Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
Nucks Fan Rebuild & Retool Center - Come For The Banter - Stay For The Disappointment
Nobody said tanking was easy, and while the benefits are obvious, maybe these guys could throw us a bone? We're used to the losses, but this is getting ridiculous.
Vancouver Canucks (16-26-5) vs. Edmonton Oilers (23-17-8)
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet, CBC, City
Radio: Sportsnet 650
There was a point in this season where you could go "Well, at least the Canucks are decent enough on the road, right?" So what do you do when that's no longer a thing?
That road trip couldn't have gone any worse for the Canucks, honestly. Losing every single game, along with another handful of players has sealed their fate, and the rest of the season will just be them riding it out, playing the kids and hopefully, having it all pay off with a top three draft pick come June.
And while that sounds simple, it's really not. There's a lot that needs to be done, selling off of assets, and making sure which ones to keep to build a new core around. And the hardest part? They need to sell the team to new owners. It's not going to be quick. It's going to be painful. But it's the only way out of this godforsaken mess.
And now, with the potential to set a new low with the most consecutive losses, and the penalty kill operating at a 50% clip during that road trip, they return home to face the league's best power play in the Edmonton Oilers. I am already feeling uneasy at just how bad they're going to look tonight.
35 games to go, and most of them are at home. For some teams, that would be reassuring. For the worst team on home ice in the NHL? Not so much. And it's a rough schedule, too. 8 straight at home, a game every second night. No chance to practice in between, really. No extended periods to let nagging injuries heal. This is a nightmare scenario.
LINEUPS
Via that nhl dot com place, this is what will likely shake down tonight:
Oilers projected lineup
Vasily Podkolzin -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman
Trent Frederic -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Kasperi Kapanen
Isaac Howard -- Jack Roslovic -- Matthew Savoie
Andrew Mangiapane -- Curtis Lazar -- Mattias Janmark
Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse -- Ty Emberson
Jake Walman -- Spencer Stastney
Tristan Jarry
Calvin Pickard
Scratched: Leon Draisaitl, Alec Regula, Connor Ingram
Injured: Adam Henrique (upper body)
Canucks projected lineup
Liam Ohgren -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Jake DeBrusk -- David Kampf -- Evander Kane
Drew O’Connor -- Aatu Raty -- Conor Garland
Arshdeep Bains -- Max Sasson -- Linus Karlsson
Marcus Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Zeev Buium -- Tyler Myers
Tom Willander -- Victor Mancini
Nikita Tolopilo
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: P.O Joseph, Nils Hoglander
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Kiefer Sherwood (undisclosed), Marco Rossi (lower body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Lots going on here, so let's start with the big news. No Leon Draisaitl, as he's returned to Germany to deal with a sick family member. Unfortunate for him and the Oilers, but potentially a ray of light for the Canucks if they hope to not hit double digits on this losing skid. It's Nikita Tolopilo in goal tonight, as Kevin Lankinen is ill, so much so they had a third goaltender at the morning skate, but he will dress tonight, apparently. Chytil and Blueger are almost ready to return, likely Monday against the Islanders, but not tonight.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Just playing this track from SEPULTURA's classic 'Chaos A.D.' album, for no particular reason.
Enjoy the game, folks. Fuck Fascism! Go Canucks Go!
7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, SNP
Early games...sheesh.
What can I say about this team that is new and refreshing to read?
They suck?.....no, that's not it. They don't actually suck. They have the same issues as better Canuck teams. They can't score and they have a mental shutdown for 5-10 minutes and teams scores several goals against them. The Canucks might have a shot of a winless 2026.
I will throw my two cents into the trade situation right now.
Trade: Sherwood, Boeser, and Kane now. Hopefully Demko gets back this year and you trade him at the draft. I would keep Garland for now.
You keep Petey for now as well. No, he isn't worth $11.6 million a year, but I would keep him over Boeser just for the two-way play.
Game Day Chatter
Game Day Lineups
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Drew O’Connor -- Max Sasson -- Brock Boeser
Liam Ohgren -- David Kampf -- Conor Garland
Arshdeep Bains -- Aatu Raty -- Evander Kane
Zeev Buium -- Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Tom Willander -- Victor Mancini
Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo
Scratched: P.O Joseph, Nils Hoglander
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Kiefer Sherwood (undisclosed), Marco Rossi (lower body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Blue Jackets projected lineup
Cole Sillinger -- Adam Fantilli -- Kirill Marchenko
Boone Jenner -- Sean Monahan -- Kent Johnson
Dimitri Voronkov -- Charlie Coyle -- Mathieu Olivier
Danton Heinen -- Brendan Gaunce -- Mikael Pyyhtia
Zach Werenski -- Dante Fabbro
Ivan Provorov – Damon Severson
Erik Gudbranson -- Jake Christiansen
Elvis Merzlikins
Jet Greaves
Scratched: Zach Aston-Reese, Egor Zamula, Dysin Mayo
Injured: Isac Lundestrom (lower body), Brendan Smith (knee surgery), Miles Wood (lower body), Mason Marchment (upper body), Denton Mateychuk (upper body)
Status report
Bains will enter the lineup for Hoglander, a forward, and Willander will replace Joseph, a defenseman. ... Forwards Chytil, Blueger and Sherwood each skated Thursday. ... Gudbranson will return after missing 38 games because of a hip injury. … Severson will play after missing a 5-3 win against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday because of illness. ... Defensemen Zamula and Mayo will come out.
Game Day Battle Hymn
When I think of this season so far, I associate it with the imagery of the following song.
Is it still Go Canucks Go?.....or tank boys tank?
Tonight, we get a look at a team in utter disarray. The entire league is watching things fall apart here, and wondering just what the hell is going on with this embarrassment of a franchise. And now they have to play the Ottawa Senators!
Vancouver Canucks (16-24-5) vs. Ottawa Senators (20-19-5)
Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
4:00 pm PST; 7:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific, TSN 5
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Last night, the Canucks were doing the usual Canucks thing: Somehow managing to stay close, when they really had no business being in it. And then the third period came, and just over a minute later, the game was over. I don't know if this is an intentional tank, but it's an effective one. The Canucks are just getting embarrassed right now, as they move to winless in seven straight, and a chance to either stop it in it's tracks, or hit a new low as they take on a team struggling in their own right, the Ottawa Senators.
You may have seen the news last week, where some rumours about widespread infidelity amongst Senators players exploded, and Sens GM Steve Staios made things definitely better by commenting about it in a way that changed minds from "Did this really happen?" to "Oh, god! This definitely happened!" While things are not quite as drastic, the Sens have also lost four straight in regulation, and with their chances of battling back for a wild card slot in the East starting to fade, they're definitely going to come out fighting tonight.
After a rough night for Nikita Tolopilo in the crease against the Habs, the Canucks will turn to Kevin Lankinen to try and stop the bleeding, but honestly, with the impotent power play, god-awful penalty kill, and defence that seems like nothing more than a concept, he too could be in for a difficult evening. It's a tough week for the Canucks, as they have the final game of this road trip on Thursday in Columbus, then it's back home after one day of rest and surprise! It's McDavid and Draisaitl and another chance to get clowned on Hockey Night In Canada!
LINEUPS
From that nhl dot com thingy, here's tonight's list of combatants:
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Conor Garland -- David Kampf -- Brock Boeser
Liam Ohgren -- Max Sasson -- Drew O’Connor
Evander Kane -- Aatu Raty -- Nils Hoglander
Tom Willander -- Filip Hronek
Zeev Buium -- Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson -- Victor Mancini
Kevin Lankinen
Nikita Tolopilo
Scratched: Arshdeep Bains, P.O Joseph
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Kiefer Sherwood (undisclosed), Marco Rossi (lower body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Senators projected lineup
Fabian Zetterlund -- Tim Stutzle -- Drake Batherson
Brady Tkachuk -- Dylan Cozens -- Claude Giroux
Ridly Greig -- Shane Pinto -- Michael Amadio
Nick Cousins -- Lars Eller -- David Perron
Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven -- Jordan Spence
Leevi Merilainen
Hunter Shepard
Scratched: Kurtis MacDermid, Nikolas Matinpalo, James Reimer
Injured: None
Zeev Buium will return to the lineup tonight, after being a healthy scratch in Montreal, but who comes out is anyone's guess. P.O. Joseph isn't an automatic, so we'll just wait and see what Adam Foote does tonight. No other changes, it would appear.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
This album celebrated it's 40th anniversary last week, and what an absolute gamechanger it was. One of the first true crossover albums, these NYHC kids put out an album still revered by many to this day. From 'Life Of Dreams', this is CRUMBSUCKERS, and 'Shits Creek'.
Enjoy the game, folks. Fuck fascists, worldwide. Go Canucks tank!
There haven't been many brutal losses for this team so far, but Saturday night's embarrassment against the Leafs is a hard one to swallow. And having Thatcher Demko get hurt yet again? The rotten cherry on top of a shit sundae, really.
Vancouver Canucks (16-23-5) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (25-14-6)
Bell Centre, Montreal, PQ
4:30 pm PST; 7:30 pm EST
TV: Amazon Prime
Radio: Sportsnet 650
There have been games the Canucks have played this season that were boring. Some of them, hard to sit through. But what we saw on Saturday, was probably the first top to bottom performance where they just didn't seem to care. Getting through this season has been accomplished because nights like Saturday really weren't a thing. Sure, they'd gotten outplayed, but they were visibly trying, and that's going to at least hold some people's interest as the losses pile up. But that was one of the most difficult performances to sit through in a while.
So what now? With their number one goalie yet again on the shelf, and let's be honest here, his future now in doubt given the number of injuries he's suffered over the past few seasons, how are they going to respond after what was easily their worst game of the season? And it's not just Demko that went down, as they're going to be without Kiefer Sherwood for up to three weeks after suffering an injury Saturday night, something that takes the excitement out of getting Conor Garland back tonight.
And tonight they're taking on a Montreal team that is finally coming into it's own, playing well in spite of a ton of injuries, sitting just two points back of first place in the Atlantic Division. They've got speed, skill and goaltending, and could be a legit threat in the East this spring.
LINEUPS
From the nhl dot com ting, here's yer lineups:
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Conor Garland -- David Kampf -- Brock Boeser
Liam Ohgren -- Max Sasson -- Drew O’Connor
Evander Kane -- Aatu Raty -- Nils Hoglander
Tom Willander -- Filip Hronek
Pierre-Olivier Joseph -- Tyler Myers
Marcus Pettersson -- Victor Mancini
Nikita Tolopilo
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Arshdeep Bains, Zeev Buium
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Kiefer Sherwood (undisclosed), Marco Rossi (lower body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Canadiens projected lineup
Cole Caufield -- Nick Suzuki -- Alexandre Texier
Juraj Slafkovsky -- Oliver Kapanen -- Ivan Demidov
Zachary Bolduc -- Phillip Danault -- Brendan Gallagher
Sammy Blais -- Joe Veleno -- Owen Beck
Mike Matheson -- Noah Dobson
Lane Hutson -- Alexandre Carrier
Kaiden Guhle -- Arber Xhekaj
Jakub Dobes
Jacob Fowler
Scratched: Sam Montembeault, Jayden Struble
Injured: Patrik Laine (lower body), Kirby Dach (broken foot), Jake Evans (lower body), Josh Anderson (upper body), Alex Newhook (broken ankle)
While some may look at Zeev Buium being a healthy scratch as something to freak out about, this really looks like a coach trying to send a message to a young player who's been inconsistent over the last few games, and I don't think we should read anything more into it. You gotta feel for Arshdeep Bains though, who can't get into a game even after Saturday night's shit show. Nikita Tolopilo is your starter tonight, called up from Abbotsford yesterday after Demko flew back to Vancouver for further evaluation.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Iron Reagan. I Won't Go. Turn this one up!
Enjoy the game, hahaha. Fuck you fascists, you're bound to lose. Go Canucks tank!
The Canucks rattled off a perfect tank performance in the Motor City on Thursday night, and thanks to a Winnipeg Jets win last night, are currently in possession of last place in the NHL. And while I am perfectly content for this to continue on its merry way on their quest to secure Gavin McKenna, I find myself, as always, wanting a win tonight. Weird, right?
Vancouver Canucks (16-22-5) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (21-15-7)
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
4:00 pm PST; 7:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet, CBC
Radio: Sportsnet 650
While I am sure that much of the narrative tonight will be focused on the struggles of the poor, hard done by Leafs and their tormented fan base, we should probably not spend too much time feeling bad for a team that sits two points out of a playoff spot. And while the Canucks were literally within grasping distance of one themselves a week ago, they are now 10 points back of Utah and San Jose for a wild card slot in the West, and that is simply far too much ground for this team to make up with the time remaining in the season.
So with the Canucks clearly going to benefit by staying in the basement and getting a top three draft pick in an extremely deep draft, we are faced with a conundrum. Keep the tank a rollin', or hope for the Canucks to stick it to the Leafs again. They've won three straight, and four of the last five, including a 3-0 win in Toronto last season.
It could also be an audition for some Canucks players, as the Leafs will likely look to load up at the deadline should they battle into a playoff spot, and that means guys like Kiefer Sherwood and Evander Kane could make an impression with strong games here tonight as the Canucks sell off more parts to prepare for the draft and a better future.
The Leafs could also want to have a look at Thatcher Demko, as they've been sunk by subpar goaltending for years now, and let's face it, if getting a big return for Demko is going to make things better down the road, that's something they have to look at.
LINEUPS
From that site known as nhl dot com, this is what they think these teams will roll with today:
Canucks projected lineup
Evander Kane -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Liam Ohgren -- Max Sasson -- Linus Karlsson
Jake DeBrusk -- David Kampf -- Kiefer Sherwood
Drew O'Connor -- Aatu Raty -- Nils Hoglander
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Zeev Buium -- Filip Hronek
Elias Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Arshdeep Bains
Injured: Conor Garland (upper body), Marco Rossi (lower body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Maple Leafs projected lineup
Matias Maccelli -- John Tavares -- William Nylander
Mathew Knies -- Auston Matthews -- Max Domi
Bobby McMann -- Scott Laughton -- Steven Lorentz
Easton Cowan -- Nicolas Roy -- Nicholas Robertson
Morgan Rielly -- Brandon Carlo
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Troy Stecher
Simon Benoit -- Philippe Myers
Joseph Woll
Dennis Hildeby
Scratched: Matt Benning, Calle Jarnkrok
Injured: Anthony Stolarz (upper body), Chris Tanev (groin), Dakota Mermis (lower body), Dakota Joshua (kidney), Jake McCabe (lower body)
No changes for the Canucks today, apart from Demko getting the crease. I am going to post this info from Thomas Drance without the link, because it's on the nazi/casm site and I will not link to it:
#Canucks took line rushes as follows in Toronto on Saturday morning:
DeBrusk-Pettersson-Karlsson
Öhgren-Sasson-Boeser
DOC-Kampf-Sherwood
Kane-Räty-Höglander
M. Pettersson-Hronek
Buium-Myers
D-Petey - Willander
Extras: Joseph, Bains
Red non-contact: Garland, Blueger, Chytil
As you can see, at least as far as the rushes this morning were concerned, Evander Kane has been moved to the 4th line and I couldn't be happier. Linus Karlsson gets a well deserved look on the top line, as well as Liam Ohgren getting second line minutes tonight would make me happy.
As far as the Leafs, they are pretty banged up, but will get William Nylander back in the lineup for this one, which will increase the likelihood of them playing better tonight.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Things are pretty stupid of late, so here's something to just let you turn your brain off and scream into the void, as one of Japan's best dropped a new one yesterday. Here's 'Iconic' from the amazing HANABIE.
Enjoy the game. Fascists can fuck off. Go Canucks Tank!
Another game where they came out strong, and not being able to capitalize on early chances led to their downfall. And now it's onto a similar opponent as they faced Tuesday as the move to Detroit to battle the Red Wings.
Vancouver Canucks (16-21-5) vs. Detroit Red Wings (25-15-4)
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
4:00 pm PST; 7:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
The Magical Misery Tour rumbles into Detroit, as the Canucks look to rebound from a 5-3 loss to their expansion cousins in Buffalo on Tuesday evening. And while the Sabres are battling hard to make the playoffs for the first time in forever, the Wings are a point out of first place in the Atlantic Division and very much looking like they'll stay in the mix heading towards the spring. And if you're a Canucks fan, that power play of Detroit's is going to be a major issue tonight. If the Canucks want any chance of pulling out a win, they'll need to stay out of the box as well as kill off any power plays for one of the NHL's best with the man advantage.
While the Canucks didn't play horrible, there were definitely some passengers in that game, and I really think a benching would do a world of good to correct garbage like this:
Unbelievable. Credit where it's due, he's been better of late, but that's just lazy, selfish behaviour.
This will be the second meeting against the Wings this season, the first one an absolutely frustrating 4-0 loss that saw the Canucks outshoot and outplay the Wings, only to get utterly goalie'd by John Gibson in that loss. The Wings are red hot of late, with an 8-3-1 record in their last 12 games, and are especially solid in close games at home this season, sporting an 8-0-1 mark in one goal games.
LINEUPS
From the folks at the nhl dot com, here's what we are likely gonna see this afternoon...
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Evander Kane -- Max Sasson -- Brock Boeser
Drew O'Connor -- David Kampf -- Kiefer Sherwood
Liam Ohgren -- Aatu Raty -- Nils Hoglander
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Zeev Buium -- Filip Hronek
Elias Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Arshdeep Bains
Injured: Conor Garland (upper body), Marco Rossi (lower body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Red Wings projected lineup
Emmitt Finnie -- Dylan Larkin -- Marco Kasper
Alex DeBrincat -- Andrew Copp -- Patrick Kane
James van Riemsdyk -- J.T. Compher -- Lucas Raymond
John Leonard -- Michael Rasmussen -- Mason Appleton
Simon Edvinsson -- Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot -- Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Albert Johansson -- Jacob Bernard-Docker
John Gibson
Cam Talbot
Scratched: Travis Hamonic, Elmer Soderblom
Injured: None
No changes apart from swapping out Joseph and Pettersson on the back end again, but honestly Kane should be parked for that incident, and it's frustrating he won't be.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
If there was one band that shaped my worldview growing up, it's these guys right here. Always unflinchingly against fascism.
If you're one of the types of Canucks fans who just wants to see them win, and don't have the stomach for a tank (no judgement!), you must be thrilled that they're on the road for the next six games, starting with the ridiculously hot Buffalo Sabres (and yes, that does look really odd).
Vancouver Canucks (16-20-5) vs. Buffalo Sabres (21-15-4)
Keybank Centre, Buffalo, NY
4:00 pm PST; 7:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Before we get started, I feel like it would be wrong to not point out how the NHL's schedulers did it to the Canucks once again. This road trip, starting tonight in Buffalo, then heads west to Detroit, before going back to Toronto on Saturday. You know, the Toronto that's right near Buffalo. It's not a huge amount, but all those extra miles add up over the course of the season.
There honestly wasn't a lot to complain about with Saturday's loss. It was the back end of a back to back, against a very well rested team, and they managed to get a point out of it, and if not for a mistake in the last minute, could well have been heading to a shootout again, where they likely would have come out on top again. Still, for all you tank aficionados out there, they managed to stay close to the Jets for last place. And isn't that the real victory?
The Canucks dropped a 3-2 decision when these teams met in Vancouver on Dec 11th, and would very much like to kick off another successful road trip like their last one with a win against a team that had just rattled off 10 straight wins before losing to Columbus the other night. To say this run the Sabres are on is a surprise might be understating things by a lot, especially given they fired their GM in the middle of it, but I do feel happy for Sabres fans, who have endured even more garbage from their team than we have.
While it can still all go sideways for them, this win streak has them in the mix and giving the team and fan base hope for the first time in ages, and that's got to feel good. And that sets them up for a unique situation in a month or so: the chance to be buyers and not sellers, at the trade deadline.
For the Canucks, they'll start the trip with Conor Garland still on the injured list, but there's some good news on the injury front, as Filip Chytil has made the trip with the team, and should be cleared to return to the lineup at some point on this six game swing.
LINEUPS
From the nhl dot com thingy, here's what you can expect to see this afternoon...
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Evander Kane -- Max Sasson -- Brock Boeser
Drew O'Connor -- David Kampf -- Kiefer Sherwood
Liam Ohgren -- Aatu Raty -- Nils Hoglander
Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Zeev Buium -- Filip Hronek
Pierre-Olivier Joseph -- Tyler Myers
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Elias Pettersson, Arshdeep Bains
Injured: Conor Garland (upper body), Marco Rossi (lower body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Sabres projected lineup
Peyton Krebs -- Tage Thompson -- Josh Doan
Jason Zucker -- Josh Norris -- Alex Tuch
Zach Benson -- Ryan McLeod -- Jack Quinn
Jordan Greenway -- Noah Ostlund -- Beck Malenstyn
Mattias Samuelsson -- Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram -- Owen Power
Jacob Bryson -- Zach Metsa
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Colten Ellis
Scratched: Josh Dunne, Tyson Kozak
Injured: Michael Kesselring (lower body), Alex Lyon (lower body), Conor Timmins (broken leg), Jiri Kulich (blood clot), Justin Danforth (lower body)
Apart from PO Joseph in and D Elias Pettersson back out, there's no changes from Saturday night's loss to the Bruins.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Some sad news in the Canadian metal news with the passing of Mike 'M-Bro' Embro, the original drummer of RAZOR, late last week. Embro was featured on the first four albums by the band, most notably the debut 'Evil Invaders', which featured a video for the title track that turned the Canadian metal scene on it's head in 1985 thanks to airplay on Muchmusic. Here's that video for you. RIP M-Bro.
Enjoy the game, folks. Fuck fascists, and fuck Trump. Go Canucks Tank!
Despite a valiant comeback effort, the Canucks dropped a trick shot competition to the Kraken ahead of a rematch with Boston tonight. There were some good things that did happen, though, most notably, a massive game from Jake DeBrusk.
Vancouver Canucks (16-20-4) vs. Boston Bruins (21-18-2)
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet, CBC, City TV
Radio: Sportsnet 650
It was a surprise, but not a shock, when Jake DeBrusk had been made a healthy scratch a couple games ago, and while he didn't respond immediately, this was definitely a response, as he put up a three point night for the Canucks and was hands down the best player on the ice. Sadly, it wasn't enough, as the Canucks dropped a rare shootout to the Kraken, and now sit two points above the Winnipeg Jets in last place for the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes.
The Jets are in Ottawa tonight to take on the Senators, while the Canucks are taking on a Boston Bruins team that hasn't played since stomping a 6-2 mudhole in the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. As well as the Canucks have been in the tail end of back to back games, this seems like a less than ideal scenario for them if they're looking to get back into the playoff hunt. It's their last game before heading off to do their 6 game Eastern road swing which will include the Eastern Canadian teams, and it kicks off Tuesday against the hottest team in the NHL: The Buffalo Sabres???
If there were anything working in the Canucks' favour, it's that before that win in Edmonton, the Bruins had lost 7 of their previous 8 games, the 5-4 shootout win by the Canucks on Dec 20th being part of that run. Still, this is a Bruins team very much in the mix over in the East, and with how genuinely dreadful the Canucks have been at home this season, I am not particularly hopeful they're going to emerge victorious from this one, regardless of what their record in the second game of back to backs may say.
LINEUPS
This is totally on the nhl dot com thingy, but here's what to expect tonight:
Bruins projected lineup
Alex Steeves -- Elias Lindholm -- Morgan Geekie
Casey Mittelstadt -- Pavel Zacha -- Viktor Arvidsson
Marat Khusnutdinov -- Fraser Minten -- David Pastrnak
Mikey Eyssimont -- Sean Kuraly -- Mark Kastelic
Nikita Zadorov -- Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm -- Jonathan Aspirot
Mason Lohrei -- Andrew Peeke
Jeremy Swayman
Joonas Korpisalo
Scratched: Jeffrey Viel, Vladislav Kolyachonok
Injured: Tanner Jeannot (undisclosed), Jordan Harris (ankle), Henri Jokiharju (undisclosed)
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Evander Kane -- Max Sasson -- Brock Boeser
Drew O'Connor -- David Kampf -- Kiefer Sherwood
Liam Ohgren -- Aatu Raty -- Nils Hoglander
Marcus Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Zeev Buium -- Tyler Myers
Elias Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Kevin Lankinen
Thatcher Demko
Scratched: P.O Joseph, Arshdeep Bains
Injured: Conor Garland (upper body), Marco Rossi (lower body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Looks like the only changes are Joseph out and EP25 in, as well as Kevin Lankinen getting the crease tonight. The Bruins are going with Swayman in goal again tonight.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
A lil Christmas present from US death metallers MOLDER, covering the EXODUS classic 'Piranha' off 'Bonded By Blood'. Vocalist Aaren Pantke has absolutely nailed Paul Baloff's vocal tone here, and he would definitely approve. Love the 'demo tape' cover here, too.
Enjoy the game, folks. Fuck fascists everywhere. Go Canucks Go!
Another day, another loss at home. The way the Canucks have played in front of their loyal fans over the last couple seasons almost feels like a personal extension of ownership's obvious disdain for the folks who hand over their hard earned cash only to be disappointed.
Vancouver Canucks (16-20-3) vs. Seattle Kraken (17-14-7)
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
7:30 pm PST; 10:30 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
I'm going to be honest with you: If the Canucks go through this season, where everything has just been day after endless day of worst case scenario, only to see the Winnipeg Jets walk away with the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, that might be what finally breaks me. 50 plus years of misery, embarrassment and frustration, and having to part ways with the best player this team's ever had only to come up short yet again might be too much to endure.
Anyway... It's another divisional contest again tonight, and another back to back as the Canucks host Seattle tonight and Boston tomorrow. Both of these teams have lost in shootouts to the Canucks in the last two weeks, but let's be honest: everyone loses in the shootout to the Canucks. They're the best at it because they have the best historic one-two combo in goal for shootouts. If that's not the most Canuck thing ever, I don't know what else is?
And in what has been the recurring theme this season, the Canucks are yet again heading into this game with more injuries, as they lost Marco Rossi and Conor Garland in that loss to the Flyers on Monday night, which will require yet again some line tweaking.
Also, don't forget that Canada takes on Slovakia at 8:30 EST/5:30 PST on TSN in the quarterfinals, and with a win will take on either Finland or the United States in the semis and a chance to make it to the Gold Medal game. Go Finland!
LINEUPS
From the website commonly known as nhl dot com... here's what to expect in this tank battle tonight:
Kraken projected lineup
Kaapo Kakko -- Matty Beniers -- Jordan Eberle
Eeli Tolvanen -- Chandler Stephenson -- Frederick Gaudreau
Berkly Catton -- Shane Wright -- Jared McCann
Ryan Winterton -- Ben Meyers -- Jacob Melanson
Vince Dunn -- Adam Larsson
Ryan Lindgren -- Cale Fleury
Ryker Evans -- Jamie Oleksiak
Joey Daccord
Philipp Grubauer
Scratched: Josh Mahura, Tye Kartye
Injured: Matt Murray (lower body), Jaden Schwartz (lower body), Brandon Montour (upper body)
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Evander Kane -- Max Sasson -- Brock Boeser
Drew O'Connor -- David Kampf -- Kiefer Sherwood
Liam Ohgren -- Aatu Raty -- Nils Hoglander
Marcus Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Zeev Buium -- Tyler Myers
Elias Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: P.O Joseph, Arshdeep Bains
Injured: Conor Garland (upper body), Marco Rossi (lower body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Thrilled to see this one pop up, heralding the imminent return of Saskatchewan's progressive metal kings INTO ETERNITY. This is a demo track from their upcoming, as yet untitled album, check out 'Suicide Drone', and we'll keep you posted about more news on this one when it becomes available.
Enjoy the game(s), everyone! Fuck Trump and fuck fascism! Go Canucks tank!
If there were ever a case for mandatory shootouts, the Canucks would strongly be in favour of this. Kevin Lankinen stole two points last night as he continues to build on a legendary status as the greatest shootout goalie in history. Yay?
Vancouver Canucks (16-19-3) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (19-17-7)
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
They were seriously outplayed in the first period, and let's face it, if they'd been facing an actual NHL team and not their cellar-dwelling pals from down the I-5, this game never would have gotten to OT let alone Uncle Gary's Super Fun Trick Shot Contest. But they did and and it did, and just like in Boston the other night, Kevin Lankinen and Liam Ohgren led the Canucks to a victory in the shootout. Lankinen has now stopped all 17 shootout attempts he's faced this season. With Lankinen and Thatcher Demko both in the top 5 all time for shootout save percentage, if they could just get through the OT they're almost a lock these days. It's not enough to salvage their season, but it sure is nice to have something to feel good about with this team.
Another thing that's been a positive in a pretty rough season? The way they've performed in the back half of back to back games so far. The Canucks are 4-1-2 so far in the tail end of back to backs, and you know they'd love to seal the deal on this one as they welcome back Rick Tocchet to Rogers Arena for the first time since he left to join the Flyers in the offseason. After seeing their 4 game winning streak fizzle out in Philly a week ago, the Canucks can finish the month over .500 with a win in their last game of the calendar year.
The Canucks sent a message to some of their veterans in the last game, sitting Jake DeBrusk and David Kampf, and while that didn't result in goals from guys like Brock Boeser and Evander Kane, Kane did set up Elias Pettersson for a beauty to tie the game in the second, and Boeser had a strong, noticeable performance.
Another message sent last night was all five foot nothin' of Conor Garland getting into a scrap with Seattle's Jared McCann. It had the desired result, as Linus Karlsson scored a dozen seconds later, continuing his torrid play since returning to the lineup.
LINEUPS
From that nhl dot com dealie, here's tonight's purported lineups:
Flyers projected lineup
Trevor Zegras -- Christian Dvorak -- Travis Konecny
Denver Barkey -- Sean Couturier -- Owen Tippett
Matvei Michkov -- Noah Cates -- Bobby Brink
Carl Grundstrom -- Rodrigo Abols -- Nikita Grebenkin
Cam York -- Travis Sanheim
Emil Andrae -- Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler -- Rasmus Ristolainen
Dan Vladar
Samuel Ersson
Scratched: Nicolas Deslauriers, Garnet Hathaway, Noah Juulsen
Injured: Tyson Foerster (upper body)
Canucks projected lineup
Evander Kane -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Jake DeBrusk -- Marco Rossi -- Conor Garland
Drew O'Connor -- Aatu Raty -- Kiefer Sherwood
Liam Ohgren -- Max Sasson -- Linus Karlsson
Marcus Pettersson -- Filip Hronek
Zeev Buium -- Tyler Myers
Elias Nils Pettersson -- Tom Willander
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: P.O. Joseph, Nils Hoglander, David Kampf
Injured: Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)
Expect DeBrusk back in and Hoglander out, but given Raty's strong faceoff ability, he'll likely be in again tonight. There could be other changes though (see below).
GAME DAY BATTLE CHAT
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
We've got Greek thrashers LEATHERHEAD to wrap up this year with their ode to video taped horror movies, here's 'V.H.S.' Real Flotsam and Jetsam vibe here, might need to check these guys out a little further.
Enjoy the game, and have a happy, safe and sane new year! Thanks from all of us at NM for your continued support. Oh, and fuck fascists and Trump, too! Go Canucks Go!
