VANCOUVER — When he came to the Vancouver Canucks, all he wanted to do was win. Because that’s all Jake DeBrusk has done in his first seven National Hockey League seasons with the Boston Bruins. Most of what he’s done since he got here has been losing.
So when DeBrusk, who had his lowest ice time this season, was able to tip a forehand under the crossbar in a penalty shootout to give the Canucks a surprising 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday, the 29-year-old winger was able to enjoy a rare moment of satisfaction knowing he actually helped his team win.
“Yes, I think it’s a rare thing to see.” he laughed. “I’ve had a few chances in penalty shootouts with that move, hitting three posts or three crossbars, so it was nice to see it actually work at once, and yeah, it felt good. Any way I can help, it feels good.”
DeBrusk, who signed a seven-year free agent deal with the Canucks for their 86-game playoff restart two summers ago, was one of the veteran Vancouver players thrown around like confetti in trade speculation ahead of last Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
He told PostMedia last week that he was “not built for a rebuild,” a comment that reflected his frustration with DeBrusk quickly stepping down the next day.
But the pain for the Canucks’ handful of senior players this season has been evident. Instead of playing for the Stanley Cup, they are expected to lead an academy of prospects the organization is putting together for a rebuild.
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“It is what it is,” DeBrusk said. “Mentally, I mean, it’s not easy for anyone. On nights like tonight, we can celebrate some wins. Obviously, not as many as we all used to have. But mentally, this has been the hardest year of my career. I don’t think this year has been (my year). I think I’ve said it enough, but it gets real. At the same time, you still have work to do.
“You’re playing in the best league in the world. It doesn’t matter if it’s five minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes. As long as we win the game — as I’ve said since I got here — I don’t care.”
Thursday’s win was the Canucks’ seventh in 32 home games. Let it sink in after a while.
DeBrusk, who scored 28 goals last season, has scored only 14 goals in 64 games this season, with only 3 of them being even goals. The Edmontonian has played one less game than the Canucks since coach Adam Foote scratched him healthy Dec. 29 in Seattle.
DeBrusk has one goal in his last 13 games and two goals in his last 22 games. Playing on the fourth line Thursday, he saw just 9:53 of ice time in regulation and made a coverage error on Nashville’s first goal with the Predators up 3-1.
But after Marco Rossi scored on a rebound for Vancouver with 4:05 left in the third period and Filip Hronek tied it 3-3 on a top corner kick with a minute left at 6-on-5, Foote allowed a second shift to DeBrusk in overtime. He then sent on a veteran to score the only goal in the penalty shoot-out against Juuse Saros.
“You have to be a good professional and be yourself,” DeBrusk said. “You’re human, too, and it can show. I mean, it’s okay to be disappointed in a play, and if it’s not going well, try to react. I was already a healthy scratch. That reaction probably wasn’t what I wanted or what we wanted as a team. But what should I do? (Former Boston captain) Patrice Bergeron used to say, ‘Every shift is a gift.’ Dude, you’re lucky to be there.”
In addition to Hronek and DeBrusk, Brock Boeser, another veteran leader remaining in Vancouver, scored the Canucks’ first goal.
All the young players are watching.
“I can’t imagine what they’re going through individually,” rookie defenseman Zeev Buium, one of the 12 skaters Foote used in overtime, said of the elder Canucks. “Their expectation was probably to go to the playoffs and try to make a push, and obviously things have changed a lot. I mean, they were in Game 7 (second round) two years ago, right? They probably think they’re challenging for the Cup this year. A lot has changed.
“But I think those guys have been really good. I mean Fil, JD (DeBrusk), all of them are there for us. I think they’re trying to set a culture here that needs to be in place now and forever, and I think they’re doing a great job of that. Things haven’t been easy, but it means a lot to us to get a win like this.”
A declining Nashville team filled with veterans lost desperately to a young Vancouver team that was at the bottom of the overall standings.
Clearly the Canucks don’t want to be there after this season. A comeback win like Thursday’s against a Predators team still desperately trying to make the playoffs helps spark hope.
“It starts with men coming together and taking care of each other and doing for the man next to them,” Buium said. “With everything going on over the last few weeks and the deadlines coming in, things calmed down and we were able to focus on each other. I think that showed tonight. You could see that we weren’t going to give up on each other. It was pretty cool to see the atmosphere explode when Phil scored.”
If only Buium had seen it two years ago.
