlund is a centre?

Because he does things like dumping the puck in on a 3-on-2.

BEST BROADCASTING

This was celebrated as one way to defend EP on the broadcast.

Sure, just hit him seven seconds after the puck is gone.

Color guy was like “If he’s gonna hang around the net, you gotta make it hard in him”… umm that’s fuckin interference — MegaNuck (@MegaNuck) January 3, 2019

BEST REALITY

As long as Pierre Dorion and Chiarelli and Dale Tallon types exist in the NHL, Jim Benning still has opportunity to pull one over on executives here and there.

The rebuilding Senators gave up helpful assets, including a draft pick and cap space, to bring in Anders Nilsson, who is on an expiring contract and, let’s face it, hasn’t been good. What a world.

When Project Cable Box was launched, an initiative designed to get Nilsson traded to clear room in the NHL for Demko to begin an overdue career, no one considered a team like Ottawa could be a fit but here we are.

It seems the Sens were cornered into it because of injuries to Anderson and Condon, neither of whom seem to have a definitive timeline to return.

But if Condon is healthy anytime soon, the move will be especially odd because he’s been buried on the organizational depth chart even though he has the same career save percentage as Nilsson.

The Canucks needed to make this move. Like, now. There was just too much pressure from all sides because, as it was explained to me, the situation with Demko was no longer acceptable.

It can all be traced to mid-November when developing L.A. Kings goalie Cal Petersen got an extended NHL look because of injuries, after spending one season and six weeks in the AHL.

It’s just that kind of chance Demko hasn’t had in recent years, even though there have been opportunities for the Canucks to go that way.

It couldn’t have been easy for Demko to watch. Think about his POV for a moment. Demko was a higher draft pick, was a superior college goalie and also was the much better netminder in the minors.

Yet, here we are and Petersen has played 11 NHL games and was just fine. Actually, better than that. He had a .924 save percentage as an injury recall with the Kings which reads like another reason young goalies could be getting chances sooner.

Demko, still, was told to be patient after coming back from his concussion and proving he was healthy. He was playing more than well enough for a recall to a Canucks team where the backup was doing nothing but lose.

The next applicable situation was MacKenzie Blackwood’s development. He is just two years removed from being the OHL goalie of the year and here he is already getting regular starts in the NHL.

Blackwood was drafted a year after Demko, had worse AHL numbers and did it in fewer AHL games before graduating to NHL playing time.

Blackwood’s second straight shutout came in a game against the Canucks on New Year’s Eve and one in which Nilsson wasn’t good in losing 4-0.

With hindsight, and you can mix in Carter Hart, it sure feels like a boiling point.

How much more patience could be asked of Demko, who is in an organization that has publicly stated it’s all about playing the kids.

Except, of course, if the kid happens to be a goalie.

When asked about how anxious Demko was to get his chance with the Canucks, Benning said he hadn’t talked to Demko but admitted he had been speaking with Demko’s agent.

BENNING: “I think he sees now Blackwood make the jump in New Jersey and Petersen make the jump in L.A. and I think knowing him and how competitive he is as a kid and as a player, I think he wants to try to take that next step and see where he is at.”

I can promise you, he definitely feels ready to take this next step.

He’s played over 100 AHL games and mentally it wasn’t healthy to keep him down in a place where there just wasn’t any more room for growth.

He could have spent another six years in the AHL and it wasn’t going to make him any more prepared to take on NHL shooters.

From the people I’ve talked to, this is it.

Demko is expecting to be recalled as soon as this weekend and the Demko era is 100 per cent on.

It’s about freaking time.

BEST PROOF

The Canucks still got a draft pick and cap space for Nilsson and that’s with essentially doing the exact opposite of the Project Cable Box plan.

The project was urging the Canucks to cherry pick poor offences when choosing which games to start Nilsson.

I pitched the idea the Canucks could chase a third-round pick if the plan was followed.

They got a sixth and essentially did everything the project suggested they don’t do.

Nilsson started 12 games and all but three came against teams with a top 15 offence.

Seven of the starts came against teams with a top 10 offence.

Six of those starts came against teams with a top six offence.

Here’s how his starts broke down, with the team’s offence ranked.

BEST UPDATE

UPDATED Goals: Hischier + Patrick + Heiskanen + Makar = 23

Pettersson = 22. this kid is UNREAL. — Georgia Flurey Twiss (@georgiatwiss) January 3, 2019

BIGGEST WTF

Oh come on now.

Good god, no.

WORST LUCK

Boeser believes this game was the most chances he’s ever had.

He missed some shots, saw some great saves and had one goal ripped away from him by a defenceman’s stick blade.

He also was sent free on multiple breakaways. And, really, who on Vancouver wasn’t?

One was set up by Hutton and it took him a minute to fully realize the gap was that big for him.

“I turned around and I expected to see a guy all over me. The puck hit me and I was like ‘Wait no one is around me. I better get going.”

On the Baertschi pass, Boeser believed all game the Sens goalie was cheating to his glove side.

“That’s why I went backhand but he made a really good play on it. I didn’t really feel the slash so I don’t think it impacted the shot.”

BEST COMPARISONS

Fun facts that are based on real math. In the modern era, Elias Pettersson: – Is the fastest player to 42 points

– has the most g/60

– has the highest % impact on teammate SH%

– is better than McDavid

– already has more career "nice goals" or "beauties" than Jarome Iginla — Corduroy Orbison (@_Proto) January 3, 2019

MOST POINTLESS REPORTING

I’m going to guess if Jim has talked about trading Goldy, he’s not going to hand that to anyone on the record.

Just a guess.

Anyone asking Jim that question on the record is wasting their time.

Benning: “I haven’t talked to teams about trading Nikolay Goldobin” (via Imac) #IDontBelieveYou — Taj (@taj1944) January 3, 2019

BEST IT MAKES YOU THINK

If Goldy kept that goddamn mouthguard in his mouth the perception of his compete level would be different. — Pettersson to Boeser (@Conjacerio) January 2, 2019

BEST ANSWER

Your teacher doesn't like the new kid that moved here. His grades are good but he doesn't raise his hand enough and sometimes when he does he gets the answer wrong and everyone gets mad at him — Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) January 2, 2019

Also this was sent anonymously:

“It’s like when you get the beach and you see a smoking hot girl. You approach her and there’s something wrong. She’s not pretty enough to make up for the way she talks or how smart she is and you leave thinking ‘I never have to talk to that girl again.’

“From afar, it looks so great, but when you get up close it doesn’t look nearly as great.”

BIGGEST FEAR

BUT I see no reason Granlund should stay in the lineup when Sutter comes back.

BEST INTERVIEW

If this really was one of Nikolay Goldobin’s last moments in a Canucks uniform, he’s going out like he came in.

Smiling. Always be smiling.

After a long, hard and enjoyable on-ice sweat spent with team scratches, a practice apparently designed just for Goldy, the Russian forward posed for a picture in the hall on his way out of the Ottawa Senators home arena. The smile which can make him look a little too kindhearted and playful for general NHL tastes just ate his entire face.

It was beautiful.

It helped shade what’s been going on for him personally, a situation which hit code red Wednesday a day after it was learned he’d be a healthy scratch. Sometimes, looks can be deceiving.

Much like Goldobin’s year, one which has been dissected by many even if few understand it.

In his first full season in the NHL, Goldy has been much better defensively than most seem to realize.

However you choose to break it down — controlling shots, shares of scoring chances or, you know, which team is scoring the goals that count — the Canucks have been better when Goldobin is on the ice than when he isn’t.

Honestly, that right there is a story all in itself. A year ago, people were questioning whether Goldy could ever be an NHL regular; now we’re asking how good can he be in this league, a point of debate which seems to divide Vancouver like bike lanes.

Perception is interesting because a year ago if you could have promised Vancouver that Goldobin would be on a 45-point pace right now, he would have had one of the most popular jerseys at the team store.

For some reason, some to think the Canucks are in position now to trade a 45-point-pace player and there have been more than enough rumours to fuel that line of thought.

If this is legitimate, the Canucks need to be careful because Goldy has the kind of creative, playmaking skill set this organization desperately needs, the stuff that the Canucks have been lacking for most of the past five years.

The Canucks should be eager to wait out the learning curve he’s going through because if Goldobin improves in the next calendar year in the same way he has in the last one, he does have the potential to be a difference maker.

He certainly has the makeup to handle days like today and so many times for players that’s a huge part of the battle.

GOLDY: “It’s something I can’t control. I don’t know. I’m just not playing.”

ATHLETTIES: Is it easy for you? You can make it look easy.

GOLDY: (laughs). “I try to be like that. I can’t be down. I don’t want to be. But not every day is easy. Sometimes, there are grumpy days for me. Maybe after bad games or unlucky games.

“But I have to stay positive.

“There are a lot of games and I can improve myself.”

ATHLETTIES: You look to be playing a lot better this year, do you see it that way?

GOLDY: “Oh yeah. I feel like I’ve developed a lot this year. It’s huge for me. This is the last year of my contract and I think overall I’ve been doing a pretty good job.

“Hopefully, I can get back in and continue to produce.”

ATHLETTIES: What’s the message from Green?

GOLDY: “He wants me to play harder. Simple things. Skate harder. Play harder. That’s it. I am good with the puck but there are games where I don’t have the puck a lot.”

ATHLETTIES: Are you at your best when you have the puck?

GOLDY: “Obviously.”

ATHLETTIES: What’s it been like to have Pettersson this year?

GOLDY: “I am better with the good players and I am so glad I started the season with him. It helped me a lot.

“He plays hard. I like the way he holds the puck. He’s not trying to just toss the puck somewhere. He’s trying to make a nice play so he can make plays or set someone else to shoot.

ATHLETTIES: The biggest knock I hear is that you need to score more goals, and clearly you could have had more this year with the chances you’ve had. Do you agree with that?

GOLDY: “Obviously. At the start of the year, I should have scored more. I had a lot of chances. Lately, I haven’t had a lot of shots on net. For a while, I had three or four and lately I’ve been getting like one shot a game. I don’t know.

“Lately, I just haven’t had good situations to put the puck in the net. I have guys on me and I’ve passed to set up other players.

ATHLETTIES: Do you think you should be shooting more?

GOLDY: “I want to shoot but I don’t want to do it if I’m not confident I’m going to score. I’ve been waiting for a really good chance.”

ATHLETTIES: What’s been the biggest improvement this year?

GOLDY: “I think I’ve improved in the defensive zone. I’ve played harder.”

ATHLETTIES: How do you learn to do that?

GOLDY: “It’s time. I understand all the things I need to do.”

ATHLETTIES: How would you describe your relationship with the coach?

GOLDY: “Tough love (he laughs). We talk a lot.”

ATHLETTIES: Do you like Vancouver?

GOLDY: “I love it. I have friends in the area. I know where to go.”

ATHLETTIES: What about a trade? Would you want that?

GOLDY: “Not in my head, I don’t. I can’t control it. I’ll take wherever my life brings me.”

ATHLETTIES: This is your first full year in the NHL which often gets forgotten. What has that been like?

GOLDY: “It’s pretty hard to understand. There’s a lot of flights and hotels and sometimes you can get really tired.

“It can be hard. I’m still getting used to it. It is a big difference.”

BEST SIGN

Green is putting a lot of thought and work into Goldy which sure doesn’t paint a picture that he’s a player who the coach is done with and the team is about to trade.

They meet. Like, a lot.

They talk.

And even that dip Goldy had spending time on the fourth line was a motivating ploy from Green.

I don’t think it’s the most well-reasoned plan, but there was a plan.

“I thought when I put Goldy with Beagle it would be pretty obvious the game I was asking him to play,” Green said.

“We had good communication before that game.”

In other words, Green told Goldy exactly what he wanted from him before the Calgary game and laid out what was expected.

“It’s no secret, on the first goal, we had a turnover and lost coverage in our own zone.

“That’s where I want to see a young player embrace it and do this and get it done. He didn’t in that game. We talked to him and we’ll talk to him again.

“We’ll see where it goes.”

BEST SMOKING GUN

If you’re looking for a smoking gun to explain what should be the biggest issue with Goldobin and what he needs to improve if he’s going to stick, it’s this.

He can’t just be able to play with one centre. It’s not going to happen, not in this league.

He has to be able to play with Horvat or this isn’t going to work at all.

Baertschi got his chance with EP and Boeser today and looked really, really good.

This isn’t to say Goldy can’t do it. He has the skill to make it work, it just hasn’t happened. Not so far.

In 126 even-strength minutes on Horvat’s wing, Goldy has yet to get a point.

GREEN: “Exactly. You can’t just be a player who plays with Petey. He has to be a player who I can put with in different situations.

“I’ve talked to Brock a lot in the past about something similar. I’ve told him eventually I want him to be a guy I can put out in the last minute of a game and then you can get empty net goals.

“Those guys want that and I want the same thing.”

(Aside: It’s funny that a motivation to get offensive players to do what a coach wants is the chance for empty net goals. Funny and revealing).

(Top photo: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports)