Can the Canucks Elias Pettersson’s Iron Will Dominate These Playoffs?

How good is Elias Pettersson? During the postseason, we’re finding out.

Pettersson is getting stronger every game and has become a dominating player for the Vancouver Canucks in his first Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance.

Related: The Canucks Need Tyler Toffoli: Can He Keep Scoring?

Game 2 Against the Vegas Golden Knights, For Example

The Canucks looked strong against the Stanley Cup reigning St. Louis Blues during the first round of the playoffs. The Blues were physical with both Pettersson and the other Canucks young star defenseman Quinn Hughes; but, to their credit, the young players got hit and never quit.

Neither of these youngsters is a physical presence – that is, they are both of slight build – and they often found themselves getting knocked down, face-washed, or roughed up after every play. Still, both players showed their iron wills. They simply got up and kept going.

Pettersson, especially, seems to get stronger every game. He’s every bit as skilled, but what seems to be growing is his determination to play through the abuse. And, while he cannot dish the abuse back, he can abuse his opponents on the score sheet. And in that aspect – scoring – he has shown that he hasn’t backed down where it’s counted. That determination might be starting to set a tone for this series as he leads his team.

After Game 1 there Was Game 2

After emerging from the Blues series on a roll and with energy from the team’s victory, the Canucks ran into a dominant Vegas Golden Knights team in Game 1. It was a rough start to the series and even the most faithful Canucks fans had to take a deep breath.

But Pettersson stepped up in a big way in Game 2, and his play dominated the Golden Knights. When the ice chips settled, he ended the game with a goal and two assists.

During Game 2, the 21-year-old Swedish center showed he was the center of the Canucks offense. Partnered by head coach Travis Green with the returning Tyler Toffoli (who had missed 10 games with a “lower-body” injury) and the well-traveled Tanner Pearson, that line looked strong as the Canucks upset the highly-favored Golden Knights.

Pettersson Is now Second in NHL Postseason Scoring

Pettersson currently has five goals and 11 assists (16 playoff points) and trails only the Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon in points since the NHL’s restart (MacKinnon has seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points).

After being shutout by the Golden Knights 5-0 during Game 1, the Canucks won Game 2 by a score of 5-2. Pettersson’s goal came on three shots and he had a hand in all three of the Canucks’ first three goals of the game. He assisted Tyler Toffoli and Bo Horvat on the power play in the first period, then he scored a goal of his own late in the second period to give the team a two-point lead.

It’s Pettersson’s fifth multiple-point game in his last seven games. Pettersson was almost unstoppable during the game. After going up 2-0 during the first period, the Canucks were totally outplayed during the second period. The team needed a boost. There Pettersson was.

With less than two minutes left in the second period, Pettersson got open in front of the net, took a great cross-seam pass from Alex Edler, and put a great deke on Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner to tuck the puck home.

Related: Scoring the Canucks-Blues Round 1 Series: Pettersson 2, Binnington 0

Can the Canucks Keep Up Their Play Against the Golden Knights?

The Canucks scored early in the third period and the game was history. If Pettersson can continue to play with such drive, his team will have a chance in this series. As I noted, the Canucks were not expected to make this series that difficult a task for the Golden Knights; however, at least for one game, they did just that.

After missing playing Friday night’s game because the NHL joined the protest began by the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, who boycotted their playoff game against the Orlando Magic in response to the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin (about 40 miles from Milwaukee), the teams will play Game 3 on Saturday night.

Can Pettersson help his team climb the playoff mountain that is the Golden Knights? Fans will soon find out. One thing we should never doubt, and that’s his will to do so.