Brock Boeser left the game on Thursday after taking a shoulder hit from Kings forward Tanner Jeannot. The incident occurred during the first period of the Canucks' 4-2 victory over the LA Kings.
Boeser had just played the puck in the neutral zone and appeared to be unaware of the check coming. The Canucks forward went down to the ice and eventually left for the locker room on his own.
Jeannot was hit with a game penalty for the hit, which means it will automatically be reviewed by the NHL Player Safety. Coach Rick Tocchet expressed his concerns about the hit on Brock Boeser:
“I don’t know how Brock is. I haven’t seen him,” Tocchet said. “We’ll see when I see him, but, yeah, it’s a tough play.”
This is a significant setback for the Canucks, as Boeser has been the top performer for the team this season. He leads the club in goals with six and has 12 points, second only to captain Quinn Hughes, who has 14.
Fans can expect to hear more about Brock Boeser's status from the team in the coming days. The Canucks are third in the Pacific Division with 17 points and will be up against the Edmonton Oilers next on Saturday.
Quinn Hughes steps up in Brock Boeser's absence as Canucks beat Kings
On Thursday, the Vancouver Canucks beat the LA Kings 4-2 at the Crypto.com Arena. In Brock Boeser's absence, captain Quinn Hughes stepped up and delivered a strong performance, contributing a goal and an assist.
"He just controls the play so much, he's just, he has the puck a lot. That's why he's a really great defenseman," Tocchet said of Hughes after the game.
Quinton Byfield gave the Kings an early lead at 1:43 of the first period. Conor Garland tied it for the Canucks at 14:23. Jake DeBrusk scored in the second period, putting the visitors up 2-1. This was the only goal scored in the period.
In the third period, Vladislav Gavrikov brought the Kings within one. However J.T. Miller's goal with less than two minutes remaining sealed the win for Vancouver. LA Kings are second in the Pacific Division with 19 points and next face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.