Brock Boeser's resurgence helped Canucks' playoff run – Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

Brock Boeser's time in Vancouver has had its ups and downs. The forward got his career off to a hot start in his first full season in 2017-18 after tasting nine games last season. He scored 55 points in 62 games and looked to improve from there. But over the next five seasons, he never topped 56 points and was the subject of trade rumors all the time. But the 2023-24 restart season cemented himself as a key member of the Canucks core and was one of the many reasons why they made it to the second round.

Boeser's breakout season has made him a valuable piece of the roster

Boeser hit a career low during his last three seasons where he saw his goal and point production fall short of what fans expected of him. He regressed in the 2019-20 season where he scored just 16 goals, had 40-point seasons in 2021 and 2022, and even though his point production increased last season, he finished with just 18 goals. The writing appeared to be on the wall for Boeser and his time in Vancouver looked to be coming to an end. Until this season, when everything clicked.

Boeser opened the season with a four goal game against the Edmonton Oilers and his season took off from there. He had a great season with the Canucks and was a big part of their offensive arsenal along with Elias Pettersson and JT Miller. Finding his game at this point was the best thing for Boeser as now every team playing the Canucks has to worry about him and the other threats he has. Boeser finished the season with 40 goals and 73 points. It was the first time he scored 40 goals in his career.

Boeser's points helped the Canucks win their first-round series

Every player has that one play in the playoffs that is forever remembered as one of the best of all time. This is Max Talbot's place the Pittsburgh Penguins' two-goal game against the Detroit Red Wings in the 2009 Stanley Cup finals, and Wayne Gretzky's hat trick for the Los Angeles Kings against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1993 conference finals. But Canucks fans will always remember the wonder hat trick that Boeser scored in Game 4 against the Nashville Predators in 2024.

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Boeser took a Canucks team that looked set for a Game 5 with the Predators before Game 4 ended and took the game to force overtime. After scoring early in the game, he scored twice in the final minutes to force overtime. Vancouver went on to win that game in overtime. Without that amazing performance by Boeser, the Canucks might not be in the second round right now as Nashville ended up winning Game 5 and could have won the series on ice in Game 6.

Boeser added more to Vancouver's series win besides those three goals in Game 4. He recorded another goal and two assists in the other five games of the series to total six points in six playoff games. He found a home playing with Miller and Pius Suter and found his role on the powerplay as a left tackle. With Boeser playing this way, the Canucks become a very dangerous team to play against because they have many options in the attack zone and many players who can score when the team needs a goal.

Boeser's new game is blossoming at the right time and his scoring is picking up just when Vancouver needs it most. The Canucks were able to have a defensive battle against the Predators but that will not happen when they face the Edmonton Oilers. With their firepower, they will look to surpass Vancouver, but the Canucks have more firepower than Edmonton with all their big offensive weapons. It should be a great series.