Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau is sending a message to his struggling team by making forward Brock Boeser a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes.
Boeser, who has three goals and 11 assists this season, has zero points over his last three games. His plus/minus of minus-14 is also the fourth-worst in the NHL.
Boudreau was asked after the morning skate about scratching Boeser and replied: “Tough love is tough love.”
“I know he’s capable of being much better,” Boudreau said. “We want to win and we need him, I think, over the long haul to win but, I mean, we have to be better. It could have been one of a few guys but sometimes this is just something you have to do.”
The Canucks enter Saturday’s game coming off back-to-back 5-1 losses at home to the Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers. Vancouver is sixth in the Pacific Division with a 9-12-3 record.
In his seventh season with the club, Boeser registered 23 goals and 23 assists in 71 games last year. The 25-year-old had hand surgery in September and missed time earlier this season when a scar reopened.
Watch the Canucks host the Coyotes starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet ONE or SN NOW.
