ABBOTSFORD — Elias Pettersson was asked to put the NHL pre-season in perspective and his response was the perfect summation of an imperfect passage to the regular season. “Pre-season is good to get your reps in and get ready for the season. Not the most fun to play but they’re important,” the Vancouver Canucks centre said Wednesday morning following the morning game-day skate.
So how many games does Pettersson need to hit the ground running when the Canucks start playing for keeps? “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “We’ll see. I don’t have a number.
” That’s because the Canucks’ veteran core players know their place in the roster pecking order. They will methodically prepare for the regular season as opposed to those pushing to make the team. It’s why Aatu Raty, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Sammy Blais faced the Calgary Flames after playing Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken.
The Canucks were unsure how they would respond Wednesday in a 4-3 win. “I think it’s important that these guys play in an atmosphere of a back-to-back game and they might be a little tired, but that’s what you’ve got to see,” said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet . “You have to play when you’re tired and play smart.
And it’s a mental thing, too. They might not even be tired.” Lekkerimaki and Raty weren’t as prominent Wednesday and that’s part of the learning curve.
On Tuesday, Lekkerimaki had two assists, unleashed heavy shots and Raty was a beast in the faceoff cir.