The NHL can often be its own worst enemy. And then every once in a while, they do something that shouldn't work, but absolutely does. Add in the current political climate, and suddenly winning two hockey games this week has become vital to the entire nation.
There were two issues from that game on Saturday that need to be addressed moving forward, one of them was something that will have to be adjusted on the fly, the other a problem that everyone who knows even a passing amount about hockey could have told them was going to happen.
Jordan Binnington is not the answer. He's not even the third best goaltender this country has at its disposal, and the fact that they went with him, even after a barely passable performance against the Swedes really makes you wonder about how the brain trust at Hockey Canada evaluates talent. Binnington let his team down by not making the stops they needed.
And then there was the USA's defence shutting down the Canadian attack all game long, and Jon Cooper and his staff need to figure out how to do break this down and get more opportunities, because this was evident during the Swedish game, too. And with the Finns sporting a number of solid players on their back end, not finding a way to get going offensively is going to mean an early and embarrassing exit for Canada from this tournament.
And yes, it's that dire. Canada has to win in regulation in order to get a shot at the Americans on Thursday. If they can't get it done in regulation but still win, there's a really gross scenario that sees them still out: If the USA loses to Sweden in regulation. I know you're thinking "There's no way they'd do that, right?" Yeah. The team that literally plotted to start a hockey game with three straight fights, wouldn't be above ensuring they don't have to face the one team that could possibly keep them from winning it all. If you haven't figured out assuming America will do the worst possible thing as they safest bet, I don't know what else to tell you.
And how about that WWE-worthy heel turn by J.T. Miller. To go from having your name chanted at home, to literally outing yourself as a fascist seems a little unbelievable from a written standpoint, but here we are.
Anyway, the (hopefully) good news is that we could see Cale Makar back in the lineup. And while Thomas Harley was outstanding coming into the lineup to replace Shea Theodore, it was rather evident that the Canadians were missing their top defenceman. If Makar is able to go, Harley is still able to stay in the lineup though, and I would not be surprised at all if that's how it ends up.
LINEUPS
Courtesy of that nhl dot com thingy...
1 p.m. ET; TNT, MAX, truTV, SN, TVAS
Canada projected lineup
Sidney Crosby -- Connor McDavid -- Mark Stone
Sam Reinhart -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mitch Marner
Brad Marchand -- Sam Bennett -- Travis Konecny
Brandon Hagel -- Anthony Cirelli -- Brayden Point
Devon Toews -- Cale Makar
Josh Morrissey -- Colton Parayko
Travis Sanheim -- Drew Doughty
Jordan Binnington
Adin Hill
Scratched: Seth Jarvis, Thomas Harley, Sam Montembeault
Injured: Shea Theodore (upper body)
Finland projected lineup
Kaapo Kakko -- Aleksander Barkov -- Mikko Rantanen
Sebastian Aho -- Roope Hintz -- Patrik Laine
Eetu Luostarinen -- Anton Lundell -- Mikael Granlund
Artturi Lehkonen -- Erik Haula -- Joel Armia
Niko Mikkola -- Esa Lindell
Olli Maatta -- Henri Jokiharju
Urho Vaakanainen -- Nikolas Matinpalo
Kevin Lankinen
Juuse Saros
Scratched: Juuso Valimaki, Teuvo Teravainen, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Injured: None
I'm trying to stay calm here, but I am gonna lose my shit if Binnington is in for another game. Logan Thompson not being named to the team was infuriating enough, but the way Binnington has played makes you wonder if the Canadian born MAGA supporter is working as a double agent.
And while we were thrilled to see Kevin Lankinen make the most of his shot against Sweden after Juuse Saros was lit up against the Americans, we would very much like Kevin to have a poor performance today, thank you. Nothing personal, we love him a lot, but we'd love him even more if just wasn't very good this afternoon.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Another great Canadian tune, this time from Vancouver's own ANCIIENTS. This one is off their Juno nominated album 'Beyond The Reach Of The Sun', available on Season Of Mist Records, here's 'Melt The Crown'.
Canada stumbled through a win over a game Swedish squad, while the Americans feasted on Finland's broken so-called number one goalie. Barring a meeting of these teams in the final, this is the most important match of the tournament.
I'm so glad that members of Team USA feel comfortable enough to voice their displeasure about Canadian fans booing their national anthem. It's helpful, honestly. Fascism is a movement that absolutely thrives on two ingredients: ignorance and indifference. And for these guys to not get why Canadians are voicing their displeasure means it's either column a, column b, or some mix of both.
At the end of the day, should we really be surprised that wealthy American athletes are going to take that position? It's almost a certainty that they, to a man, voted for the chaos that is happening in America right now, albeit unintentionally. They, like so many others, were doing it for what they saw as reasons that mattered to them, and the rest, well... it doesn't affect them so, what are you going to do?
This is where I would say that it absolutely sucks that we have this distraction looming over the game, taking away from what should have been a fun battle against two of the world's hockey powers. Instead, politics have very much saturated this tournament, making the game far more intense and meaningful to fans this side of the border. As someone who was alive and watched the 72 Summit Series against the Soviets, there is definitely a feeling of deja-vu. That series was about so much more than hockey, and I encourage you to revisit the documentaries and the whole games of that epic 8 game series for yourself, because if you're not old enough to remember, recent events will fill in a world of context you may not have been able to glean previously.
As far as the other side, I won't be surprised to see some try to counter with invoking the Miracle On Ice at the games in Lake Placid. Just one problem with the analogy here: In this scenario, you're the Soviets.
I'd like to be able to just write off the Americans, but let's face it, this is a squad of some of the best players in the NHL. Speed, skill, goaltending, and they've lost the best defenceman in the NHL and it doesn't even seem to register with them. Canada will have their work cut out for them tonight, and having already lost Shea Theodore to injury, they're going to need more from these guys than we saw against the Swedes.
That was such a prototypical Canucks game, wasn't it? Lead established. Foot off the gas. Oh, no... it's tied in the 3rd? Thankfully, they were able to get a timely goal from Mitch Marner to secure a 2nd point, but they need to win today in order ensure a spot in the final. That means Connor McDavid will actually have to do more than give Sportsnet content of spectacular efforts that amounted to absolutely nothing, like we saw in Game One. Yes, Nathan MacKinnon scored a great power play goal, but the rest of his night, especially in OT seemed to be just a succession of plays where he tried to do it all himself rather than making the play that would result in a goal.
And for the love of god, if he is not absolutely lights out, this has to be the end of Jordan Binnington as Canada's number one in the crease. Yes, he came up big in OT, but that game doesn't get to the extra frame in the first place if he actually stops one of those goals. He looked very beatable, and the Americans could turn this into a laugher if Binnington isn't Canada's best player tonight.
And with Cale Makar missing practice yesterday due to illness, that could mean an already suspect Canadian defence is even worse. He did skate this morning, so hopefully that means he's good to go, but that is something to keep an eye on in tonight's game. If Makar can't go, Dallas Stars D Thomas Harley will be added to the lineup.
Meanwhile, in the early game this morning, Sweden and Finland will do battle as both teams look to bounce back from losses in their tournament openers. The big news for Finland is the Canucks' Kevin Lankinen will get the start against Elias Pettersson and the Swedes. Lankinen was the backup in the game against the USA, which saw starter Juuse Saros get lit the hell up in a 6-1 loss. You cannot expect me to believe that the Canucks didn't break Saros with that come from behind victory in the playoffs last year, and I am thrilled to see Lankinen get this well deserved shot to try and salvage their tournament against a tough Swedish squad.
Pettersson was fairly inconsequential in the game against Canada. A couple chances, but he wasn't really an impact maker. I would like to see him step up and get some of the confidence he's lost this past year or so. The Canucks season literally depends on him regaining his form moving forward.
LINEUPS
Courtesy of the ol nhl dot com thingy...
8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS
United States projected lineup
Brady Tkachuk -- Jack Eichel -- Matthew Tkachuk
Jake Guentzel -- Auston Matthews -- Jack Hughes
J.T. Miller -- Dylan Larkin -- Matt Boldy
Brock Nelson -- Vincent Trocheck -- Kyle Connor
Zach Werenski -- Charlie McAvoy
Noah Hanifin -- Adam Fox
Jaccob Slavin -- Brock Faber
Connor Hellebuyck
Jake Oettinger
Scratched: Chris Kreider, Jake Sanderson, Jeremy Swayman
Injured: None
Canada projected lineup
Sam Reinhart -- Connor McDavid -- Mitch Marner
Sidney Crosby -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mark Stone
Brandon Hagel -- Anthony Cirelli -- Brayden Point
Brad Marchand -- Sam Bennett -- Seth Jarvis
Devon Toews -- Cale Makar
Josh Morrissey -- Colton Parayko
Travis Sanheim -- Drew Doughty
Jordan Binnington
Adin Hill
Scratched: Travis Konecny, Samuel Montembeault
Injured: Shea Theodore (upper body)
So Travis Sanheim will slot into Theodore's place, and Makar remains a game time decision. No changes for the USA, as they roll with the adjustments they made after the first period against Finland.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Enough talk. Time to shut them up.
Let's do this! Go Canada Go! Fuck you to the fascists!
Though you can excuse anyone who follows this team for thinking otherwise, the Canucks have turned into one of the hotter teams in the nhl at the moment, going 5-1-1 in their last seven. They've hardly looked like world beaters, but they're showing signs of getting better, and almost all of it without Quinn Hughes.
Vancouver Canucks (25-18-11) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (33-19-2)
4:00 pm PST; 7:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet, CBC
Radio: Sportsnet 650
The Canucks are coming off two straight wins, and while they still have a lot of tidying up to do, it would seem that so far, the changes they've made are having the desired effect. Sort of. While the team is playing better defensively, and they're stringing together some much needed wins, Elias Pettersson is still a cause for concern, especially after a virtual no-show against San Jose.
With J.T. Miller no longer in the picture, you would think that this game would see Pettersson reminding everyone why he was given an $11+ Million contract. Instead, he put up zeros and looked utterly lost all night long. There's speculation that he's injured, with some media saying this might be the case, while others adamantly deny it. And then there's SN650's Halford and Brough, suggesting it's a serious case of the yips, which if you look at his performance this season, could very well be the case.
Either way, the Canucks are going to have to play through it. Unless there's a team that's willing to take on that contract, and send back remotely comparable assets in return, they need to keep the progress rolling forward, with or without Petey. Having Thatcher Demko playing the kind of goal that we expect from him certainly makes that easier, and if not for an awful defensive blunder from Filip Chytil, we'd be talking about his back to back shutouts heading into this game.
And speaking of shutouts, let's not forget that the last time the Canucks faced the Leafs, they put together one of their best performances of the season, turning Scotiabank Arena into a library, nothing but hushed tones apart from the cheers of the Canucks fans in attendance as Kevin Lankinen shutout the Buds on home ice. The Leafs had lost three straight before swinging out West, rattling off wins in Edmonton, Calgary and Thursday night in Seattle. They're due for another loss, for sure.
The Canucks made a trade yesterday, sending Mark Friedman to Nashville for future considerations. That is a sure sign that D Elias Pettersson is going to remain on the blueline in Vancouver thanks to his impressive play since being called up, and I am confident he'll stay in the lineup over Noah Juulsen when Quinn Hughes returns to the lineup.
LINEUPS
Written in urine in a snowbank in front of the site that used to be a hotel owned by the fascist president of our neighbours to the south, we found today's lineups. They're also available on the ol nhl dot com...
7 p.m. ET; CBC, SN
Maple Leafs projected lineup
Matthew Knies -- Auston Matthews -- Max Domi
William Nylander -- John Tavares -- Mitch Marner
Bobby McMann -- Pontus Holmberg -- Nicholas Robertson
Max Pacioretty -- David Kampf -- Steven Lorentz
Jake McCabe -- Chris Tanev
Morgan Rielly -- Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Simon Benoit -- Philippe Myers
Joseph Woll
Anthony Stolarz
Scratched: Conor Timmins, Dakota Mermis, Ryan Reaves
Injured: Calle Jarnkrok (hernia), Jani Hakanpaa (lower body)
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland
Drew O’Connor -- Filip Chytl -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- Pius Suter -- Kiefer Sherwood
Nils Hoglander -- Teddy Blueger -- Nils Aman
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Filip Hronek
Elias Pettersson -- Carson Soucy
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Noah Juulsen, Vittorio Mancini
Injured: Quinn Hughes (undisclosed)
Looks like no changes for the Canucks from the lineup that we saw in San Jose on Thursday, and it's looking like they'll go with the hot hand and give Thatcher Demko the start, though I wouldn't mind seeing them throw Lankinen in there to see if he can recreate the magic of that win last month.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Seriously. We love our friends down there, but fuck your christofascist government.
Enjoy the game. The Leafs suck. Go Canucks Go!
The post J.T. Miller era is starting to take shape, and while it may be too early to tell what the impact of the new additions mean to the Canucks, it does feel like they might have begun to turn the corner after a big 3-0 win over Colorado Tuesday night.
Vancouver Canucks (24-18-11) vs. San Jose Sharks (15-34-6)
7:30 pm PST; 10:30 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Heading into Tuesday night after a frustrating overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings, it sure looked like it was going to be a long night for the Vancouver Canucks. They had lost in Dallas, and lost Quinn Hughes near the end of the game, and he was out against Detroit. While they'd managed to earn that one point, it was clear they really missed the influence and impact Hughes has every time he steps on the ice.
And going up against the Colorado Avalanche, you couldn't help but feel that Cale Makar, Nathan Mackinnon and crew were going to run all over the Canucks. Instead, we got treated to a top to bottom effort from the Canucks where they went toe to toe with one of the NHL's better teams, saw signs that D Elias Pettersson is going to be a hell of a player on the Canucks back end, and the return of Thatcher Demko to the form we've come to expect. Add in goals from a couple guys who really need to get hot right now in Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk and the Canucks put together one of their best games of the season, and by far the best performance without Quinn Hughes.
Tonight they jet down to San Jose to take on the NHL's worst team, and this will be a good chance for the Canucks to show they can avoid trap games, by stomping the Sharks tonight. I know some guys will be looking forward to both the Leafs on Saturday and the upcoming break for the 4 Nations Cup tournament, but they need to focus on getting out of California with two much needed points that can, with some help from the Avalanche, see them leapfrog Calgary for that last playoff spot in the West.
One thing we've noticed so far is that the new additions to the Canucks are fitting in very nicely, thank you. The speed that Filip Chytil and Drew O'Connor bring to the forward lines is a welcome sight, and Marcus Pettersson's presence on the back end has already seen an improved defensive game overall for the Canucks. It also means that once Hughes is healthy, they can lessen the workload on guys like Tyler Myers, who can be effective with controlled minutes and usage. We've yet to see Victor (listed as Vittorio on the Canucks website) Mancini in a game, but you would think tonight would be a perfect opportunity to give the other part of the Miller trade show what he can contribute, and hopefully, make Noah Juulsen an Abbotsford Canuck.
Are the Canucks better after the trade? I would say at least marginally, especially with the swap out of Desharnais for Marcus Pettersson. Of course, none of this will matter if the Canucks can't get healthy and string together a meaningful amount of wins. As it stands, the way this team is playing now, getting into the playoffs just to get slaughtered by whoever they face benefits no one but the Aqualini family by getting gate revenue for a couple playoff appearances.
LINEUPS
I'm tired, so today's lineup is just the one I got off nhl dot com...
10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, SNP
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland
Drew O'Connor -- Filip Chytl -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- Pius Suter -- Kiefer Sherwood
Nils Hoglander -- Teddy Blueger -- Nils Aman
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Filip Hronek
Elias Pettersson -- Carson Soucy
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Noah Juulsen, Victor Mancini
Injured: Quinn Hughes (lower body)
Sharks projected lineup
William Eklund -- Macklin Celebrini -- Tyler Toffoli
Fabian Zetterlund -- Andrew Poturalski -- Will Smith
Collin Graf -- Luke Kunin -- Barclay Goodrow
Carl Grundstrom -- Ty Dellandrea -- Walker Duehr
Jake Walman -- Henry Thrun
Mario Ferraro -- Jack Thompson
Shakir Mukhamadullin -- Timothy Liljegren
Vitek Vanecek
Alexandar Georgiev
Scratched: Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Colin White
Injured: Logan Couture (lower body), Nico Sturm (lower body), Klim Kostin (lower body), Jan Rutta (lower body), Alex Wennberg (upper body), Nikolai Kovalenko (undisclosed)
Thanks to a metric fuckton of injuries, the Sharks are rolling with half a lineup of guys who sound totally made up, which might explain a bit about why they are where they are. Sure, they're still tanking to rebuild, but some of these guys, I dunno man. No surprise that Hughes is not good to go, and we'll get the same lineup we saw in the win on Tuesday. Looking forward to the Chytil-Boeser-O'Connor line and what kind of damage they can do to that Sharks defence tonight.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Looking again at some of the best metal releases celebrating their 40th anniversary, and this time we're going to focus on a band from the Bay Area: POSSESSED. Along with DEATH, POSSESSED are credited with being the godfathers of death metal, and the fact that they were all just out of high school at the time makes their early accomplishments even more impressive. The band got their start like so many back in the early 80's, with an appearance on one of the Metal Blade Records Metal Massacre compilations. It was the song 'Swing Of The Axe' on MM VI that led to a deal with Combat Records. They would also play in Montreal in November 1985 at the World War III Fest which had one hell of a lineup, appearing alongside Nasty Savage, Voivod, Destruction and Celtic Frost. They also featured long time Primus guitarist Larry Lalonde, who joined the band after this release. The band broke up in 1987, and in 1989 vocalist/bassist Jeff Beccara was shot in a robbery attempt, and was left paralyzed from the waist down, but still sings for the band today, in a wheelchair. From that influential debut album, this is the song that literally started it all.
Remember the later start tonight, folks. Enjoy the game. Fuck nazis. Go Canucks Go!
10 p.m. ET; SNP, ALT
No Quinn Hughes.
Well, that pretty much summarizes the game.
That also shows the state of the Canucks defense, as there aren't expectations that anyone on that backend can step and have a game. It looks like Soucy sits again as Coach Taco tries out new players and new pairings to see if he can find a spark. Soucy has had a rough go of it this year as he has been asked to play minutes and situations he wasn't meant for. Soucy is a good choice for a 3rd pairing....not 2nd or 1st.
Anyone seen Brock Boeser?
You would think a guy who is about to become a free agent, and scored 40 goals last year, would be playing better. I think the voices saying, "Trade Brock" are getting louder and while I have been one of those voices for years, it's unfortunate...or very Canuck-like, that Brock value is low right now. It doesn't seem who the GM is in this town, they will face a decision like the one with Brock. Pay him for one great season.....like they did for Petey, or trade him because he had only one great season and won't be worth $8 million/yr for 7 years.
The team the Canucks face tonight, the Avs, made the decision to trade a far better player because they didn't want to pay for past performance. I'm not sure they will get the return off Necas they hope for, but what do I know.
The Avs are in a playoff spot but it looks like they will have to face a 1st place team and so they need to find their playoff form over the next month.
LINEUPS
Avalanche projected lineup
Artturi Lehkonen -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Martin Necas
Jonathan Drouin -- Casey Mittelstadt -- Juuso Parssinen
Miles Wood -- Jack Drury -- Ross Colton
Joel Kiviranta -- Parker Kelly -- Logan O'Connor
Devon Toews -- Cale Makar
Samuel Girard -- Josh Manson
Keaton Middleton -- Sam Malinski
Mackenzie Blackwood
Trent Miner
Scratched: Calvin de Haan, Oliver Kylington
Injured: Scott Wedgewood (upper body), Valeri Nichushkin (lower body), Gabriel Landeskog (knee), Tucker Poolman (head)
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- Filip Chytil -- Conor Garland
Nils Hoglander -- Pius Suter -- Linus Karlsson
Drew O’Connor -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Filip Hronek
Elias Pettersson -- Noah Juulsen
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Carson Soucy, Victor Mancini
Injured: Quinn Hughes (undisclosed)
Status report
Wedgewood, a goalie, is not with the team but could join the Avalanche for the conclusion of a three-game road trip that ends with back-to-back games at the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers on Thursday and Friday. … Kylington, a defenseman, was activated off injured reserve Monday after missing 31 games with an upper-body injury. ... Hughes skated with coaches before the main group Tuesday but left before the full morning skate started; the defenseman will miss a second consecutive game. … Soucy, a defenseman, will be a healthy scratch for a second straight game.
GAME DAY CHATTER
“Big physical defenceman. Good first pass. Really good shot. Not afraid - I call him the cycle buster - he goes flying in there, he doesn’t care. He’s a competitive guy."
🗣 Head Coach Rick Tocchet speaks on D-Petey, provides injury updates and more.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/6T8SELXvYa
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 4, 2025
"To play like that after his first game makes me really excited to get more time with him and to keep developing that chemistry. We already talked a bunch after the first game and it’s only going to get better and better.”
🗣 Myers on Marcus Pettersson.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/MAMunPDwtd
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 4, 2025
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
I have no rhyme or reason for this song choice other than it popped into my head. Hey, do you really want John Tesh to come back?
Go Coconuts Go!
RED WINGS (26-21-5) at CANUCKS (23-18-10)
8 p.m. ET; SNP, TVAS (JIP), FDSNDET
Whose team is this? I didn't sign up for this team. I guess any Canuck fan could have uttered those words since 1970. Of course I am willing to give this team a chance. The last loss didn't count (just in the standings) because all the pieces weren't here yet. So tonight we get to see Chytil, O'Conner and another Pettersson, but I think the best news is the fact that Carson Soucy is back to playing 3rd pairing minutes. Throw in the return of Kiefer Sherwood and I might have a little bit of hope for this team.
So, now that J.T. is gone, is this really Petey's team....or does Quinn have more of a say in the room? Notice I didn't say Brock. He may be the longest serving Canuck, but he has never seemed like the go to guy. I wish he would start going to the net. This team is still struggling to find an identity and there doesn't seem to be a strong leader. Leadership by committee seems dicey, but maybe if this team can get on a winning streak....who knows?
With all this negativity that oozes from Kent and myself (never Jimmi "Mary" Poppins) about this team, they still have a legitimate shot of sneaking into the playoffs. I know! It's hard to believe that the Canucks season continues after April...but again, who knows?
Lineups
Red Wings projected lineup
Marco Kasper -- Dylan Larkin -- Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat -- Andrew Copp -- Vladimir Tarasenko
Elmer Soderblom -- Michael Rasmussen -- Jonathan Berggren
Christian Fischer -- Joe Veleno -- Dominik Shine
Ben Chiarot -- Moritz Seider
Simon Edvinsson -- Albert Johansson
Erik Gustafsson -- Justin Holl
Alex Lyon
Cam Talbot
Scratched: Tyler Motte, William Lagesson
Injured: Patrick Kane (upper body), J.T. Compher (upper body)
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- Filip Chytil -- Conor Garland
Nils Hoglander -- Pius Suter -- Linus Karlsson
Drew O’Connor -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Derek Forbort -- Carson Soucy
Kevin Lankinen
Thatcher Demko
Scratched: Noah Juulsen, Elias Pettersson, Victor Mancini
Injured: None
Status report
The Red Wings did not skate in Vancouver on Sunday, but Lyon is expected to start after Talbot made 33 saves in a 3-1 win at the Calgary Flames on Saturday. … Kane, a forward who has missed five games, could return against the Canucks, coach Todd McLellan said on Saturday in Calgary, but there was no update on Sunday. … Hughes is a game-time decision, according to coach Rick Tocchet. … The Canucks held an optional morning skate with no clear lines, but Sherwood said he is ready to return after missing four games with a lower-body injury. … Chytil, O’Connor and Marcus Pettersson will all make their Canucks debut after being acquired in separate trades with the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night. Mancini, who was part of the trade with New York, could also play, Tocchet said.
Game Day Chatter
The four new #Canucks getting this on their first full day in Vancouver is funny as heck. pic.twitter.com/Q6Pn0rdAxf
— 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 Faber 🔥 (@ChrisFaber39) February 2, 2025
"Simple two-way game. Trying to move the puck as quickly as I can out of the d-zone. When I’m at my best, I have a good first pass. I use my stick, my reach."
🗣 Marcus Pettersson speaks on his skill-set and how excited he is joining Vancouver.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/4fwcTQqaeM
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 2, 2025
“Played with Teddy in Pittsburgh. Skated with Garland a lot in the summer and played with him at Worlds. He’s awesome.”
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 2, 2025
🗣 Drew O'Connor discusses his connections to the team, his style of play, and shares his thoughts on being traded for the first time.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/E9VhmjYn0D
“Playing with speed. Getting to the net. Making plays. That’s my game."
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 2, 2025
🗣 Filip Chytil speaks on what he brings to the team, continuing to work on his game, and how Filip Hronek has helped him so far following the trade.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/zfABRpNPqd
“I’m really excited to pick their brains. Players, coaches, everyone. Being a young guy, being a rookie, I just want to be a sponge, take in as much information as I can. Learn, get better, and help this team.”
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 2, 2025
🗣 Hear from new Canuck, Victor Mancini.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/GoD2kpwohA
Game Day Battle Hymn
I stay clear of Kent's domain of metal....instead I bring you a easy-listening toe-tapping diddy, with a message after having to go through this crappy season so far.
Go Coconuts Go!
Another must win game against a Western Conference team where the Canucks actually outplayed their opponent? A three game winning streak? Is this a reason for hope? Oh, don't be silly. Well, maybe it is...?
Vancouver Canucks (23-17-10) vs. Dallas Stars (32-17-1)
5:00 pm PST; 8:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Again, while it wasn't without its blemishes, the Canucks put together another solid road performance on Wednesday night en route to a 3-1 win over the Predators in Nashville. Vancouver's now won three straight games for the first time in November, and can finish off this road swing with a perfect record if they can manage a win tonight against a very good Dallas Stars squad.
Much like the game on Saturday against Washington, this is a real test for the squad to see if they actually deserve to be in the playoff spot they currently are one point out of. I suppose if there's anything encouraging, it's that they've been getting some scoring that wasn't Quinn Hughes, and the goals were coming from guys who really needed to get going in Nils Hoglander and Pius Suter. Another bright light, was this was definitely the best performance this season from Thatcher Demko, and while it may be a little too early yet to claim that he's back, he's definitely trending in the right direction.
And whether it's Demko or Kevin Lankinen in goal tonight, the Canucks will need their D to be at their absolute best if they hope to come out of Big D with the two points they so desperately need. And that means, and I am fully aware of how this sounds, they need Tyler Myers to be at his best tonight.
Are we done laughing? Good.
Since returning from suspension, Myers has been rather impressive, putting in a ton of minutes, as well as the one goal, one assist performance on Monday in St Louis. Dallas is a fast, offensively skilled team, and making things as easy as possible for whoever is occupying the crease for Vancouver tonight is going to help them a long way towards getting that win.
And pardon me if you've heard this one, but it would be wonderful if the best players on the Canucks showed up in an offensive way tonight, and by that I mean producing goals and not the offensive performances we've been treated to this season. It's time for Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller to go on a freakin' tear if for no other reason than to spite each other. Let the hate flow through you, and it shall lead you to victory.
LINEUPS
This lineup was found carved into the floor of the basement at the Alamo... though I am pretty sure it's on nhl dot com, too...
8 p.m. ET; Victory+, SN
Canucks projected lineup
Danton Heinen -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Dakota Joshua
Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Noah Juulsen
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Elias Pettersson, Vincent Desharnais
Injured: Kiefer Sherwood (lower body)
Stars projected lineup
Jason Robertson -- Roope Hintz -- Wyatt Johnston
Jamie Benn -- Matt Duchene -- Mavrik Bourque
Evgenii Dadonov -- Sam Steel -- Logan Stankoven
Brendan Smith -- Oskar Back -- Colin Blackwell
Thomas Harley -- Ilya Lyubushkin
Lian Bichsel -- Esa Lindell
Kyle Capobianco -- Mathew Dumba
Jake Oettinger
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: None
Injured: Miro Heiskanen (knee), Nils Lundkvist (upper body), Mason Marchment (face), Tyler Seguin (hip)
While I was certain that the Canucks would go with Lankinen given he had two strong performances against Washington and St Louis, Demko gets the nod tonight, and in the tradition of Ted Cruz, the Stars are being absolute cowards and not letting Casey De Smith face his old team, opting for Jake Oettinger just because he's really good or something stupid like that.
The Stars are dealing with a bunch of injuries, including a couple key ones in Heiskanen and Seguin, while the Canucks are only down Sherwood, who's back in Vancouver recovering.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Today in our look at the best metal releases from 1985, we look at the second album from US progressive metallers FATES WARNING. Following up on their debut 'Night On Brocken', 'The Spectre Within' saw the band continue to grow in proficiency. This album would get a good response, and they would release one more with vocalist John Artch (Awaken The Guardian) before replacing him with Ray Alder. This track was featured on the soundtrack of River's Edge, a great 80's movie starring Dennis Hopper, Crispin Glover and a young Keanu Reaves. That soundtrack also featured four songs from SLAYER, plus tracks from HALLOWS EVE, and punk band AGENT ORANGE.
Enjoy the game, everyone! Go Canucks Go!
There was a lot to like about that game in St Louis. It's not enough to make us stop thinking about the raging tire fire that is the Vancouver Canucks, but it was nice to be happy at the end of a game again.
Vancouver Canucks (22-17-10) vs. Nashville Predators (18-23-7)
6:00 pm PST; 9:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Much like the Oilers game last week, where we should have been talking about coughing up a stinker to the bloody Sabres, we should be relishing that win over the St Louis Blues Monday night, as well as back to back wins for the first time since December. But no, we have to talk about the Canucks team President Jim Rutherford coming out in an interview and essentially telling us things are worse that we were led to believe and one, if not both of J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson has to be traded. The core is being blown up, mere months after they led us to start believing again. Shame on us, I guess.
If you haven't already checked it out, Jimmi did a bang up job going over Rutherford's comments and what this all means, but all you need to know is that unless they can somehow hold off til the off season, there's a zero chance they get a fair, let alone favourable return on either of these guys. The teams that can trade for them are looking at the Canucks and licking their chops, waiting for Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin to cave and pull off a deal to try and solve what is pretty much the dumbest problem this franchise has ever faced. All I can say is thank dog Jim Benning's not still here, because the Canucks would have been absolutely fleeced already.
Anyway, the game in St Louis was pretty positive overall. Quinn Hughes and Kevin Lankinen were once again the best players on the ice for the Canucks, but there were some other standouts, and it was pretty much a consistent team effort that led to the victory.
First up, it must be said: That was one of the best performances from Tyler Myers that we've ever seen, right? Just solid on the puck all night long, making life miserable for the Blues and just calmly going about his business. Sure, he took a penalty that led to a St Louis goal, but if that's your focus after such a strong game from the Chaos Giraffe, I feel sorry for your joyless existence.
Conor Garland was simply unlucky to not come out of that game with a hat trick or more, and those breakaway goals from Miller and Pius Suter, both of whom abso-frickin-lutely needed to get off the schneid were so great to see. That's back to back solid performances where the Canucks were the better team, one against the best team in the NHL, and one desperate for a win to try and salvage their season.
They head to Nashville to take on the team whose performance this year has been even more shocking than the Canucks. To see the Predators struggling after making a huge splash in free agency last summer is so unreal. After their big 4 forwards in Filip Forsberg, Jonathan Marchessault, Steven Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly, pretty much no one else is scoring for them. Add in that Juuse Saros has looked utterly average at best this season, and maybe it's not so surprising, but this is a team that is massively underperforming for the lineups they ice. The Preds have been better of late, but their wheel spinning start to the season as them out of the playoff race without some kind of record setting win streak.
LINEUPS
Scrawled in crayon on the back of a cardboard sign of some racist idiot telling people to go back to wherever they came from is tonight's potential lineups, though this was also spotted on the ol nhl dot com...
9 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SNP
Canucks projected lineup
Danton Heinen -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Phil Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Dakota Joshua
Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Filip Hronek
Noah Juulsen -- Carson Soucy
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Elias Pettersson, Vincent Desharnais, Max Sasson
Injured: Kiefer Sherwood (lower body)
Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Steven Stamkos -- Jonathan Marchessault
Gustav Nyquist -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Vinnie Hinostroza
Tommy Novak -- Fedor Svechkov -- Zachary L'Heureux
Cole Smith -- Michael McCarron -- Colton Sissons
Roman Josi -- Justin Barron
Brady Skjei -- Nick Blankenburg
Adam Wilsby -- Luke Schenn
Juuse Saros
Justus Annunen
Scratched: Kevin Gravel
Injured: Jeremy Lauzon (lower body), Luke Evangelista (lower body), Mark Jankowski (upper body)
While it's unfortunate that Kiefer Sherwood is out with a lower body injury, the Canucks appear to be getting a couple healthy bodies back, as Dakota Joshua and Noah Juulsen should be good to go. It looks like they're going to go with Thatcher Demko tonight, and that means one of two things. If he plays well tonight, I would bet on him getting the start in Dallas Friday night. If he doesn't, they're definitely starting Kevin Lankinen against the Stars.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
The next stop on our look at some of the best metal releases from 1985 is the second album from the almighty SLAYER 'Hell Awaits'. Following the unexpected success of their debut 'Show No Mercy', which sold 40,000 copies with zero airplay or video support, Metal Blade Records was eager to get them into the studio to record another one. And while the sound isn't the greatest on this one, it actually took a step up from the insanity of their first album. And for all the speed found on this album, it's the mid-paced 'At Dawn They Sleep' that stands out for me. They would tour for this album with Exodus and Venom, and one of these shows was captured in the legendary 'Ultimate Revenge' home video, shot at NYC's infamous disco, Studio 54.
Enjoy the game, everyone. Go Canucks Go!
7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, Prime
After watching the last Canucks game, do you ever wonder what the fuck is going on? They play a disciplined 200 foot game against the Caps and beat the league leaders. And yet we all know that they are just as likely to shit the bed in this game against a team that isn't as good as Washington.
I am now of the mindset that J.T. and Petey should just stay in Van. Trading one or both doesn't fix the anything except for the distraction of the two. If they get traded, does this team magically become better...no. So why trade them? They have both sucked so far and this team still has a chance to make the playoffs. Keep them both and let them know that it's on them to turn this around.
Many will disagree with me....so be it. I just don't see a trade that brings the team what it actually needs to get better. That includes a center and a defenseman that can play defense. Looking at the trade scenarios, I just see a team that will waste Quinn Hughes at his prime.
Besides that stance, I am of the belief that the only player that should be traded is Thatcher Demko. His injuries continue to mount and his next extension is coming closer. Some would say he is the franchise goalie the team has been waiting for since Lu, but all we done so far is wait. His body has been unable to make it far into the playoffs. The money thrown at some goalies this offseason is ridiculous and I fear the perception of Demko's performance will get him overpaid by the Canucks. Trade him for a 2nd line dman and sign Lankinen for less than $4 million/yr.
If things don't turn around by mid-Feb, realistically, the only person who should be traded is Brock. his contract will be too high for a player that has scored 30+ goals once in his career.
LINEUPS
Canucks projected lineup
Danton Heinen -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Phil Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Max Sasson
Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Filip Hronek
Elias Pettersson -- Carson Soucy
Kevin Lankinen
Thatcher Demko
Scratched: Noah Juulsen, Vincent Desharnais
Injured: Kiefer Sherwood (lower body), Dakota Joshua (lower body)
Blues projected lineup
Dylan Holloway -- Brayden Schenn -- Jordan Kyrou
Jake Neighbours -- Robert Thomas -- Pavel Buchnevich
Brandon Saad -- Mathieu Joseph -- Zack Bolduc
Alexey Toropchenko -- Radek Faksa -- Nathan Walker
Philip Broberg -- Colton Parayko
Cam Fowler -- Justin Faulk
Ryan Suter -- Tyler Tucker
Jordan Binnington
Joel Hofer
Scratched: Oskar Sundqvist, Alexandre Texier, Scott Perunovich
Injured: Nick Leddy (lower body)
Status report
The Canucks did not hold a morning skate. … Garland had a maintenance day Sunday but is expected to play. Joshua, a forward, skated in Garland’s spot and could return after missing the past 10 games. … Myers is expected to return from a three-game suspension for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard on Jan. 18. … Sherwood, a forward, could join Vancouver later on its road trip. ... Walker will return and replace Sundqvist, a forward, and Joseph will move to center from right wing. … St. Louis will mix up all three of its defensive pairings from a 2-0 loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Game Day Chatter
“I like that fact that we hung in there against a big team, it should give you confidence.”
🗣️ Head Coach Rick Tocchet speaks on last night’s win and the upcoming Central Division road trip. pic.twitter.com/Ke1zqNBzLk
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 26, 2025
“That’s part of the game. You got to deal with the hand you’re dealt and keep pushing forward. So, looking forward to getting back in.”
🗣️ Dakota Joshua meets with the media after participating in today’s practice. pic.twitter.com/DK34bavh8f
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 26, 2025
Game Day Battle Hymn
Did you know that John Tesh is undefeated this year?
But if I was to use him 2 games in a row, Kent will hunt me down.
So I leave you with a happy/sad song from The Clash.
Go Coconuts Go!
10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY, MNMT2
"I just can’t do another fucking tear down. I’m old. I’m tired. I’m probably going to die in the first days of the American invasion. And I will never see the Canucks win a cup and that just blows." -Kent
If there were awards given to positivity, our man Kent, well....nevermind. And I will add that Kent is a fucking liar. He can't quit the Canucks. None of us oldtimers can. Even if management blows up this team, we will be here to see the tire fire of an organization.
Now, I will express my frustration at the fact that this team is a hot steaming pile right now. This structure that Coach Taco keeps talking about is made out of Play-doh or else players have selective amnesia almost every game. I am also frustrated listening to the younger generation of Canuck fans and their quick fix solutions. They also have so many fingers pointing blame that you would think they are carnies.
I think we all know that Petey and JT are checking Twitter every 15 minutes.
Canucks play some team from the U.S. tonight. Their top player is a Russian who loves Putin.
GAME DAY CHATTER
“Today is a new game. We know we can play against them, but we just got to bring it.”
🗣️ Forward Elias Pettersson speaks to the media ahead of tonight’s match with the Capitals.#Canucks | @TheProvince pic.twitter.com/JO3qlMI1yt
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 25, 2025
“We’ve got to at least get back the structure and go from there.”
🗣️ Head Coach Rick Tocchet meets with the media prior to tonight’s game.#Canucks | @TheProvince pic.twitter.com/645da98TFd
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 25, 2025
LINEUPS
Washington projected lineup
Alex Ovechkin -- Dylan Strome -- Connor McMichael
Aliaksei Protas -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Tom Wilson
Taylor Raddysh -- Lars Eller -- Ethen Frank
Brandon Duhaime -- Nic Dowd -- Andrew Mangiapane
Rasmus Sandin -- John Carlson
Jakob Chychrun -- Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Martin Fehervary -- Matt Roy
Charlie Lindgren
Logan Thompson
Scratched: Alexander Alexeyev, Dylan McIlrath, Jakub Vrana
Injured: None
Canucks projected lineup
Danton Heinen -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Max Sasson -- Teddy Blueger -- Phillip Di Giuseppe
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Elias Pettersson -- Carson Soucy
Derek Forbort -- Vincent Desharnais
Kevin Lankinen
Thatcher Demko
Scratched: Mark Friedman
Injured: Kiefer Sherwood (lower body), Dakota Joshua (lower body), Noah Juulsen (undisclosed)
Suspended: Tyler Myers
Status report
Lindgren will start consecutive games for the first time this season after making 22 saves in a 3-0 win at the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, his first start since sustaining an upper-body injury during a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 10. … Pettersson the defenseman is making his NHL debut for the Canucks. … Sherwood, a forward, will be a game-time decision after blocking a shot in the second period of a 6-2 loss at the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. ... Joshua, a forward, will miss his 10th straight game but skated with teammates for the first time Saturday morning and coach Rick Tocchet said he could return in one of the following two games.
Game Day Battle Hymn
Kent isn't the only one who hates the idea of watching a midget team play in Rogers. My anger comes with loud, obnoxious noises that will punish everyone.
Only John Tesh might be able to save us.....maybe.
Go Coconuts Go!
