Canucks Tyler Motte Carries the Torch for the Team’s Tylers

Who would have thought it? When the Vancouver Canucks lost their first Tyler – Toffoli –  after the first postseason game with the Minnesota Wild, there was a hole on the team’s top six that they thought they had successfully filled with a trade deadline deal with the Los Angeles Kings.

Then, when the Canucks lost their second Tyler – Myers – early in the series with the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues, there was a tall hole on the team’s defense that they thought they had successfully filled with the July 1, 2019, signing of the free agent who had previously played with the Winnipeg Jets.

In the end, there was only one Tyler – Motte – left skating. But, at least for this series, Motte was enough to lead his team to Game 5 and Game 6 victories that helped his team finish off the Blues. And this Tyler had been on the Canucks roster for the last three seasons.

The Canucks now move on to play the Vegas Golden Knights starting Sunday evening.

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Mott Was a Huge Surprise Star for the Canucks

Obviously, the Canucks are a better team with three Tylers than with only one, and the last reports we have suggest that both Toffoli and Myers will be able to return to the lineup as soon as Sunday’s game. Although that’s not official, everything we hear points to that being the case.

Motte showed up big in both Game 5 and Game 6 and was one of the huge and pleasant surprises for the Canucks. For anyone who follows the team, you have to love Motte’s energy and engine. He never seems to stop flying around the ice throwing his body like a wrecking-ball at opponents shift after shift. However, few Canucks fans would have expected the short but explosive run of offense he’s provided his team in this series.

Two Goals Twice in Two Games

Motte has looked like a top-six forward during both games. He scored two goals in Wednesday’s 4-3 Game 5 win. Then, he scored two goals in Friday’s 6-2 Game 6 victory.

During Game 5, Motte opened the game’s scoring with a shorthanded goal after he went around defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who had lost his stick and was defense-less to stop Motte’s speed. After the Canucks fell behind 3-1, only managing to stay in the game at all thanks to goaltender Jacob Markstrom’s stellar play, the team rallied a bit. J.T. Miller scored a greasy goal and Jake Virtanen faked a pass and then banked the puck off Blues goalie Jake Allen into the net to tie the game in the second period.

Motte then scored his second goal and the game-winner on a breakaway. The 25-year-old had no points in eight games entering Game 5, so his scoring was a nice surprise for Vancouver.

When Motte scored twice on Friday, he not only strung together back-to-back multi-goal games but he helped his team clinch the series against the Blues four games to two games. Game 6 had to count as an even bigger surprise.

Both Motte’s goals came during the third period of Game 6 and, although they were important, they were not important to the same magnitude as his Game 5 goals. His first goal gave the Canucks a 5-1 with less than seven minutes remaining and he scored his second into an empty net.

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Keep Playing Well, Tyler; and, Help Is Coming

The 25-year-old Motte has been gold this series for his team as far as depth scoring goes. But, an even bigger test might be coming when the Canucks take on the Golden Knights in the team’s second-round series. It would help the team’s cause if Motte could continue his solid play; however, as I noted, he might not be alone. Help might be coming with Toffoli and Myers on the mend.

It will be a great test for the young Canucks team to see if they can defend the powerful forwards the Golden Knights can ice.