Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
Nucks Fan Rebuild & Retool Center - Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
At long last, this torturous experiment, which has felt like near decades, is over. Oh, and it's the last game of this utterly cursed Canucks season, too!
Vancouver Canucks (25-48-8) vs. Edmonton Oilers (40-30-11)
Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB
6:00 pm PST; 9:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
This has been exhausting.
It's dragged on and on, and despite claims along the way that things were going to get better, it didn't. So finally, we can be put out of our misery for a couple weeks at least, and say good riddance to the 2025-26 Vancouver Canucks. In a season that started with a simple statement: A lot of things would have to go right for this team to make the playoffs, ended because quite simply, nothing went right at all.
It's going to take some time to perform the post mortem on this team, and go over everything that led to what is going to end up as quite likely the worst season in franchise history, given that they didn't have the expansion excuse from the team's early days. This was a frustrating, embarrassing, and unacceptable year, and you should expect massive, sweeping changes in the days ahead. You should also not get your expectations up for this, as I would be surprised if there were any changes that would impact the team in a positive way. Yeah, that's the level of confidence I have in this organization at the moment.
I do think it's a safe bet that the coaching staff is done here, and rightfully so. Adam Foote was a disastrous choice by the organization, clearly not ready to be an NHL coach, and if he ever could be, definitely not the right fit for this squad. There are a lot of things that need to happen to fix this god-awful mess, but this is absolutely Step One.
A house cleaning is what is needed here. New faces with new ideas and perspectives, because there just doesn't seem to be a plan right now at all, and the damage that has been development-wise up and down the lineup has been devastating. But most of all, it's time for new ownership.
The Aqualini family shouldn't be allowed within a thousand kilometers of a hockey franchise. Since the heartbreak of losing Game Seven in 2011, Francesco has been chasing that high, heavily involved in so many operational decisions, and they've all ended up in various incarnations of the flaming hubris we see before us. I realize it's too much to hope for another ownership group like the Canucks had in the Griffiths Family, but change has to come, and it cannot fully be realized under this ownership.
And so, with nothing left but a few possible moral victories tonight, the Canucks head into their final game of the season, and a chance to one last funny thing before they go. The outcome of this game can absolutely affect who the Edmonton Oilers play in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and while it's nowhere near anything that makes this season worth it, it's the least they can do for this fan base, who have suffered so much.
The Oilers could end up playing the Anaheim Ducks, or... with a loss, and a Kings win, face off against Los Angeles again in the first round, which is really a win/win/win, because there's two losers of three in whatever scenario happens here. And if things really go sideways for the Oilers, they'll drop to the WildCard Two slot, which means a date with the Colorado Avalanche. I would so love to see that, because the Avs will absolutely feast on the Oilers defense/goaltending. The Canucks need to do their part, and set the ball rolling for some post-season disappointment in Edmonton.
LINEUPS
From the nhl dot com dealy... here's what to expect tonight:
Canucks projected lineup
Drew O'Connor -- Marco Rossi -- Linus Karlsson
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Brock Boeser
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Nils Hoglander
Curtis Douglas -- Ty Mueller -- Aatu Raty
Zeev Buium -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Kirill Kudryavtsev
Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo
Scratched: Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Victor Mancini, Max Sasson
Injured: Filip Chytil (facial fracture), Thatcher Demko (hip surgery), Derek Forbort (undisclosed), Evander Kane (upper body)
Oilers projected lineup
Matthew Savoie -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Jack Roslovic
Colton Dach -- Josh Samanski -- Trent Frederic
Curtis Lazar -- Adam Henrique -- Kasperi Kapanen
Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse -- Connor Murphy
Jake Walman -- Ty Emberson
Connor Ingram
Tristan Jarry
Scratched: Owen Michaels, Spencer Stastney
Injured: Jason Dickinson (lower body), Leon Draisaitl (lower body), Mattias Janmark (shoulder), Max Jones (lower body)
Looks like no changes for the Canucks tonight, and I wouldn't read too much into Draisaitl being out, but it's telling that the Oilers are gonna be desperate for a win tonight with the lineup they're icing.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Much to Westy's delight, this will be the last battle hymn that isn't John Tesh adjacent. From their 2020 album 'A Silent Soul Screams Loud', this is PYOGENESIS, with 'Will I Ever Be The Same?'.
Well, this is the end of the road, for both the Canucks, and yours truly.
My journey with Nucks Misconduct is coming to a close, as of this last game preview. When I had first stumbled across the site back in early 2009 I think it was (or maybe 2008) I was doing a podcast called 'We Are All Canuckleheads', and was encouraged to post it in the Fanposts section. Zan and Yankee encouraged me to do a few writeups for the section, and a short time later, invited me to come aboard as a contributor. I had just finished a couple decades of music journalism (A music video show in Kamloops, a number of zines, and later, a radio show at CFBX Radio in Kamloops), so writing about hockey was new-ish for me. I had been around the old CDC boards back in the day, but still, after getting burnt out on music writing, this was a fresh challenge. What I hadn't counted on, was how things would take off the way they did. If you had told me that not long after I started, I would get mentioned in the Province (RIP Botch), get name dropped by Ron MacLean on HNIC, and be in the media scrums at the 2011 Finals, I would have laughed at you.
We've been through a lot, both as Canucks fans, and as the crew keeping this site going. While none of it has ended the way I had hoped, I will be eternally grateful for the chance to express my love and passion for this team, and the game of hockey, and for the incredible support we've received over the years.
I wanna thank Sean and Mike, for seeing something in me I didn't know existed. You took a gamble on me, and I hope it paid off for you. Thanks to Travis Hughes, and Steph Driver for all the amazing support and help as I went from occasional contributor to Editor, and back again.
To all of the folks who have had a cup of coffee and more with us, thank you. We've been an incredible stepping stone to some of the mainstays of coverage for fans in this market, and for that I will always be proud as hell.
I want to thank Trevor, who was amazing in the short time we had him, and who I was proud to share the leadership with. You'll always be a big part of this site's heritage, and we know what happened is not gonna stop you. You're way too talented for that.
Thursday, I feel like I didn't get to know you well enough, but I feel so good knowing that in my absence, there's someone like you putting together the kind of articles we built this site on. All the best, buddy!
And I couldn't wrap things up without thanking my wife Laurie, whose support, critical eye, occasional photoshop and editing advice helped make my contributions better. Love you, baby.
Finally, Jimmi and Westy. I feel like I am letting you guys down, but I suppose trying to keep going with nothing left in the tank could be viewed the same way. It has been an honour getting to know you guys, and I am proud of the way you both became such massive pieces of what makes NM like no other. I know the last few years have been rough, but the way you refused to let this site die, you should be proud as hell. Cheers, my friends. We'll have that beer one day, for sure.
And to all of you, from the beginning, to the end of my chapter. Thank you. It has been an honour to have you take time to hear what I had to say. I have some health challenges that leave me not able to keep doing this, but it's possible there might be an occasion or two where I pop in for a lil rant (if the guys will have me, that is).
Go Canucks Go.
Following an impressive first outing against their toughest round robin opponent, a 5-0 shellacking of Czechia, the Canadian men take on the Swiss today.
It's a battle of two undefeated teams as Canada take on Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano/Cortina today. After a rather satisfying 5-0 win over the team that was expected to be their biggest challenge, the Czechs, they go up against a team that has given them trouble in the past, and one that very much hopes to be a pain in Canada's collective arses once again.
The first game saw Canada's offensive talent on display, showing the rest of the tournament they can beat you in a number of different ways, and got scoring throughout the lineup. Nicest goal of the game was easily the Bo Horvat breakway goal. Just a thing of beauty.
Jordan Binnington, much to the entire nation's surprise, was solid, stopping all 26 Czech shots he faced in that win. While it was encouraging, it is still not enough to convince a lot of people he can be the one to lead Canada to gold, given the way he's played this season. Logan Thompson will get his chance to start today, and we'll see where it goes from there.
Another impressive player in their first game? Macklin Celebrini. The Sharks star opened the scoring for Team Canada, and that line of Celebrini, Connor McDavid and Tom Wilson appeared to have some instant chemistry.
A couple lineup changes for Canada today: Travis Sanheim is in to replace the injured Josh Morrissey, while Seth Jarvis makes his Olympic debut as they've given Brad Marchand a day to rest up. I like this, as Marchand could end up being a key player come the medal round for Canada.
Well, that was an ugly one, eh? The Canucks, coming off what could fairly be called two decent performances, got their lunch fed to them in Utah Monday night. One last chance to get into the win column in Vegas before the Olympic break starts.
Vancouver Canucks (18-32-6) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (25-16-14)
T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
After getting absolutely clowned in Salt Lake City on Monday evening, the Canucks head into the Olympic break with one last game tonight in Vegas. Kind of strange that they've yet to play the Golden Knights thus far, but I suppose if there's a time to face them, it's when they're mired in a streak where they've lost seven of their last eight.
Are Vegas for real? It's hard to say. Sure, they're near the tops of the Pacific Division, but they'd be a Wild Card team in the Central. Those 14 OT points are screaming out at me as well. With this division being as bad as it is, the likelihood that the Golden Knights are frauds are definitely higher than your odds of beating the house in the Sin City casinos.
As for the Canucks, the bad news just keeps on delivering the hits. Filip Chytil is back out, having left the third period of the game Monday with migraines. Given the number of serious concussions the guy has suffered, that is extremely concerning. Hopefully, with some time off for the next three weeks, that will allow him to get back to feeling well enough to play, but goddamn has this been a miserable season injury-wise for the Canucks.
LINEUPS
Courtesy the ol' nhl dot com thing, here's tonight's potential lineups:
Canucks projected lineup
Evander Kane -- Elias Pettersson -- Drew O’Connor
Jake DeBrusk -- David Kampf -- Linus Karlsson
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Conor Garland
Max Sasson -- Aatu Raty -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Elias Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
P.O Joseph -- Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Nikita Tolopilo
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Victor Mancini
Injured: Filip Chytil (migraines), Nils Hoglander (lower body), Brock Boeser (concussion protocol), Zeev Buium (facial fracture), Thatcher Demko (hip surgery), Marco Rossi (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Golden Knights projected lineup
Ivan Barbashev -- Jack Eichel -- Alexander Holtz
Pavel Dorofeyev -- Mitch Marner --Mark Stone
Reilly Smith -- Tomas Hertl -- Keegan Kolesar
Cole Reinhardt -- Kai Uchacz -- Branden Bowman
Jeremy Lauzon -- Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin -- Rasmus Andersson
Ben Hutton -- Kaedan Korczak
Akira Schmid
Adin Hill
Scratched: None
Injured: Carter Hart (lower body), Brett Howden (lower body), William Karlsson (lower body), Brayden McNabb (upper body), Jonas Rondbjerg (lower body), Brandon Saad (undisclosed), Colton Sissons (upper body)
Aatu Raty will get back into the lineup with Chytil out, other than that it doesn't look like there's any other changes. That Ohgren/Blueger/Garland line was the lone bright spot Monday night, so let's see if they can recreate some of that tonight.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Not a huge LAMB OF GOD fan, but this new track is pretty catchy. Check out the title track from their upcoming album 'Into Oblivion'!
Enjoy the game, folks. Fuck fascism! Go Canucks Tank!
A better effort than the last time they played the Leafs, but once again an unsatisfying one as the Canucks win just one of eight home games on that stretch. Now, it's off to Utah and Vegas to wrap things up before the Olympic break.
Vancouver Canucks (18-31-6) vs. Utah Mammoth (28-23-4)
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
6:30 pm PST; 9:30 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Another one of those games where they play almost well enough to win, but dumb luck and margin of error do them in. I suppose there's the positive of a better defensive effort for two consecutive games, but it's absolutely stunning how bad they've been at home this season. And here's the good part: It's not translating into a massive drop in attendance. So, what does that mean? It means that those of us who have been pleading for a true and proper rebuild were correct: the fan base wants this, and will support the team if they feel like genuine change is coming.
And so, with a little confidence knowing that awful losing streak is behind them, they head down to the southwestern states for games against Utah and Vegas. And while yes, the guys might have some confidence, they have their work cut out for them tonight. Utah is in sixth in the NHL in GA/GP at 2.8, while the Canucks, as the worst team in the league, are the worst in this category at 3.58. Utah is starting to not be the perpetual joke that the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes were, and another solid defensive effort tonight might not even be enough.
LINEUPS
From the ol' nhl dot com, this is what they think we'll see tonight:
Canucks projected lineup
Evander Kane -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland
Filip Chytil -- David Kampf -- Linus Karlsson
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Drew O’Connor -- Aatu Raty -- Jake DeBrusk
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
P.O Joseph -- Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo
Scratched: Max Sasson, Victor Mancini
Injured: Nils Hoglander (lower body), Brock Boeser (concussion protocol), Zeev Buium (facial fracture), Thatcher Demko (hip surgery), Marco Rossi (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Mammoth projected lineup
Clayton Keller -- Nick Schmaltz -- Lawson Crouse
JJ Peterka -- Barrett Hayton -- Kailer Yamamoto
Michael Carcone -- Jack McBain -- Dylan Guenther
Brandon Tanev -- Kevin Stenlund -- Liam O’Brien
Mikhail Sergachev -- Sean Durzi
Nate Schmidt -- John Marino
Ian Cole -- Nick DeSimone
Karel Vejmelka
Vitek Vanecek
Scratched: Olli Maatta, Daniil But
Injured: Logan Cooley (lower body), Alexander Kerfoot (upper body)
No changes for the Canucks from Saturday, it would appear. So, we should probably talk about how Conor Garland has essentially made himself un-tradeable with his goalless drought, right?
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Obscure 80's metal time, kids! ATTACKER hailed from New Jersey, and are still active today after forming in 1983. Their debut album came out on Metal Blade Records in 1985, and while I know this is unusual, it's steeped in LOTR mythology. Here's the title track to 'Battle At Helm's Deep'.
Enjoy the game, everyone. Fuck the fascists! Go Canucks Tank!
Coming off what was likely their worst defensive effort of the season, the Canucks found a way to put together easily their best. And in true Canuck fashion, something happened that kept Nikita Tolopilo from being credited with his first NHL shutout, because of course it did.
Vancouver Canucks (18-31-5) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (24-21-9)
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
It was definitely one of the more entertaining games of the year, and that had a lot to do with a total team effort and some solid defensive play.
Look, tank or no tank, the Canucks, and the fans, really needed that win Thursday night. And it goes without saying that a win over the Leafs, especially after how that game went down a few weeks ago, would be awesome. But should we actually be concerned about the Leafs losing too many games? I think if you can't picture a scenario where the Canucks lose the first overall pick to the Leafs, you haven't been a Canucks fan for very long.
With a couple road games coming up before the Olympic break, getting a win on Hockey Night In Canada and contributing to the outright panic in Leafs Nation (I mean, what the hell did you think was going to happen hiring Brad Treliving?) is definitely appealing. I mean, much like anything that franchise, their media and their fan base freak out about, so much of it is also overblown. If they could win in OT a little more often, they'd probably be fine, honestly. If they can get healthy, they can still scrap for a playoff spot, but you'd never know it by watching/listening/reading any hockey media right now.
This whole wasted season has to have some meaning at the end of the day. The changes have to start happening, to build a new core that these kids can develop with, figuring out which pieces to keep and which ones can help the Canucks draft a ton of potential for the future. There is nothing in the present but misery and losses, but if they do things right, there is hope down the road.
LINEUPS
From the nhl dot com place, this is what they think is gonna shake down this afternoon...
Maple Leafs projected lineup
Bobby McMann -- Auston Matthews -- Max Domi
Matias Maccelli -- John Tavares -- William Nylander
Matthew Knies -- Nicolas Roy -- Nicholas Robertson
Steven Lorentz -- Scott Laughton -- Calle Jarnkrok
Morgan Rielly -- Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe -- Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Marshall Rifai -- Troy Stecher
Joseph Woll
Anthony Stolarz
Scratched: Jacob Quillan, Philippe Myers, Simon Benoit, Easton Cowan
Injured: Chris Tanev (groin), Dakota Mermis (lower body), Dakota Joshua (kidney)
Canucks projected lineup
Evander Kane -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland
Filip Chytil -- David Kampf -- Linus Karlsson
Drew O’Connor -- Aatu Raty -- Jake DeBrusk
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Elias Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
P.O Joseph -- Tom Willander
Nikita Tolopilo
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Max Sasson, Victor Mancini
Injured: Nils Hoglander (lower body), Brock Boeser (concussion protocol), Zeev Buium (facial fracture), Thatcher Demko (hip surgery), Marco Rossi (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Looks like the Canucks will reward Tolopilo with another start, and with Kevin Lankinen the likely starter for Finland at the Olympics, I am sure they'll be happy to see him getting some rest. There was a little concern with Teddy Blueger and Filip Hronek missing practice yesterday, but they both should be good to go today, but Boeser is not expected to join the team for their trip to Utah and Vegas before the Olympics start.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Finnish anarcho-thrashers NECRO WEASEL are back with a kickass new track, and I am pretty sure you can tell what this one's about without reading the lyrics.
Enjoy the game, folks. Fuck fascism! Go Canucks Go!
It started good, but that didn't even last a minute. You couldn't get a better example of where the Canucks need to be by watching that Sharks team dismantle them. And now they have the Ducks to deal with tonight. It's just not gonna get any better, is it?
Vancouver Canucks (17-31-5) vs. Anaheim Ducks (28-22-3)
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
When people ask how bad are the Canucks right now, is this a good example?
Generationally bad.
It's got to be hard right now, for a team that just can't get a break, and plays like they wouldn't know what to do with it if they got one. That game against the Sharks saw them come out all guns blazing, and rewarded for it with an early goal. Less than half a period later, it was 3-1 San Jose and Kevin Lankinen was heading for the showers. Nikita Tolopilo turned in a fine performance, giving up a couple power play goals, but the Canucks were never gonna come back in this one.
And now, having lost 16 of their last 18 games, they have to face a team that just had a 7 game win streak stopped as they welcome the Anaheim Ducks in the second to last game of this disastrous 8 game home stand.
I was hoping to say we'd come out of that game unscathed, but no. Nils Hoglander was injured in the loss to the Sharks,and will not play this evening. Filip Chytil continues to get better, so I am sure he'll score at some point over these next two games, this one and the struggling Leafs who visit for another pandering early start on Saturday afternoon. Then, they hit the road for games in Utah next Monday and Vegas Wednesday before mercifully shutting down for the Olympic break. They'll return on the 25th with a visit from the Winnipeg Jets, before finishing the month in Seattle.
March will feature 10 of 14 games at home, and it's a very real possibility this team won't crack 25 wins this season. Think about that for a moment. We knew they weren't going to be good, but I don't think there's anyone out there who seriously saw them being quite literally one of the worst teams this franchise has iced in its 56 year history.
LINEUPS
From that nhl dot com racket, here's the potential lineups for this shitshow on ice...
Ducks projected lineup
Alex Killorn -- Mikael Granlund -- Beckett Sennecke
Jeffrey Viel -- Ryan Poehling -- Cutter Gauthier
Chris Kreider -- Jansen Harkins -- Sam Colangelo
Ross Johnston -- Tim Washe -- Ian Moore
Jackson LaCombe -- Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov -- Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger -- Radko Gudas
Lukas Dostal
Ville Husso
Scratched: Ryan Strome
Injured: Troy Terry (upper body), Leo Carlsson (thigh), Mason McTavish (upper body), Petr Mrazek (undisclosed), Frank Vatrano (undisclosed)
Canucks projected lineup
Evander Kane -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland
Filip Chytil -- David Kampf -- Linus Karlsson
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Drew O'Connor -- Aatu Raty -- Jake DeBrusk
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
P.O Joseph -- Tom Willander
Nikita Tolopilo
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Max Sasson, Victor Mancini
Injured: Nils Hoglander (lower body), Brock Boeser (concussion protocol), Zeev Buium (facial fracture), Marco Rossi (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
You have to feel for Hoglander, having missed so much time already, just a frustrating couple seasons for him after that breakthrough campaign a couple years ago. The Ducks are pretty banged up themselves, but that hasn't seemed to stop them too much as their record over the last while would indicate. No surprise that Nikita Tolopilo gets the nod tonight, and I would expect Kevin Lankinen to go Saturday if they don't win tonight, but if they do... I could see Tolopilo riding the hot hand.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
'Prejudice is just another way of saying ignorance'. NUCLEAR ASSAULT, proving all the 'Metal wasn't woke in the 80's!!1!" wrong yet again. From the 'Fight To Be Free' ep, this is 'Equal Rights'.
Enjoy the game. Fuck fascists worldwide! Go Canucks Go!
Another frustrating loss, both because of how it played out, and because of the devastating injuries that followed. One dumb luck, the other a maddeningly dirty cheapshot that might go unpunished.
Vancouver Canucks (17-30-5) vs. San Jose Sharks (26-21-3)
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
To say that one of the reasons that this season's been so frustrating has been the constant deluge of injuries suffered by the time is putting it mildly. And that's why what happened to Boeser is so rage inducing. The way the Canucks have suffered injuries this year is just insane, and they don't need any helping adding to the totals, let alone one on a completely unnecessary hit at the end of the game. The above video states he feels the hit isn't predatory, but given the horn goes essentially as he makes the hit, and Boeser isn't able to make contact with the puck or the goalie, why is he running at Boeser to lay him out in a game they've won? Sadly, the NHL's Department of 'Player Safety' has been an utter disappointment time and time again, and I am certain we'll get a slap on the wrist for Rust for this chickenshit head shot.
And then there's the injury to Zeev Buium, taking a puck to the face that at first didn't seem to bad, as he'd returned to the game wearing a full face shield. But the news the next morning that he and Boeser were both added to the IR confirmed the worst, and the Canucks put out the call for Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Victor Mancini from Abbotsford.
At least, you're probably telling yourself, that things can't get much worse. And if you're saying that, you must be new around here.
Yeah, that feels about right. Par for the course for this season, for sure. And it's not just about this season. Let's face it, we need to come to terms that once again, the goalie that was supposed to lead us out of the dark times is broken, and we need to find a new option. It's never gonna get better.
So with Boeser out just as he was heating up with that dreadful goal drought snapped, a team that struggles to score at the best of times now has to take on the up and coming San Jose Sharks once again with good portions of their best players out of the lineup. And with the way Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks are playing of late, if they can hang close to the playoff line and get a goaltender better than the ones they have right now, that's a fun little dark horse in the West that can create some first round chaos.
And in keeping with the theme, tonight will not be the awkward reunion we'd hoped for, as Kiefer Sherwood is not in the lineup for the Sharks, so I guess that gives them more time to work on the tribute video...
LINEUPS
From the nhl dot com site on the world wide webs, this here's the story we'll see play out tonight:
Sharks projected lineup
Collin Graf -- Macklin Celebrini -- Will Smith
Pavol Regenda -- Alexander Wennberg -- Tyler Toffoli
William Eklund -- Michael Misa -- Adam Gaudette
Barclay Goodrow -- Zack Ostapchuk -- Ryan Reaves
Dmitry Orlov -- John Klingberg
Mario Ferraro -- Timothy Liljegren
Sam Dickinson -- Vincent Desharnais
Yaroslav Askarov
Alex Nedeljkovic
Scratched: Jeff Skinner, Vincent Iorio
Injured: Kiefer Sherwood (undisclosed), Ty Dellandrea (lower body), Philipp Kurashev (upper body), Shakir Mukhamadullin (upper body)
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Drew O’Connor -- Filip Chytil -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Conor Garland
Nils Hoglander -- David Kampf -- Evander Kane
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Elias Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
P.O Joseph -- Tyler Myers
Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo
Scratched: Aatu Raty, Max Sasson, Victor Mancini
Injured: Brock Boeser (concussion protocol), Zeev Buium (facial fracture), Thatcher Demko (hip surgery), Marco Rossi (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Going back to 'Spreading The Disease', the second album from ANTHRAX. While most think about 'Madhouse' when they think of this album, there's some great cuts on there, including this one. This is 'The Enemy' from the NYC thrash kings.
Enjoy the game, everyone! Fuck fascism! Go Canucks Go!
Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Canucks probably deserved a better fate than they got on Friday night. Full marks for battling back after spotting a three goal lead to the Devils, though.
Vancouver Canucks (17-29-5) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (25-14-11)
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
3:00 pm PST; 6:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Another day, another one goal loss for the Canucks. I would be shocked to discover they weren't leading the NHL in that stat. Again, it's the way they allow early goals and oftentimes multiples, forcing them to play from behind from essentially the opening whistle that is once again their downfall. It's not a recipe for success. Not that scoring first has been any kind of a guaranteed win this season, but it's far better odds than trying to pull off a multi-goal comeback.
So they face another Metropolitan team tonight, this time it's the Pittsburgh Penguins, who currently sit second in their division. But are they as good as their place in the standings would suggest? With 11 OT and SO points, they have less actual wins than the Islanders and New Jersey, and the same number as Washington. The Islanders and Devils have both feasted in extra time though, garnering 9 wins a piece, so there's that. Still, without the Bettman points, the Pens would likely be out of a playoff spot.
And as if things couldn't get any worse, Sidney Crosby comes into this game on an absolute heater, with 3-5-8 in his last 5 games. It has the makings of a long afternoon if the Canucks don't find a way to kill some bloody penalties and tighten up defensively. They're also gonna need a better performance from today's likely starter Nikita Tolopilo. With Lankinen getting off the ice early for what the Canucks called 'load management', they recalled Tolopilo and sent Jiri Patera back to Abbotsford.
LINEUPS
From the nhl dot com thingy... here's the lowdown:
Penguins projected lineup
Rickard Rakell -- Sidney Crosby -- Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov -- Tommy Novak -- Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha -- Ben Kindel -- Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar -- Blake Lizotte -- Noel Acciari
Parker Wotherspoon -- Erik Karlsson
Brett Kulak -- Connor Clifton
Ryan Shea -- Jack St. Ivany
Stuart Skinner
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Kevin Hayes, Ilya Solovyov, Ryan Graves
Injured: Filip Hallander (blood clot), Kris Letang (upper body)
Canucks projected lineup
Evander Kane -- Elias Pettersson -- Jake DeBrusk
Drew O’Connor -- Filip Chytil -- Brock Boeser
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Conor Garland
Nils Hoglander -- David Kampf -- Linus Karlsson
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Zeev Buium -- Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Nikita Tolopilo
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: P.O Joseph, Aatu Raty, Max Sasson
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Marco Rossi (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
There's a chance that Willander sits tonight as he's reportedly battling an illness, and that would see Joseph get back in tonight. Other than that, it doesn't appear there's any changes, but I wouldn't be too shocked to see one of Raty and Sasson get back in tonight.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
We outnumber them. And we will defeat them.
Enjoy the game, folks. Fuck all fascists! Go Canucks Go!
Our long regional nightmare is over! It wasn't pretty (was that even an option?), but the Canucks found a way to hang on and get a win over the Caps after 11 straight losses. So, we're all fine if they don't make it two in a row tonight? That first overall pick isn't gonna manifest itself, y'know.
Vancouver Canucks (17-28-5) vs. Washington Capitals (26-22-2)
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
While it was hardly a dominant win by any stretch, it was deserved, as the Canucks put in the work, and got rewarded for a change, as they snapped that horrendous 11 game losing skid, garnering just their 5th home ice win of the season. I think what was the most impressive part of that game, was the way they just decided that even after giving up two goals on that terrible 5 on 3 for Washington early in the game, that they were not going to roll over and die. If you had told me that they'd end the first back at evens, I would have a hard time seeing how that was possible.
Hard work, a great performance from their top players, and actually giving some support to Kevin Lankinen, who had a solid performance in the crease helped them hang on for the victory, but there's no time to rest on those laurels as they face another team battling for one of those Eastern Conference wild card slots: the New Jersey Devils.
There was a time when this was one of the highlights of the season, the visit from other Hughes boys, and now, it's just another game. One of the things we need to get used to in the post-Quinn era, I suppose. The Devils have been playing well, winners of 2 straight and 4 of their last 5, having bested Minnesota, Seattle, Calgary and Edmonton in that time.
LINEUPS
From the mothership (aka nhl dot com) this is the purported alignments of these teams this evening:
Devils projected lineup
Timo Meier -- Jack Hughes -- Jesper Bratt
Ondrej Palat -- Nico Hischier -- Dawson Mercer
Evgenii Dadonov -- Paul Cotter -- Conner Brown
Arseny Gritsyuk -- Cody Glass -- Lenni Hameenaho
Jonas Siegenthaler -- Brett Pesce
Brenden Dillon -- Dougie Hamilton
Simon Nemec -- Johnathan Kovacevic
Jacob Markstrom
Jake Allen
Scratched: Luke Glendening, Juho Lammikko, Colton White
Injured: Luke Hughes (shoulder), Zack MacEwen (ACL), Stefan Noesen (knee)
Canucks projected lineup
Evander Kane -- Elias Pettersson -- Jake DeBrusk
Drew O’Connor -- Filip Chytil -- Brock Boeser
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Conor Garland
Nils Hoglander -- David Kampf -- Linus Karlsson
Elias Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Zeev Buium -- Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Kevin Lankinen
Jiri Patera
Scratched: P.O Joseph, Aatu Raty, Max Sasson
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Marco Rossi (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Yes, you read that correctly. After 44 games, Filip Chytil is returning to the Canucks lineup tonight, and that's great, because I am sure we all want to watch this game whilst holding our collective breaths every time someone bumps him. In all seriousness, it's good that he's back, and let's hope he can stay healthy for a while. That does mean an odd man out situation, and tonight it's Max Sasson. With Teddy Blueger returning on Wednesday against Washington, and David Kampf really starting to gel on that fourth line, it's gonna be tough for Sasson to get back into the lineup. Lankinen gets the start again tonight against former Canuck Jacob Markstrom, who doesn't wanna talk about that game, probably.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
'Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!' In solidarity with the people of Minnesota as they battle the fascist invasion of their state, some Minneapolis metal for you today. The title track from their debut album, this is 'Absolute Power' by POWERMAD.
Enjoy the game. Fuck fascists, every last one of them. Go Canucks Go!
Unlike pretty much every other game in this historic losing streak, the Canucks probably deserved a better fate than they were dealt on Monday night against the Islanders. The problem is, things are so bad with the Canucks that they simply cannot make a mistake, because when they do, it ends up in the back of their net.
Vancouver Canucks (16-28-5) vs. Washington Capitals (24-20-6)
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Honestly, it's hard to be mad at the Canucks over that loss to the Islanders on Monday evening. They fought hard, and gave the Islanders all they could handle. In the end, mistakes made were costly, and ended being the difference, as well as another failure from one of the NHL's most inept penalty kills. I though overall it was a much better effort team-wise, but still, we're at 11 games and counting right now, and something has to give.
The last time these teams met was a fairly eventful contest. Tyler Myers had a goal and an assist, Elias Pettersson got his first of the year, as did Teddy Blueger. Blueger's goal put the Canucks up 4-0, and they were able to hang on for the 4-3 win. It was a costly one, though. Tom Wilson's garbage hit on Filip Chytil went unpunished, and Chytil is still out of the lineup, recovering from concussion issues.
If there's a team they might be able to bump the slump against, maybe it's Washington? They've lost 3 straight, are 10-10-3 on the road and have not won a road game this season where their opponents scored first. They're also 0-5 in shootouts this season. I shouldn't have to tell you that it really doesn't matter how they win, but getting one just for everyone's mental health should be the priority.
And while we know it's hard to bring yourself to watch the Canucks right now, what with the at times unwatchably horrid hockey they're playing, world events, and new episodes of The Traitors, but this could potentially be the last visit of Alexander Ovechkin to Rogers Arena, so this one will be worth the watch, I am sure. Oh, and a little payback to Tom Wilson probably wouldn't hurt, while they're at it.
LINEUPS
From that nhl dot com thang, here's what we should likely see on the ice tonight:
Capitals projected lineup
Connor McMichael -- Dylan Strome -- Ryan Leonard
Aliaksei Protas -- Justin Sourdif -- Tom Wilson
Alex Ovechkin -- Nic Dowd -- Anthony Beauvillier
Brandon Duhaime -- Hendrix Lapierre -- Ethen Frank
Jakob Chychrun -- John Carlson
Martin Fehervary -- Matt Roy
Rasmus Sandin -- Declan Chisholm
Logan Thompson
Charlie Lindgren
Scratched: Trevor van Riemsdyk, Dylan McIlrath, Sonny Milano, Ivan Miroshnichenko
Injured: Pierre-Luc Dubois (lower body)
Canucks projected lineup
Evander Kane -- Elias Pettersson -- Jake DeBrusk
Drew O’Connor -- David Kampf -- Brock Boeser
Liam Ohgren -- Teddy Blueger -- Conor Garland
Nils Hoglander -- Max Sasson -- Linus Karlsson
Elias Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Zeev Buium -- Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Kevin Lankinen
Jiri Patera
Scratched: P.O. Joseph, Arshdeep Bains, Aatu Raty
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Marco Rossi (lower body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
The big news is that Teddy Blueger is good to go and will be in the lineup tonight, which shows you just how badly the Canucks are hurting for good news of any kind at the moment. That means Arshdeep Bains is going back to Abbotsford. With Demko and Forbort likely done for the season, that means Chytil (who could play soon) and Rossi (scheduled to be back after the Olympic break) are the only ones left still hoping to get back in. Washington is mostly healthy, with just Pierre-Luc DBag the only one out at the moment, and it will be Kevin Lankinen vs Logan Thompson in goal.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Yesterday saw a new tune drop from Bay Area thrash pioneers EXODUS, and it's an absolute beast of a track! I know there's a lot of hype for the upcoming Megadeth swan song, but this is the album I will be waiting impatiently for. From the album entitled 'Goliath', this is '3111', featuring Rob Dukes on vocals. Dukes rejoined the band last year, after serving in that role from 2005-2014.
Enjoy the game, folks! Fuck Fascism and Fuck Trump! Go Canucks Go!
