Canucks' Horvat: New management listens to 'what we have to say'

With a 6-0-0 record since moving on from head coach Travis Green and general manager Jim Benning, life under the Vancouver Canucks' new regime has been pretty good.

Before the management change, the Canucks toiled in the Pacific Division's basement with an 8-15-2 record.

For captain Bo Horvat, better communication between the players, new head coach Bruce Boudreau, and new president of hockey operations and interim general manager Jim Rutherford is at the heart of his team's massive improvement.

"They listen to what we have to say and are willing to change things or do things to help us not only off the ice but on the ice as well," Horvat said to the media Monday, per Sportsnet. "I think that's a good thing to have, communication between everybody and not have any disconnect."

The Canucks owned a dreadful minus-20 goal differential prior to the organizational changes. In the six games since the shakeup, Vancouver has outscored its opponents 19-10. The team has also tightened up defensively, allowing just 1.67 goals per game during that span.

The Canucks' special teams have also come alive. They've bid farewell to their horrific 64.6% success rate on the penalty kill, and it's been operating at an 83.3% clip since Dec. 6.

"(Boudreau and Rutherford) have been great ever since they stepped in. I think the biggest thing is they've been really willing to do whatever it takes to help us win hockey games," Horvat said. "They know what it takes to win. ... Obviously, things have been going really well so far, and we gotta keep that going."

Vancouver is expected to defend its unbeaten record under Boudreau on Dec. 27 against the Seattle Kraken.