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Canucks win first game under new coach Boudreau

Canucks win for Boudreau

During a pre-game press conference, new Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau said the players seemed to be "happy to have a fresh start" at Monday's first practice.

If they were happy during practice, the players must have been absolutely giddy after opening the Boudreau era with a 4-0 win over the visiting Los Angeles Kings.

Team ownership confirmed Boudreau had been hired as the club's new head coach late Sunday night after news got out that former coach Travis Green and GM Jim Benning had been fired.

Boudreau signed a contract for the balance of this year and next.

Former Canuck captain Stan Smyl will serve as interim GM with help from a group of advisors including the Sedin twins.

Benning and Green were let go as the Canucks struggled to be competitive with what was supposed to be a team capable of challenging for a playoff spot.

Much of the problem centered around offensively gifted players not producing.

That wasn't an issue Monday.

Brock Boeser scored his first in 14 games, while Connor Garland and J.T. Miller also scored. Newcomer Juho Lammikko scored his first as a Canuck.

Thatcher Demko turned away 31 shots for his first shutout of the season.

The much-maligned special teams also got the job done on day one of the Boudreau regime.

The power play went two for four while the penalty kill, the worst in the league history after 25 games, held the Kings at bay on their opportunities.

Elias Pettersson, who doesn't normally kill penalties, created a scoring chance and was awarded a penalty shot, which he missed.

The Canucks were 3-9-0-1 in their last 13 before making the much anticipated moves.



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