The Vancouver Canucks started the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a bang. In Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers, the organization came back after trailing 4-1. Elias Lindholm scored late in the second to cut the lead to two before the club exploded with three goals in the third for the win.
Head coach Rick Tocchet has done a great job with the Canucks this season. The team plays in a system that fits their style and the coach has instilled belief into the club, which is why he is a nominee for the Jack Adams Award for best coach. Meanwhile, the club’s core stepped up, as J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes set career highs in points, while Brock Boeser set a career-high in goals with 40. Elias Pettersson had an up-and-down season, while Thatcher Demko played some of his best hockey in net. Hughes (Norris Trophy) and Demko (Vezina Trophy) are also up for awards.
However, the club’s third line deserves credit for the team’s success this season. With Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua on the wing, the line started the season with Teddy Blueger at centre before Lindholm took over the spot. No one could’ve guessed the line would succeed this season, as Garland was involved in trade rumors before the regular season started, while Joshua’s production was unexpected. Meanwhile, Blueger was brought in to kill penalties, and Lindholm was still in Calgary with the Flames.
Third Line Came as a Surprise
Garland’s agent allowed the Canucks to trade before the regular season started, but the club’s hot start led to the forward remaining with the team. He joined Vancouver before the 2021-22 season, in a trade from the Arizona Coyotes along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Most thought of him as the piece with the most promise as he’d now play with top-end talent in Vancouver. However, the organization struggled in his first two years and looked to create cap space with Garland emerging as a trade piece. Although he posted a career-high 19 goals and 55 points in his first season with the team, he struggled the following year until Tocchet took over. The head coach had Garland starting the season on the first line but moved him to the third line alongside Joshua.
Before the regular season, Joshua was fighting for a place on the roster in training camp, with Tocchet saying he had to pick up his play if he wanted to keep his spot on the team. The Canucks brought in Joshua to provide sandpaper before the 2022-23 season and he was seen as a fourth-line forward. However, near the end of the season, he and Garland showed they had chemistry. Joshua bounced back from his tough start in the preseason, but the duo still needed a centre.
To start the season, Pius Suter slotted in between the two wingers but was injured on Nov. 12. Replacing him was the returning Blueger, who fit perfectly on the line. The Canucks signed him in the offseason, as he’d provide depth up the middle and help on the penalty kill.
Provided Depth Scoring in the Regular Season
The Canucks came out of the gates hot, thanks to their core players, but the third line allowed them to continue to play at a high level. Mid-way through the season, the trio of Joshua, Blueger and Garland combined for 43 points (15 goals, 28 assists) in 16 games straight. The trio played together for 43 games throughout the season, skating for 359:19 minutes at 5-on-5, scoring 21 goals and only giving up 10 against. The line’s success led to a career-high for Joshua, who scored 18 goals and posted 32 points in 63 games, while Blueger tied his career-high of 28 points. Garland posted his best goal total with the Canucks at 20 and recorded 47 points, the second-highest in his career.
Related: 3 Canucks Who Need to Step Up Against Oilers
However, with the acquisition of Lindholm, Tocchet needed to find a fit for the newly acquired forward and placed him with Joshua and Garland. The trio didn’t line up together for long as Joshua suffered a hand injury, and Lindholm sat out seven games to heal a wrist injury. The trio didn’t come together until the final four games of the regular season where they showed promise.
“When he came back and he played that game in Arizona (on April 10), you could just tell what a man he was compared to before,” Garland said of Lindholm. “I talked to my buddies on the team after, like, how hard he is to play against. He plays a lot like Patrice Bergeron, I feel. To play with somebody like that is a privilege because you can make a mistake and he’s there. He’s a guy that lets you play free.”
Clutch in the Playoffs
With the 2021-22 Selke Trophy runner-up centring the third line, the trio has become even more effective. Tocchet has used them in matchup roles and they’ve also stepped in big moments throughout the playoffs.
It didn’t take long for them to make an impact in the postseason, as in Game 1 against the Nashville Predators, Joshua, Garland and Lindholm combined for three goals and five points in the 4-2 win. Lindholm scored the first goal for the Canucks, while Joshua scored the game-winner and an empty netter. The trio finished the series with nine points through six games, including the game-winners in Game 1 and 4.
Their role against the Oilers is larger than it was against the Predators, as Edmotnon’s top lines feature two of the league’s best players, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. In Game 1, all three did more than what was expected of them.
With the Canucks down two after the first, Joshua scored to give the club their first goal, which Lindholm assisted it. However, the Oilers responded with two more goals, putting the Canucks down three. Lindholm responded with a goal of his own in the final minutes of the second to cut the lead in half, while Joshua assisted his goal this time. The Canucks responded with two more goals from Miller and Nikita Zadorov to tie the game up. Finally, Garland scored his first of the playoffs and the game-winner, assisted by Joshua. The trio scored three of the Canucks five goals and combined for six points in Game 1.
Furthermore, Joshua is tied for first in points with seven on the Canucks, while Lindholm is tied for second with five. Garland has three points but has played some of the best hockey on the team.
Canucks Third Line Might Be One & Done
The third line has made an impact all season long for the Canucks. An unlikely trio with Blueger centring Joshua and Garland allowed the club to be successful throughout the regular season. The addition of Lindholm improved the line further, especially in the postseason. However, this might be the first and last time Canucks fans see this line together as Lindholm and Joshua are unrestricted free agents, and it will be difficult to re-sign both. Nonetheless, as long as they are together, the third line continues to be a key to the club’s success.
