Young stars are blazing a new trail for the Vancouver Canucks and defying the flagging expectations that loomed over the team heading into the season.

Fifteen games into the 2018-19 campaign, the Canucks (9-6-0) have chalked up wins against tough teams like Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh and climbed to second in the Pacific Division.

B次元官网网址淲e have a lot of guys in here that want to win and want to prove people wrong,B次元官网网址� said Bo Horvat, the teamB次元官网网址檚 23-year-old first-line centre. B次元官网网址淓verybody wants to prove that we can be a good hockey team that can step up and compete with anybody. And I think weB次元官网网址檝e been doing that so far.B次元官网网址�

The Canucks finished second-last in the Pacific last season, out of the playoff race for the third year in a row. They also lost veteran superstars Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who retired at the end of the year following 17 seasons in Vancouver.

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The team signed free agents Jay Beagle, Tim Schaller and Antoine Roussel in the off-season, but questions lingered about where the Canucks scoring would come from.

So far, the squadB次元官网网址檚 top five scorers are all 25 or younger. Rookie Elias Pettersson leads the pack with nine goals and six assists over nine games.

The 19-year-old Swedish centre was named the NHLB次元官网网址檚 second star for last week based in part on his eye-popping five-point performance in VancouverB次元官网网址檚 7-6 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. HeB次元官网网址檚 now the youngest player in Canucks history to record five-plus points in a regular-season game.

Pettersson was also named the leagueB次元官网网址檚 top rookie for October despite missing two weeks with a concussion.

"I always think of the team first but it's good to be able to produce and help the team get wins." on being named the 's Second Star of the Week.

B次元官网网址� Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks)

Injuries have sidelined a number of other Canucks, too, including defenceman Alex Edler (knee injury), goalie Anders Nilsson (fractured finger) and left winger Sven Baertschi (concussion).

But Pettersson said the team still has what it takes to get wins.

B次元官网网址淚 think if everyone is heading to the same goal and everyone is focused to do what they can bring to the team and do that every game, good things will happen,B次元官网网址� he said.

Vancouver is currently tied for third in the league in wins, behind only the Nashville Predators and the Lightning.

B次元官网网址淥bviously it surprised a lot of people out there,B次元官网网址� said 21-year-old right-winger Brock Boeser. B次元官网网址滲ut it just goes to show the trust of the guys within this room. We all believe in each other and itB次元官网网址檚 that next-man-up mentality. And we donB次元官网网址檛 quit. ItB次元官网网址檚 fun to watch.B次元官网网址�

Canucks head coach Travis Green said he likes the way his players are buying into a team mentality.

B次元官网网址淣o one is bigger than the team. Every guy in the room plays to win. And when you do that, good things happen,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址滻ndividually you bring your best, but collectively you win and lose as a team.B次元官网网址�

Fans are buying in, too. A crowd of more than 18,000 at Rogers Arena on Friday was raucous, an atmosphere that Vancouver hasnB次元官网网址檛 seen much in recent years.

B次元官网网址淵ou can sense that people are excited about a lot of our young guys and the way that theyB次元官网网址檙e competing,B次元官网网址� Green said. B次元官网网址淲hen you feel that (from the crowd) at the end of a game or when you score a goal, thatB次元官网网址檚 why you play the game. ItB次元官网网址檚 a privilege to play in the NHL. ItB次元官网网址檚 extremely special.B次元官网网址�

The Canucks will look to build on a three-game win streak as they start a six-game road trip Tuesday in Detroit.

B次元官网网址淲e want to play well, we want to take points when we can in the eastern conference and win games on the road,B次元官网网址� Horvat said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got lots of confidence going on the road right now and to keep it rolling is going to be huge for us.B次元官网网址�

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press

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