Canucks Coffee: Serving up award-winning brews to salute standouts

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Most NHL teams abide the ‘The 90-Minute Rule’.

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Players are allotted that amount of time to savour victory or get over the sting of defeat.

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The Vancouver Canucks won’t soon forget an error-filled and sloppy 6-3 loss to the Golden Knights in Las Vegas on Tuesday to open a three-game road trip.

The defending Stanley Cup champions scored four goals on their first eight shots to send a message. The clubs could possibly meet in the first round of the playoffs.

Here’s something else to consider that will send you on your way today.

Some savoury blends of coffee to salute the season that are worth at cup or two, or maybe three. It’s awards time and there were plenty of candidates for this reporter consider.

Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller and Thatcher Demko warranted consideration for MVP honours. Hughes, Filip Hronek and Tyler Myers were in top-defenceman contention, while Miller, Conor Garland and Nils Hoglander rated most-exciting player attention.

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And Dakota Joshua, Noah Juulsen and Garland were in running for unsung hero.

So, here we go.

And the winners are …

FIRST SERVING: Hughes reigns as MVP, top defenceman, captain.

You have to get somewhere to go somewhere.

For the Canucks, their get-out-of-jail-free card has always been Hughes. Under fierce forechecking pressure, the fleet-footed, quick-thinking and laser-like passing defenceman uses sublime edge work and a quick burst of speed to leave a defender in his wake.

It’s often followed by a long and precise pass to power zone entries. And if that isn’t enough, Hughes is like an NHL version of an RPO — run, pass, option — quarterback.

He surveys what he sees from the point. He will call audibles or his own number with a new juke move developed in the off-season to add to an already impressive arsenal. He also munches minutes like he’s at a buffet.

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With a quick head fake at the blue-line, Hughes freezes a defender, darts left and low and releases a cross-ice wrist shot that has often found the far top corner. He relentlessly works on his shot for velocity and accuracy to get it through a maze of legs at the point.

However, his new art of deception is another weapon to create better looks down low. 

It has led to a career highs for goals (15) and points (84) to lead NHL defencemen in scoring. He also has the most even-strength assists (39) and power play helpers (30) and leads in assists both at home (38) and the road (31).

Then there are the minutes.

Hughes is averaging 24:44 per outing and has eclipsed the 29-minute mark on five occasions this season. He hit a high of 29:49 on Nov. 25 at San Jose by logging 24:58 at even strength and 4:51 on the power play.

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Then there is the person.

The hockey nerd is now the reader of books. He stays off social media and is in better tune with the world outside the rink, fitness, diet and rest and recovery. The amiable and accountable captain also made a seamless transition into the toughest job in this hockey-mad market.

Forget the power play. Listen to the fan base hold everybody accountable — especially the captain.

“When you take away the hockey part, he’s just a very good person,” said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. “That’s a big thing with me. It’s the way he comes in day to day and the way he acts with the players. 

“Like a lot of players, he’s a gentleman. There are going be bumps in the road and it’s important that we’re all aligned, but he’s not afraid to go there with players. He wants to win so bad and that was a big part of picking him, too.”

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MVP podium: 1. Hughes. 2. Miller. 3. Demko.

Defence podium: 1. Hughes. 2. Hronek. 3. Myers.

SECOND SERVING: Miller most exciting because you just never know.

He was purposely moved to the middle to test his resolve.

He wanted to destroy the notion that his game was best suited to working the walls because playing centre required a complete and honest game. There had to be a willingness to back check, be disciplined and display unrelenting desire.

On most nights this season, Miller checked all the right boxes and often in dramatic fashion. He’s that old-school engine to drag his teammates into the fight. He would unleash verbal bombs and shot bombs and also get to the net for screens and deft deflections.

Miller has a career-high 35 goals and is four points shy of eclipsing his personal best 99 points. He has also been fixture in top-10 league scoring all season and forged an alliance with Tocchet.

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The bench boss saw a lot of himself in Miller, who wears his heart on his sleeve and pushes the boundaries to become an elite player.

That’s all great and good, but sometimes old habits surfaced. 

Errant exit-zone passes or a blind offensive-zone dish that missed the mark and sprung the opposition on an odd-man break. 

Or even on Halloween night against the Nashville Predators when he decided one penalty wasn’t enough to display his disdain. He would take two more and force Tocchet to bench him to cool off.

“It’s OK to be emotional,” said Tocchet, but you have to have the right emotion and just channel it.”

The bottom line is this: Would you want Miller leading your team heading into the playoffs? 

The answer is simple. Absolutely.

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Most Exciting podium: 1. Miller. 2. Garland. 3. Hoglander.

THIRD SERVING: Joshua was called out, scratched, revived unsung hero.

It had an ominous start.

With tough love came tough talk from Tocchet.

The coach took issue with Joshua’s lack of presence in pre-season play and especially during a lopsided loss in Calgary.

“Dakota, he’s got to pick it up,” warned Tocchet. “I’m not going to get into some other factors, but he’s got to try to win a job. The job is not there, there are guys breathing down that want jobs.”

It wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest that those “other factors” could relate to conditioning. It was supposed to be a summer like no other for players to embrace the coach’s edict for elite fitness.

It took Joshua time to get up to speed. He was scratched Nov. 2 in San Jose, but once he embraced the call to give it his all, he responded.

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He forechecked hard, he hit hard, and once aligned with Teddy Blueger and Garland, the line became a formidable third-line force.

It allowed Joshua to hit a career-high 15 goals and 26 points despite missing 18 games with a hand injury. He had nine hits in Tuesday’s loss and has 214 in just 56 games to lead the Canucks. He ranks ninth among all NHL forwards.

Joshua also scored twice Sunday, including the late-game winner in a 3-2 decision over the Anaheim Ducks.

His outing also featured a highlight-reel, power play effort. His backhand-to-forehand move and then putting the puck between his legs before roofing a shot to provide a two-goal lead brought fans out of their seats.

Joshua know he owes a lot Tocchet to help the unrestricted free agent reach his potential.

“This is a business of wins,” said Joshua. “There are no gifts being handed out, and you don’t want to let him (Tocchet) or the team down.”

Unsung hero podium: 1. Joshua 2. Garland. 3. Juulsen.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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