Canucks News & Rumours: Boeser’s Scoring Touch & Meriläinen’s Solid Play

The Vancouver Canucks didn’t get the result they wanted against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, losing 4–2. But a couple of individual performances were worth noting beyond the final score. Brock Boeser continues to find some offence, while Leevi Meriläinen is giving the coaching staff something to think about in goal.

Neither story changes the bigger picture in Vancouver. The Canucks still have plenty of work to do, and a few good individual performances won’t fix everything overnight. But sometimes, when a team is struggling, it’s worth looking for the little things that might eventually become something bigger. Two players here deserve a closer look.

Brock Boeser Is Finding His Scoring Touch, but There’s Another Side to the Story

Boeser scored his fifth goal of the season against Toronto, finishing a terrific first-period breakaway by getting Anthony Stolarz to bite on a fake shot, then pulling the puck around him and putting it in the net. It was a nice piece of work, and the sort of goal that reminds us what Boeser can do when he gets some room.

He’s been producing lately, too. Boeser has five points, including three goals, over his last four games. He now has 13 points (five goals and eight assists) in 16 games. That’s a solid offensive start, especially for a player the Canucks need to lean on.

But there’s another number that’s hard to ignore. Boeser is already minus-9, and that’s a concern given how much his defensive play has been an issue. Last season’s minus-48 was difficult to look past, and nobody wants to see him heading down that road again.

I don’t think we should judge Boeser entirely by his plus/minus. It’s a team statistic, and Vancouver’s problems aren’t his alone. Still, there’s a balance to strike. The Canucks need his offence, but they also need him to be part of the solution when the puck goes the other way. A productive Boeser is important. A productive Boeser who can help the team spend less time defending would be even better.

Leevi Meriläinen Is Giving the Canucks Something to Think About

Meriläinen stopped 24 shots against Toronto and allowed three goals in another performance that gives Vancouver reason to keep watching him. The Canucks lost, but the young goaltender once again looked capable of keeping his team in the game.

His overall numbers don’t jump off the page. He’s 2-5-1 with a 3.31 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage in nine starts. But context matters. The NHL average save percentage is .891, so Meriläinen is slightly above that mark.

That’s worth watching, especially on a team that hasn’t always made life easy for its goaltenders. Meriläinen has dealt with plenty of defensive breakdowns, and he’s still finding ways to give Vancouver a chance.

Kevin Lankinen remains an important part of the picture, but Meriläinen is making a case for more opportunities. The Canucks don’t need to rush to make a decision, and one good stretch doesn’t settle the goaltending question. Still, it’s encouraging to see a young goalie make the most of his chances. If Vancouver eventually gets the team playing better in front of him, his numbers might become even more interesting.

What’s Next for the Canucks?

For Boeser, the challenge is to keep producing while finding a better balance in his overall game. The goals and assists are welcome, but Vancouver needs more than offence from one of its important forwards.

For Meriläinen, it’s about keeping things simple and continuing to earn the opportunities he gets. The Canucks have bigger questions to answer before they become a competitive team again, but finding out what they have in young players is part of that process.

Vancouver has no easy answers right now. But Boeser finding his scoring touch and Meriläinen showing some promise are two developments worth following. Sometimes that’s where a rebuilding team has to start.