Brock Boeser believes he could have made a difference when it mattered most in a one-goal, winner-take-all showdown Monday at Rogers Arena. Of course he did. The Vancouver Canucks right-winger lit up the Edmonton Oilers this NHL season — including four goals in the season opener — and could have been a two-way factor in Game 7 of a sensational second-round series finale.
The Canucks rallied and nearly forced overtime in the 3-2 season-ending setback. It made a blood-clotting issue that kept Boeser from competing and contributing in the series conclusion even more devastating. After all, he scored a career-high 40 goals in his season of redemption.
He also became reliable without the puck and excelled in shutdown assignments in the regular season and post-season. “I’m crushed,” Boeser said Thursday during his year-end address. “I wish I could have been out there with the guys.
In a one-goal game. I’m sitting there and saying: ‘I could have scored.’ You don’t know what would have happened if I played.
“I would have done anything to be out there. I asked if I could play and tried to push them, but the risks were too big. I had to protect my future and you don’t want health issues moving forward.
” Boeser also led the Canucks with seven playoff goals and tied for the team lead with a dozen points. He was also a net-front presence with a deft touch for deflections and tips. Imagine all that in Game 7? “Of course, I felt I could have made a difference,”.
