Consistency. That’s the watchword for Jake Virtanen.
The young winger had a breakout game on Monday against the New York Islanders, throwing big hits, beating defenders wide, and tallying a goal and an assist. He was flying, and it’s partly because he got some wings during the first intermission.
“I had a Red Bull in between periods,” he said after the game. “Bulldog told me to take Red Bull.”
“Bulldog has two, I think, before every game,” he said Wednesday morning. “That’s why he’s all fired up. Just get that jump, you know? I felt good, so I’ll be taking one tonight.”
Alex Biega’s Red Bull could rival Michael Jordan’s Secret Stuff if it means Virtanen can follow up his excellent performance on Monday with another one against the Arizona Coyotes. Virtanen has had “breakout” games before, such as his two-point performance against the Dallas Stars earlier this season, but hasn’t been able to continue performing at that high level in the next game.
“Consistency is the biggest thing for me,” said Virtanen. “I have to keep bringing it offensively and be hard to play against every night.”
“I think earlier in the season I would have a good game and then I would kind of teeter off and not have a great follow-up game,” he added. “Just being consistent every night, you know, having another good game tonight and just follow that up every other game.”
What might help is some consistent ice time and linemates that play to his strengths. After a move to the top line with Bo Horvat and Brendan Leipsic last game bore fruit, Virtanen will return to that lineup to start against the Coyotes. The speed and north-south style of that line seems like an ideal fit.
“Bo’s really fast, [Leipsic] is smaller but he’s got that speed and he can get up the ice quick,” said Virtanen. “He’s really skilled with the puck so he can make moves and if he sees me or Bo busting, he can feed us. He’s a really good playmaker.”
Virtanen seems to be realizing more and more that his speed can be just as deadly at the NHL level as it was for him in Junior. Perhaps he was tentative earlier in the season, not knowing if the faster pace of the NHL meant he wasn’t still a step above when it came to skating.
“When I started using it a couple more times, started getting confident in being out there and being able to do power moves,” said Virtanen, “then I started realizing that I could do that more often and when I could do it. Doing that every game — trying to take guys wide and take it to the net — is big for me.”
“He’s flat-out fast,” said Travis Green, but was dismissive of the idea that Virtanen had come to a realization that he can use that speed at this level. “I think he’s known that for quite a while, I think he’s probably known that since he was I’m guessing 15 or 16.”
When asked about Virtanen, Green ran down a list of improvements he’s made over the course of the season: “He’s skating well, he’s better with the puck, he’s putting himself in better spots, he wants the puck. I think his details are better.”
He agreed that consistency is key for Virtanen.
“For sure. That’s a big part of it,” said Green. “You know, I can’t remember the last game in here when we talked and I said that he was bad and didn’t have a good game. I think it was against Colorado at home, I believe, and he’s responded well. He needs to continue to do that.
That game was on February 20th and was the last time Virtanen played fewer than ten minutes at 5-on-5. He responded the next game with 5 shots on goal against the Golden Knights and has averaged 3.5 shots in the six games since that match-up against Colorado.
Virtanen has been getting shots all season, however. His 9.27 shots-per-hour at 5-on-5 leads the Canucks, apart from Reid Boucher’s 11.71 in his small sample of eight games this season.
Canucks fans are eager to jump on board the Virtanen hype train, but it still feels a little too early to stoke the engine. His two points against the Islanders were his first in seven games and he still only has 8 goals and 17 points in 60 games this season. He needs to add that consistency to help the train leave the station.
