Unfortunate schedule does not favour the Nucks
JETS (47-17-4) at CANUCKS (31-25-11)
10 p.m. ET; SNP, TSN3
Radio: Sportsnet 650
The MUST WIN Home Game series is almost complete, and not mostly won, Nucks face the best team in the league, for one final home loss, before heading out on the most grueling 6 game road trip of the year.
If the Jets play a slow, sloppy game and the Nucks play lights-out D and take no penalties (Jets have the #1 PP) - Nucks will likely only give up 1 EN goal in the loss.
LINEUPS
Jets projected lineup
Kyle Connor -- Mark Scheifele -- Gabriel Vilardi
Nikolaj Ehlers -- Vladislav Namestnikov -- Cole Perfetti
Nino Niederreiter -- Adam Lowry -- Mason Appleton
Brandon Tanev -- Morgan Barron -- Alex Iafallo
Josh Morrissey -- Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg -- Luke Schenn
Haydn Fleury -- Colin Miller
Connor Hellebuyck
Eric Comrie
Scratched: Ville Heinola, David Gustafsson, Rasmus Kupari, Logan Stanley
Injured: Neal Pionk (lower body)
Canucks projected lineup
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Kiefer Sherwood
Drew O'Connor -- Teddy Blueger -- Linus Karlsson
Dakota Joshua -- Nils Aman -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Derek Forbort
Kevin Lankinen
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Victor Mancini
Injured: Conor Garland (undisclosed), Filip Chytil (upper body), Thatcher Demko (lower body), Noah Juulsen (lower body)
Status report
The Jets had an optional morning skate. ... Hellebuyck is expected to start after Comrie made 14 saves in a 3-2 overtime win at the Seattle Kraken on Sunday. … Garland did not take part in morning skate. The forward is "banged up" and will be a game-time decision, coach Rick Tocchet said. If Garland plays, it likely would be in the spot occupied by Karlsson, who was called up from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. … Elias Nils Pettersson replaces Mancini on the third defense pair after being scratched the previous two games. … Demko took part in the morning skate for the first time since he was injured Feb. 8, and the goalie will join the Canucks for a six-game road trip that starts at the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
GAME DAY CHATTER
Tocchet talked today about how the #Canucks are changing Petey’s game on @sportsnet650.bsky.social “Regroup hockey, taking the puck back, won’t win in the NHL…I think sometimes Petey likes to regroup, slow the game down…we’re just trying to re-program his brain.” dailyhive.com/vancouver/to...
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 10:40 AM
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#Canucks have moved rookie Jonathan Lekkerimäki to PP1. Here is he talking with Rick Tocchet and Brock Boeser.
— Noah Strang (@noahstrang.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 10:54 AM
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He hasn't been given a ton of talent to work with, but man, this #Canucks team is so very, very hard to watch. Low-event hockey that would make Jacques Lemaire drowsy.
— Smoke E. Doodle 🇨🇦 (@carsandguitars.bsky.social) March 18, 2025 at 8:56 AM
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GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
As we watch the Nucks good ship Playoff Hopes sink into the waters of False Creek, recall a string quartet serenaded the Titanic's last dip into the sea. It's not as melancholy as it sounds. Or maybe it is.
Enjoy the game, everyone. Fuck Trump, Fuck Elon, Fuck Putin and Fuck the USA. Go Canucks Go!
Fresh off a fun stomping of the team from Chicago, the team from Utah makes their first visit to Rogers Arena for what should be a battle of playoff-like intensity.
Vancouver Canucks (31-24-11) vs. Utah (Insert Name Here)s (29-26-11)
5:00 pm PST; 8:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
If the Vancouver Canucks wanted to have a hope of hanging on to their slim playoff aspirations, a lot of things would need to go right. They'd need to win a serious chunk of the games remaining, and given that they had literally the toughest schedule of any team remaining, that seemed to be a Herculean task at the very least. They would also need to get and stay healthy, and with Quinn Hughes returning to the lineup, that's definitely something that will help them. And they would also need their best players to be their best players, and Elias Pettersson awakening from a lengthy slumber couldn't be more timely.
Pettersson has been a threat again, over the last week and a half, scoring four times in the last five games and looking absolutely like the difference maker the Canucks thought they had when drafting him. The hesitation and seeming lack of interest is gone, replaced with the Petey we know, one that sees and thinks the game at an elite level, and gives the opposition fits. It allows for other lines to be able to thrive if they can, as the Canucks opponents try and match their best shutdown option against the Pettersson line. If they could just get Brock Boeser going...
Much like the game against the Flames, we find ourselves awaiting news of both the health status of a Canucks player, and whether or not the opposition player who injured him with a dirty hit will actually be punished.
Calgary's Connor Zary got a paltry two game slap on the wrist for a blindside cheap shot to the head of D Elias Pettersson after the game Wednesday night. The Canucks may have to be without Filip Chytil after getting absolutely drilled in the numbers by Chicago's Jason Dickenson last night. If you didn't watch that game, you're probably shocked that there was no call on the play, but we'd already seen signs that the officiating crew last night was absolutely checked out. No word yet from DoPS, but honestly, I feel like the Canucks are just gonna get screwed on this.
Just to show you how close things are right now, a Canucks win tonight, paired with an Oilers loss in regulation to the New York Rangers would see the Canucks move to within four points of Minnesota for the 1st Wild Card slot but more importantly, move them to within five points of the Oilers. Given the Canucks struggles, the fact that they've still been able to gain ground on Edmonton is absolutely remarkable. They'll also need a hand from the Anaheim Ducks tonight. The Ducks take on the St Louis Blues, who are tied in points with the Canucks right now. A little breathing room would be a good thing, especially with a showdown against the Blues coming up later this week as the Canucks kick off a 6 game road swing in St Louis on Thursday.
Utah are making a push to get a playoff berth in their first season since moving from the godforsaken wastelands of Arizona. It's a pretty even matchup in terms of statistics between these two teams, and the Canucks will have been looking forward to this after letting one get away from them the last time these teams met, a 2-1 loss in Salt Lake City on Feb 23rd.
LINEUPS
Spray painted on the side of a hopefully soon to be burnt out TeSSla dealership, is tonight's lineups, though these are also over on the nhl dot com whatchamacallit...
8 p.m. ET; SNP, Utah16
Utah projected lineup
Clayton Keller -- Logan Cooley -- Nick Schmaltz
Alexander Kerfoot -- Barrett Hayton -- Dylan Guenther
Lawson Crouse -- Jack McBain -- Josh Doan
Nick Bjugstad -- Kevin Stenlund -- Michael Carcone
Mikhail Sergachev -- John Marino
Olli Maatta -- Sean Durzi
Ian Cole -- Michael Kesselring
Karel Vejmelka
Jaxson Stauber
Scratched: Mattias Maccelli, Nick DeSimone
Injured: Liam O’Brien (lower body), Robert Bortuzzo (lower body)
Canucks projected lineup
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Jake DeBrusk
Dakota Joshua -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Drew O’Connor -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Brock Boeser -- Nils Aman -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Victor Mancini
Kevin Lankinen
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Elias Nils Pettersson
Injured: Filip Chytl (undisclosed), Thatcher Demko (lower body), Noah Juulsen (lower body)
If Chytil is unable to go, we'll see Lekkerimaki get back into the lineup, and while this shows D Elias Pettersson as a healthy scratch, I wouldn't be surprised to see Mancini sit in place of Petey Jr. It's not a knock on Mancini, who's been quietly settling into a decent 3rd pairing guy for the Canucks. Kevin Lankinen will go tonight, having been able to get some rest after playing back to back against Montreal and Calgary last week.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Canadian and anti-fascist, you say? Jeff Waters and ANNIHILATOR lay it out for those MAGAts on the other side of the line. Off their album Remains, here's 'Never'.
Enjoy the game, everyone. Fuck Trump, Fuck Elon, Fuck Putin and Fuck the USA. Go Canucks Go!
Another day, another MUST WIN game.
BLACKHAWKS (20-37-9) at CANUCKS (30-24-11)
10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY, TVAS2, CHSN+
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
It's another MUST WIN game against a bottom feeder former top feeder team. Always a dangerous combo.
The good news is... ummm... oh right... Huggie is back. And according to rumours, EP40 OG edition is as well. D-Petey is back in the lineup after the cheapshot to the head from new Nucks enemy #1.
Nucks need to come out strong, get the 10 goal lead early and finish strong with a strong 11-9 victory. How hard can that be?
LINEUPS
Blackhawks projected lines
Colton Dach -- Connor Bedard -- Frank Nazar
Teuvo Teravainen -- Ryan Donato -- Ilya Mikheyev
Landon Slaggert -- Jason Dickinson -- Nick Foligno
Lukas Reichel -- Joe Veleno -- Tyler Bertuzzi
Alex Vlasic -- Artyom Levshunov
Wyatt Kaiser -- Connor Murphy
Alec Martinez -- Louis Crevier
Arvid Soderblom
Spencer Knight
Scratched: Philipp Kurashev, TJ Brodie, Pat Maroon, Ethan Del Mastro
Injured: Laurent Brossoit (knee)
Canucks projected lineup
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Jake DeBrusk
Dakota Joshua -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Drew O’Connor -- Filip Chytl -- Brock Boeser
Nils Aman -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Victor Mancini
Arturs Silovs
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Elias Pettersson
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Noah Juulsen (lower body)
Status report
Levshunov moves up to the top pair and is on the No. 1 power play. … Crevier returns after two games as a healthy scratch. ... Silovs starts for the first time in seven games. … The Canucks did not have a morning skate, but Myers practiced Friday and is expected to return after missing a 4-3 shootout win at the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with an undisclosed injury. … Pettersson, a defenseman who left the game in Calgary 11:19 into the first period following a hit to the head by Flames forward Connor Zary, also practiced Friday but appears to be the odd man out with Myers back.
GAME DAY CHATTER
Sending love and positive vibes to Brock Boeser!❤️❤️💙💙💚💚✨️✨️✨️ Been in a funky lately, but cheering you on to get some goals and points. Do your thing Brock!! Have a great game tonight!! #Canucks
— lady🇨🇦 luck🇨🇦 canuck (@ladyluckcanuck.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 1:17 PM
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Refs Kendrick Nicholson #30 and Justin Kea #36 work Blackhawks vs. Canucks with Tommy Hughes #65 and Jonathan Deschamps #80 scoutingtherefs.com/... #Blackhawks #Canucks #CHIvsVAN #NHL
— Scouting the Refs (@scoutingtherefs.bsky.social) March 15, 2025 at 2:23 PM
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GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
It's a piece of 80s fluff from a good band, with a warning to all millionaire hockey players who coast rather than work to win.
Try and enjoy the game, if that's even possible. Fuck Musk, Fuck Trump, Fuck Nazis & Fuck the USA! Go Canucks Go!
While they lost the ground yesterday that they gained on Friday night, the Canucks can yet again vault into that final Western Conference wild card slot with a win over the Stars at home tonight.
Vancouver Canucks (29-22-11) vs. Minnesota Wild (36-22-4)
6:00 pm PST; 9:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
While it was definitely a game that Kevin Lankinen stole, Vancouver's 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild had a lot of positive signs in it. Most notably, an Elias Pettersson sighting, as he ripped home a clapper on a first period power play that was absolutely classic EP40. We also saw another multi-point game from Filip Hronek, and Keifer Sherwood joining Elias Pettersson in leaving the "I haven't scored in 16 games club". And how about goals in back to back games for Teddy Blueger? Minnesota is a defensively smothering team, especially missing some of their big offensive firepower, so full marks to the Canucks for getting through that trap fest and coming out with a much needed two points.
A tougher challenge awaits tonight as they host the Dallas Stars. Already one of the NHL's better squads, they swapped out Logan Stankoven for Mikko Rantanen at the deadline, and became an even bigger threat in the West. Speed, skill, size, and goaltending, this Dallas team has it all and is an excellent measuring stick for any team to see how they stack up.
The Canucks dropped a 5-3 decision to the Stars in Dallas on Jan 31st, sunk by a SHG from Roope Hintz to make the score 4-1 in the third. With the Calgary Flames shutting out the Montreal Canadiens last night (who are next up for the Canucks as they host the Habs Tuesday before flying to Calgary to take on the Flames Wednesday), the Canucks are yet again on the outside looking in as we head into the final quarter of the NHL season. It would really be nice to get a little run going here and get some breathing room, with the Flames, The Utah (Insert Name Heres), and St Louis Blues all nipping at their heels. The Canucks have a game in hand on the Flames and Utah, which they will use tonight, and three on the Blues, which may come in handy down the stretch if they can get back in and hold on.
LINEUPS
Scraped into a grease barrel behind a Denny's in Burnaby, we found tonight's lineups, though we're being told it's what you can also see on nhl dot com...
9 p.m. ET; SN, Victory+
Stars projected lineup
Jason Robertson -- Wyatt Johnston -- Mikko Rantanen
Mason Marchment -- Matt Duchene -- Mikael Granlund
Jamie Benn -- Mavrik Bourque -- Evgenii Dadonov
Oskar Back -- Sam Steel -- Colin Blackwell
Thomas Harley -- Ilya Lyubushkin
Esa Lindell -- Cody Ceci
Lian Bichsel -- Matt Dumba
Casey DeSmith
Jake Oettinger
Scratched: Brendan Smith
Injured: Roope Hintz (face), Miro Heiskanen (knee), Nils Lundkvist (shoulder), Tyler Seguin (hip)
Canucks projected lineup
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland
Drew O’Connor -- Filip Chytl -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Victor Mancini
Kevin Lankinen
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Nils Aman
Injured: Quinn Hughes (lower body), Thatcher Demko (lower body), Noah Juulsen (lower body)
If the Stars were ever ripe for an upset, it might just be tonight. Playing in the back end of a back to back, and possibly being without Roope Hintz after he took a puck to the face in Edmonton last night, and was taken to hospital as a precaution. No word on his status yet, but it would be pretty surprising if he was good to go. They're already missing Miro Heiskenen and Tyler Seguin, and add in Casey De Smith getting the start as they played Jake Oettinger last night, and maybe, just maybe there's a chance. Looks like there's not going to be any changes for the Canucks from Friday's version, including Lankinen getting another start. I would expect Arturs Silovs to start one of the back to back games this week though, and my money would go to him getting the crease Tuesday against the Habs.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
More Canadian metal for you today, as we offer up a classic from Anvil, singing about the game we love. From 'Pound For Pound' this is 'Blood On The Ice'. '
Enjoy the game, everyone. Fuck nazis, Fuck Trump and Fuck the USA. Go Canucks Go!
A stark new world faces the Canucks tonight. Yes, they're going to try and soldier on without Carson Soucy patrolling the back line.
Vancouver Canucks (28-22-11) vs. Minnesota Wild (36-22-4)
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
With word that Brock Boeser is on the ice for the morning skate with the Canucks today, it seems like yet again, they'll be standing pat. Does it mean that they're going to extend Boeser? Perhaps, and we can definitely have a discussion on whether or not that's a good thing, but again, we'll see what happens. I can pretty much guarantee you, if Boeser walks and the Canucks don't get anything for him, the backlash from this fan base will be monstrous. The speed with which this team went from looking like things would be different to reverting back to business as usual has been absolutely whiplash-inducing. It feels like we're back in the Jim Benning regime again, with a bunch of guys who had us convinced were smarter and better than that.
At least we had some good vibes from the last game, right? A solid effort against the Ducks, in a game that was nowhere near as close as the score would suggest. Filip Hronek isn't Quinn Hughes, but he's definitely putting in the effort to try and mitigate that loss for the Canucks. Two assists, and some solid d work all night long. Elias Pettersson may not have scored, but that was a far better performance from him than we've seen in a while. 20 for 25 in the faceoff circle, especially on a team that's been absolutely brutal in the dot all season, is a positive sign. He could still shoot more, but there was attempts, at least.
And the best part of the night? Conor Garland feeding Trevor Zegras his lunch with five seconds remaining in the game. Zegras, who's getting a reputation as a bit of a pest who's completely unwilling to drop the gloves, had already speared Drew O'Connor earlier in the evening after O'Connor was steered into John Gibson by Ducks D Drew Helleson then refused to fight, got into it with Garland, and thought he'd show up the smallest player on the Canucks roster in a scrap. What could possibly go wrong? Seeing Garland chucking uppercuts on the latest Ducks douchebag was absolutely cathartic.
Tonight they're gonna go up against a Minnesota team that is looking to move past a disappointing first round exit in last year's playoffs, and are a solid, albeit boring squad. I suppose it's hard to complain if you win games, but why are they always, no matter who is coaching, running such dreadful to watch squads? Sure, they have Kiril Kaprizov, Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy, but still, they're not terribly exciting.
LINEUPS
10 p.m. ET; SNP, FDSNNOX, FDSNWI
Wild projected lineup
Gustav Nyquist -- Ryan Hartman -- Matt Boldy
Marcus Johansson -- Frederick Gaudreau -- Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Foligno -- Marco Rossi -- Vinnie Hinostroza
Yakov Trenin -- Devin Shore -- Justin Brazeau
Jake Middleton -- Brock Faber
Declan Chisholm -- Jared Spurgeon
Jon Merrill -- Zach Bogosian
Filip Gustavsson
Marc-Andre Fleury
Scratched: David Jiricek, Brendan Gaunce
Injured: Kirill Kaprizov (lower body), Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body), Jonas Brodin (undisclosed)
Canucks projected lineup
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland
Drew O’Connor -- Filip Chytl -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Victor Mancini
Kevin Lankinen
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Nils Aman
Injured: Quinn Hughes (lower body), Thatcher Demko (lower body), Noah Juulsen (lower body)
So, with the lineup still intact, the Canucks head into the last 20 games of the season still not knowing if and when they'll get Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko back. So that means no changes for the forward lines from last game, and just one change on the back end, with Victor Mancini slotting in to replace Carson Soucy. D Elias Pettersson is on the top pairing with Filip Hronek, and really hasn't looked out of his depth. This kid's gonna be an absolute steal if he continues to progress the way he has so far. The Wild are missing two of their best players, with Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson-Ek out of the lineup again tonight, and there's a chance we could see former Canuck prospect Brendan Gaunce in the lineup for Minnesota tonight.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Another Canadian band today, and the perfect soundtrack to a riot (IYKYK). From their second album 'To Each A Zone', this is Payload by THE SMALLS.
Enjoy the game, if that's possible. Sell the team, Frankie. Fuck Nazis, Fuck Trump, and Fuck the USA. Go Canucks Go!
10:30 p.m. ET; SNP, KCOP-13, Victory+
I am not sure what there is to say about this team right now....but here are a few words or phrases:
Inconsistent
Hesitant
Gunshy
Lacking finish in all areas.
Please add your own.
This could be Brock's last game. The fact that the Canucks are 2 points out of a playoff spot and they are sellers surely shows the direction management is going.....right? I guess the trade barriers going up won't stop management from tanking the season. I wonder if Frankie has told Jimmy and Patty to cut payroll as many people won't be able to afford the tickets and therefore empty seats means less revenue. The NHL must be rethinking its cap increases over the next couple years. Not our Frankie though....he will cuts costs a soon as he can, so everyone say goodbye to Brock tonight.....and maybe another player, yet to be determined.
I have to retype something from above....the Canucks are 2 points out of the playoffs and are sellers. Blows my mind. Now Patty could come up with a great trade that helps boost this team and drive them forward....but I have not heard anything to that degree.
So, the Canucks go into tonight trying to find a way to win and stay relevant in the West, while playing a team that handed them a bitter loss last week. Make or break game....aren't they all.
Game Day Lineups
Ducks projected lineup
Frank Vatrano -- Ryan Strome -- Troy Terry
Trevor Zegras -- Leo Carlsson -- Alex Killorn
Cutter Gauthier -- Mason McTavish -- Sam Colangelo
Ross Johnston -- Isaac Lundestrom – Jansen Harkins
Jackson Lacombe -- Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov -- Jacob Trouba
Brian Dumoulin -- Drew Helleson
John Gibson
Lukas Dostal
Scratched: Brett Leason, Olen Zellweger
Injured: Robby Fabbri (upper body), Brock McGinn (torn ACL)
Canucks projected lineup
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland
Drew O’Connor -- Filip Chytl -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Carson Soucy
Kevin Lankinen
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Nils Aman, Victor Mancini
Injured: Quinn Hughes (lower body), Thatcher Demko (lower body), Noah Juulsen (lower body)
Status report
The Ducks did not hold a morning skate Tuesday, but Gibson, who did go on the ice, is expected to start after Dostal made 32 saves in a 6-2 win at the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. … Zellweger, a defenseman who has been scratched four straight games, could enter the lineup in place of Mintyukov. … Hughes won’t play and is day to day after being injured during a 6-3 loss at the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. … Rookie Elias Nils Pettersson will start the game in Hughes' spot on the top defense pair but could swap situationally with Forbort.
Game Day Chatter
“There’s 22 games left. The next game goes, the pressure amounts. We got to deal with pressure...We should be embracing this. We’re in the race.”
🗣 Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet ahead of tonight's game against Anaheim.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/Fl0WR1vN12
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 5, 2025
“I’m doing the best I can to really dial it in and be prepared, go out there and work hard…Try and help our team win a hockey game.”
🗣 Brock Boeser meets with the media ahead of tonight's game against the Ducks.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/6fwW4nDGSC
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 5, 2025
"Good couple days, some good practices in. Get back on the winning track and I think it's a good opportunity tonight."
🗣 Pius Suter speaks to the media following morning skate at Rogers Arena.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/HQZt1dSm8k
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 5, 2025
Game Day Battle Hymn
This song is for all of us Canuck fans...and Canadians. I'm sorry.
Go Coconuts Go!
10 p.m. ET; KHN, KONG, CITY, SN, CBC
Let's start with this....from 32 thoughts of some reporter....
The last sentence is the one I just can't get past. Yes, Boeser has 18 goals, but only 4 goals in his last 20 games. And most of the time when he was scoring, it was with former Canuck J.T. Miller. So, if management has taken away Brock's main assist man and no one else has stepped up to fill in that role and Brock has been unable to create his own offence, because let's face it, he isn't the fastest out there.....then why would you keep him?
"But...but...he scored 40 last year and therefore he will catch fire and get back to that level in the next 22 games." So, a goal a game? It would be quite the feat for him to reach 25 goals this year. And then you want to pay him $8 million a year? I can't...
Every year it seems I am saying trade Brock.....why stop that rhythm? Trade him.
The last game could have used a Brock goal or two to stop the absolute collapse that occur against a team that sucks. And yet...it didn't happen.
Tonight the Nucks face a Kraken team that are a far way out of a playoff spot and yet can beat this Canucks team, just be looking at them with a sneer. I guess my hopes are not even close to high as the Canucks struggle to find anything close to consistency this year.
GAME DAY LINEUPS
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Nils Hoglander
Dakota Joshua -- Filip Chytil -- Conor Garland
Drew O’Connor -- Pius Suter -- Brock Boeser
Nils Aman -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Carson Soucy
Kevin Lankinen
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Victor Mancini, Elias Nils Pettersson, Arshdeep Bains
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Noah Juulsen (hernia)
Kraken projected lineup
Jaden Schwartz -- Matty Beniers -- Kaapo Kakko
Eeli Tolvanen -- Chandler Stephenson -- Oliver Bjorkstrand
Jared McCann -- Shane Wright -- Andre Burakovsky
Brandon Tanev -- Ben Meyers -- Jordan Eberle
Vince Dunn -- Adam Larsson
Jamie Oleksiak -- Brandon Montour
Ryker Evans -- Josh Mahura
Joey Daccord
Nikke Kokko
Scratched: None
Injured: Yanni Gourde (hernia)
Status report
Juulsen, a defenseman, underwent a successful procedure and is out for the remainder of the regular season; his recovery time is approximately 12 weeks. … The Kraken held an optional morning skate Saturday. … Gourde, a forward, was a full participant at practice Friday and progressing after surgery but is expected to miss his 22nd straight game.
GAME DAY CHATTER
“Protect the rush. And offensively, attack the interior and get people to the net.”
🗣 Head Coach Rick Tocchet addresses the media ahead of tonight's game against the Kraken.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/wyzARzYgSc
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 1, 2025
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Sometimes when trying to think about what to put here, I think about what I want or what you might want to listen here...or John Tesh. Sometimes I choose a song that I would never put on any play list. But yet, I would torture you with it.
Go Coconuts Go!
While Quinn Hughes' impact on the game wasn't massive, it's obvious the Canucks are a different team with him in the lineup. And while they almost let that one slip away, they came out of LA with two much needed points ahead of a meeting with the surging Anaheim Ducks.
Vancouver Canucks (27-20-11) vs. Anaheim Ducks (25-25-7)
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
That was hardly what you'd call a classic, but I think it's a little unfair to lay all the blame at the feet of the Canucks for what was for two periods at least, pretty dreary to watch. The Kings literally thrive on a smothering defensive game, and to the Canucks credit, found themselves up by a pair against LA after 40 minutes. The third period collapse is a new feature this season that quite frankly, needs to go. Their inability to hold leads is why they're in the situation they are, and not doing this on a regular basis was one of the best parts about the team last season.
Heading into OT, you couldn't blame anyone in Canucks nation for feeling like this was going to be another OT loss, especially when noted Canucks lover* Wes MacCauley tossed Drew O'Connor into the box on a fairly liberal interpretation of the tripping statute. The Canucks didn't let it phase them, though, and managed to kill off the penalty, seeming to gain some spark after Derek Forbort absolutely hammered LA's Anze Kopitar.
Not long after that, the Canucks pressed, and off a nice zone entry by Filip Chytyl, Conor Garland rifled a shot past David Rittich for the winner with 33.8 seconds left in OT. Garland had a fantastic night, with two goals and a number of chances. Another solid outing, albeit not a terribly busy one for Kevin Lankinen, and while we should expect to see Arturs Silovs in goal tonight against the Ducks, it wouldn't surprise me to see them try to go with Lankinen again, even though resting him would be the smarter option.
The Ducks have been one of the hotter teams in the NHL over the last month or so, having won 7 of their last 10 games. They have however dropped two straight this week, and all of their games this month have been decided by one goal, so expect another 'barnburner', I guess?
LINEUPS
Scrawled in what appears to be blood on the walls inside The Hall of Presidents, we found tonight's lineups, but we're hearing this is what they have over on nhl dot com, as well...
10 p.m. ET; Victory+, KCOP-13, SNP, TVAS
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Nils Hoglander
Dakota Joshua -- Filip Chytil -- Conor Garland
Drew O’Connor -- Pius Suter -- Brock Boeser
Arshdeep Bains -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Derek Forbort
Arturs Silovs
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Carson Soucy, Nils Aman, Victor Mancini
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Noah Juulsen (hernia)
Ducks projected lineup
Frank Vatrano -- Ryan Strome -- Troy Terry
Mason McTavish -- Leo Carlsson -- Alex Killorn
Cutter Gauthier -- Isac Lundestrom -- Sam Colangelo
Ross Johnston -- Jansen Harkins -- Brett Leason
Jackson LaCombe -- Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov -- Jacob Trouba
Brian Dumoulin -- Drew Helleson
Lukas Dostal
Oscar Dansk
Scratched: Olen Zellweger
Injured: John Gibson (upper body), Brock McGinn (knee), Robby Fabbri (upper body)
Suspended: Trevor Zegras
With the Canucks going back to a 12 F 6 D setup tonight, that should see Arshdeep Bains back in the lineup. While it has yet to be confirmed, Tyler Myers looks like he'll be in after a frightening injury during the OT last night in LA, where he was hit in the throat area by a puck. Tocchet hasn't ruled him out, so we'll see if he's good to go. If not, Carson Soucy will likely slot back in, instead of being listed as a scratch again tonight.
The Ducks are missing some important pieces, with Trevor Zegras out following a three game suspension for a head shot earlier this week. They're also missing G John Gibson, who has been pretty solid for them this season. They got outshot 37-18 by the Sabres on Tuesday night in a 3-2 loss in Buffalo.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Today we've got an absolute ripper from Brazil's VIOLATOR. Here's 'Respect Existence Or Expect Resistance'. Fascism is coming, so be ready to fight.
Enjoy the game, everyone. Go Canucks Go! Fuck fascism! Fuck the USA!
10 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN
The 4 Nations Cup may have killed any chance the Canucks had a making a serious run at the playoffs. So I hope the site of McDavid scoring the winning goal keeps you warm at night!
Ok...maybe I exaggerate a bit, but after watching the past two games, it sures feels like any mojo they had before the Cup went ....
The trade deadline is approaching fast and the rumor mill is churning out a lot of flour. Petey.....Brock......Demko......Quinn....ok, not Quinn, may be on the next plane out of LA after the game to their new team. I'll be honest, I am not sure there is one move that changes this team. Trading Miller didn't do much. Trading Petey would a sure sign that this management is a hot mess since they are the ones that gave him this contract.
Gameday Lineups
Don't be surprised if Quinn doesn't play tonight. NHL.com is trying to manifest that he plays tonight.
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Nils Hoglander
Dakota Joshua -- Filip Chytil -- Conor Garland
Drew O’Connor -- Pius Suter -- Brock Boeser
Arshdeep Bains -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Derek Forbort
Kevin Lankinen
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Carson Soucy, Nils Aman, Victor Mancini
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Noah Juulsen (lower body)
Kings projected lineup
Alex Turcotte -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe
Warren Foegele -- Phillip Danault -- Trevor Moore
Kevin Fiala -- Quinton Byfield -- Alex Laferriere
Tanner Jeannot -- Trevor Lewis
Mikey Anderson -- Vladislav Gavrikov
Joel Edmundson -- Drew Doughty
Jacob Moverare -- Jordan Spence
Brandt Clarke
David Rittich
Darcy Kuemper
Scratched: Kyle Burroughs, Akil Thomas
Injured: None
Status report
Hughes is a game-time decision after missing six games because of an undisclosed injury; if he cannot play, Forbort likely would play on the first pair with Hronek. … The Canucks made changes to their lines in practice Monday, including moving Hoglander up to the first line and Sherwood to the fourth line. … Rittich will make his first start since Feb. 8 when he made 25 saves in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. ... The Kings could dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
GAME DAY CHATTER
"You have to have the courage to carry the puck through the middle of the ice…That’s how you make team’s play defence. That was the message the last two days.”
🗣 Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet ahead of tonight's road game in Los Angeles.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/Zz8OKsZrYM
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 26, 2025
GAMEDAY BATTLE HYMN
The Canucks haven't won a game since they returned and they are 1 point out of a playoff spot and the trade deadline is fast approaching and the team is in L.A.. It could the decades of being a Canuck fan, but all I hear is Tom Petty.
Go Coconuts Go!
Nothing like coming back from the break to hand two points to a divisional rival. The Canucks need to shake off a frustrating loss to Vegas last night and get the win to help keep the nameless ones from nipping at their heels in the Western Conference Wild Card race.
Vancouver Canucks (26-19-11) vs. Utah Hockey Club (24-24-9)
5:00 pm PST; 8:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
I feel like, out of a number of reasons to be frustrated with last night's result in Sin City, wasting one of Kevin Lankinen's best outings of the season was probably the biggest one. Lankinen stood on his head, stopping a number of quality chances, and deserved at least a shot to try and salvage the game in extra time, but despite a hard push in the third, the Canucks couldn't get it done, passing up two much needed points as they try and keep Calgary and Utah from passing them for the last playoff spot in the West.
Sure, if the Canucks have Quinn Hughes in the lineup, they probably pull this one off. Instead, we got treated to a Canucks team that looks like they can actually hang with some of the big boys, apart from the bit where there doesn't seem to be anyone who can actually score. Sure, Jake DeBrusk did get his 20th of the season (which is remarkable, considering he went the first ten games without scoring a goal), and Pius Suter had a goal disallowed on a somewhat liberal interpretation of goaltender interference.
At the end of the day, if the Canucks can't somehow start finding the net a little more often than they have, the chances that one of the two teams trying to catch them for that wild card spot will do just that, thus making tonight's game even more critical that they come away with a regulation win.
And with Thatcher Demko moved to the IR today, that means we're going to need Lankinen, and Arturs Silovs, to help drag this team's carcass across the line, and also a better defensive effort by the rest of the lineup to help them get that done. Getting Hughes back will definitely help that, but until then, they need to ensure they're giving the goaltenders less work down the stretch.
They go up against a Utah team that, like the Canucks, are where they are thanks to being able to get into the extra session a lot. Normally, I would be concerned about the Canucks playing in the back end of a back to back, but with the (Insert Name Heres) also having lost last night, that shouldn't be too much of a factor. They've also been struggling over their last ten, and with the Canucks having done well against this franchise in its previous incarnation, they should be able to pull out a win, with a strong game from Silovs tonight.
LINEUPS
Apparently this lineup was discovered written on golden tablets somewhere in the wilderness, oh wait, we're hearing that it's actually from nhl dot com...
8 p.m. ET; Utah16, SNP
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Kiefer Sherwood
Drew O’Connor -- Filip Chytil -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Nils Aman -- Teddy Blueger -- Nils Hoglander
Derek Forbort -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Carson Soucy
Arturs Silovs
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Arshdeep Bains
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Noah Juulsen (lower body), Quinn Hughes (undisclosed)
Utah projected lineup
Clayton Keller -- Alexander Kerfoot -- Nick Schmaltz
Dylan Guenther -- Barrett Hayton -- Michael Carcone
Lawson Crouse -- Jack McBain -- Josh Doan
Liam O’Brien -- Kevin Stenlund -- Nick Bjugstad
Mikhail Sergachev -- John Marino
Olli Maatta -- Sean Durzi
Ian Cole -- Michael Kesselring
Karel Vejmelka
Connor Ingram
Scratched: Mattias Maccelli
Injured: Logan Cooley (lower body), Robert Bortuzzo (lower body)
While it's unlikely he plays tonight, expect to see him in the lineup at some point during this road swing, along with Arshdeep Bains, unless the lineup they ice tonight goes on a roll. There is a chance that Hughes gets the green light tonight, but I am gonna believe that doesn't happen until Wednesday in Los Angeles.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Writing off nazis because you can't believe they're not actually who they show and say who they are is a mistake. Our forefathers showed us how to deal with this problem.
Enjoy the game, folks. Punch nazis. Fuck the USA. Go Canucks Go!
