Garland didn’t wear a Conor Garland T-shirt on Monday night.
He owns one. Despite Vancouver Canucks prankster J.T. Miller’s morning skate joke that a practice-worn Conor Garland shirt is pointless, it may become a collector’s item.
It helped Vancouver on Monday.
As the Canucks lost four of their last six games, lost their Pacific Division lead, and had not defeated a playoff-bound opponent in four weeks, Miller bought “Conor Garland 400 NHL Games” T-shirts.
Vancouver defeated the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 at Rogers Arena to set up a two-week first-round playoff showdown.
In his 400th game, the 5-foot-9 Boston forward scored twice for the Canucks, including the game-winner on a rebound. He scored 13 goals in the minors in his first two seasons.
Miller achieved 100 points with three assists, and Brock Boeser scored 40 goals for the first time.
Garland, 28, nearly cried during a post-game interview on the ice as Canucks fans yelled his name after teammates laughed at Miller’s ridicule of his friend.
Afterward, Garland told reporters, “It might go down as the worst player ever to have their name chanted in a stadium. This is the reward for performing in Vancouver, a major Canadian market.
The 400 games are good. I won’t skip. Because I worked hard to get here, I appreciate every day. Wanting more.”
When asked about hearing his name sung, Garland laughed.
“I got booed in every rink in junior, so that was the first time for me,” said Garland, a four-year Quebec League scoring star selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fifth round in 2015. I enjoyed it. Quite different. As said, playing in Canada pays off.”
A T-shirt may mock a coworker, Garland suggested. His Canuck dressing room rival, Miller, collaborated with him.
“Within five minutes of him telling me the idea, I was talking to the equipment guys about getting the T-shirts made,” Miller told Sportsnet following the morning skate. I advised Gar to do it for someone else. They were perfect.
After arriving late for the morning skate, he spotted 18 Garland-shirted men. It was perfect. I regret we didn’t have one for everyone in the company.”
“He stole my joke,” Garland bemoaned, promising payback on Miller, who should reach 800 NHL games on the penultimate night. “There will be balloons everywhere or something.”
After the game, Garland thought Miller’s joke fit the Canucks.
“I wish it wasn’t me on it,” he said of T-shirts. But Millsy excels at doing that for us. Arriving in the morning makes everyone laugh. Avoid tension before tonight’s big game. Just one person wore it to the game. It was wrong. I like it. Yes, it is. This year is long, so try everything. Millsy is.”
After the Knights, who beat Vancouver 6-3 in Vegas last week, scored on their first two shots against Arturs Silovs, the Canucks displayed their speed, tenacity, and net-front toughness.
Garland and Hughes scored 2.5 minutes apart late in the first period on power plays for the Canucks. At 13:10, Boeser’s even-strength shot tied it for Vancouver after Noah Hanifan’s power play shot gave Vegas the lead at 9:33.
Garland won when Miller’s high-slot shot hit Logan Thompson.
Elias Pettersson, a struggling Canucks player, scored for the third straight game and pounded the Knights’ net on the first three Vancouver goals. Boeser and Hughes are likely to have missed Pettersson in front of Thompson.
In his third NHL start in three, Silovs saved 20 of 21 shots after being called up from the minors.
Canadian defenseman Nikita Zadorov remarked, “You didn’t need a wakeup call for this game tonight. We knew the game was important since we may play the Stanley Cup champions in the first round. I think all 20 boys played hard today.”
Vancouver has dominated the Pacific Division for three months, five points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers, who have played two fewer games. Edmonton hosts Vancouver on Saturday.
It was a test for us, I guess, given recent events. We could have said, ‘We’re in the playoffs; we’ll try again next game’ after two goals on two shots. Benchmen were serious and capable.
“We know our rivals and prospects.”
The Canucks may wear Garland T-shirts again on Wednesday against the Coyotes at Rogers Arena.
Miller remarked, “We’ve got to get a new one.” “401.”
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