With three minutes to go in Game Four, it looked like the Canucks were headed back to Vancouver with the series tied. What no one counted on, was Brock Boeser unleashing hell in Nashville, scoring twice with Arturs Silovs on the bench to force OT. After that, they needed just a minute more for Elias Lindholm to seal the deal and push the Preds to the brink of elimination.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS VS NASHVILLE PREDATORS (CANUCKS LEAD SERIES 3-1)
7:00PM PST
ROGERS ARENA, VANCOUVER, BC
RADIO: SN650 TV: TVAS2, TBS, MAX, SN, BSSO
After the way the Canucks performed in Game Two, it certainly didn't feel like we'd be heading for an elimination game tonight. But after gutsy wins in Games Three and Four, they find themselves in the position to punch their ticket to the second round tonight with a win over Nashville. Given their health situation through four hard hitting games, getting a few days to rest and heal definitely sounds like something to take advantage of.
You can say that the Canucks didn't deserve to win on Sunday afternoon, but it was Nashville who took their foot off the gas in the dying minutes of the third, setting up one of the greatest Canucks playoff victories in franchise history. And how fitting that it was Brock Boeser, the Canucks' longest serving player, that put the team on his back and tied the game twice with the goalie pulled. This guy has been here through some of the darkest days, and by god, he may just may lead them to a shot at the Stanley Cup.
And how about the performance of Arturs Silovs? The Canucks turned to their third stringer, desperate when Casey DeSmith was unable to go, and the Hero of the great nation of Latvia said, "I stopped America, and I will stop Nashville, too!"
Combined with another strong defensive effort, the Canucks worked to give Silovs the opportunity to see pucks, clearing the net front and rebounds efficiently. They also put in another stellar night of penalty killing, as once again, the Canucks were forced to kill off some ticky-tack calls while Nashville seemed to commit fouls with impunity.
Instead of wondering if they were going to suffer a disappointing first round loss, the Canucks, much like their shocking regular season, are becoming the story of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It would have been easy to write them off given the loss of Demko, let alone DeSmith, but this team has a vibe so reminiscent of the 1994 Canucks team that battled back from being down 3-1 to Calgary to win that series, then take out the favoured Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs before coming within a goal of winning it all in Game Seven to he who shall not be named.
They have talent, speed, skill, strength, and seem to relish in proving people wrong. It may be one series, and it's a long road to go, but this team is making believers out of people by finding ways to win even when it seems they shouldn't. You know, the way really good teams do. I know for some who cover the game, it's gotta be tough admitting you've continued to be wrong about this team. And we enjoy watching your discomfort, trust me.
The beauty of Silovs' performance on Sunday, is that he's given them the option of going with him again in Game Five, rather than pushing DeSmith back if he's not quite ready. It's this kind of depth that's been missing from this team for the longest time, paying dividends when it truly matters. And early reports are that Silovs will indeed get the start tonight. Maybe. Both teams are playing it close to the vest in terms of changes tonight.
If there's one thing to be encouraged about heading into this game, it's that the Canucks have played far from what could be considered their best hockey. They've had a team play them tough, and despite all the challenges, still found a way to come out on top. They will need everyone on board for tonight, as the further you go, the the more costly passengers along for the ride can be.
LINEUPS
Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Gustav Nyquist
Anthony Beauvillier -- Colton Sissons -- Jason Zucker
Mark Jankowski -- Tommy Novak -- Luke Evangelista
Cole Smith -- Michael McCarron -- Kiefer Sherwood
Roman Josi -- Dante Fabbro
Ryan McDonagh -- Luke Schenn
Jeremy Lauzon -- Alexandre Carrier
Juuse Saros
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Tyson Barrie, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Cody Glass, Gustavs Grigals, Juuso Parssinen
Injured: Spencer Stastney (upper body)
Canucks projected lineup
Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Ilya Mikheyev
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Lindholm -- Conor Garland
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Sam Lafferty
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Ian Cole -- Nikita Zadorov
Arturs Silovs
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Nils Aman, Noah Juulsen, Vasily Podkolzin, Nikita Tolopilo
Injured: Thatcher Demko (undisclosed)
GAME DAY CHATTER
If you haven't seen it yet, Chris Higgins' new feature 'All In The Details' is fantastic.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Swiss moshmonsters INSANITY ALERT have a new video for the title track to their new EP, a beautiful pisstake on a QUEEN classic. Enjoy 'Moshemian Thrashody' as you get pumped up for tonight!
Enjoy the game, everyone! Go Canucks Go!
Game 3 saw the Canucks get big games from their big names, a huge performance from Casey DeSmith, and gave Nashville a heapin' helpin' of their own medicine.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS VS NASHVILLE PREDATORS (CANUCKS LEAD SERIES 2-1)
2:00PM PST
BRIDGESTONE ARENA, NASHVILLE, TN
RADIO: SN650 TV: TBS, truTV, MAX, SN, TVAS, BSSO
It wasn't a masterpiece, by any stretch of the imagination, but playoff runs are sometimes about finding ways to win. And full credit to Rick Tocchet and his staff for making adjustments after a frustrating loss in Game 2, The Canucks were able to work through Nashville's defensive strategy, give Casey DeSmith the support he needed. A lot of the shots DeSmith faced were from the perimeter, and when he did face high danger opportunities, the defence were there to deal with rebounds.
Probably the biggest factor in the Game 3 victory was the arrival of the long lost Canucks PP that at one point in the season, put the fear of God into teams. J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser were outstanding, and we saw positive signs from not only Elias Pettersson, but sparks of life from Nils Hoglander and Ilya Mikheyev. The lasting impact of this win though, was the mental aspect. When the Predators know that taking penalties = a puck in the back of their net, it could make them a little hesitant to continue going for those big hits. That can open up a bit of space, and allow the Canucks to use their speed.
At the end of the day though, they're still going to need DeSmith to stand tall in the crease today if they hope to return to Vancouver on Tuesday with a 3-1 series lead. Winning the special teams battle is becoming a huge factor so far, and if they can continue to have success on the power play, as well as keep their phenomenal penalty killing so far going, it will pay off.
LINEUPS
Scrawled in sharpie on a chair thrown off the roof of a Nashville nightclub, it's today's potential lineups. though I heard you can find this on nhll dot com, too.
Canucks projected lineup
Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Ilya Mikheyev
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Lindholm -- Conor Garland
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Sam Lafferty
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Ian Cole -- Nikita Zadorov
Casey DeSmith
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Nils Aman, Noah Juulsen, Vasily Podkolzin, Nikita Tolopilo
Injured: Thatcher Demko (undisclosed)
Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Gustav Nyquist
Anthony Beauvillier -- Colton Sissons -- Jason Zucker
Mark Jankowski -- Tommy Novak -- Luke Evangelista
Cole Smith -- Michael McCarron -- Kiefer Sherwood
Ryan McDonagh -- Roman Josi
Jeremy Lauzon -- Alexandre Carrier
Dante Fabbro -- Luke Schenn
Juuse Saros
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Tyson Barrie, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Cody Glass, Gustavs Grigals, Juuso Parssinen
Injured: Spencer Stastney (upper body)
No changes for the Canucks, while Nashville will be without Spencer Stastney, who left Game 3 after the hit by Dakota Joshua.
GAME DAY CHATTER
IYKYK
While it's no surprise he got a slap on the wrist, it's a surprise they even gave him a slap on the wrist. Complete douchebaggery from the Preds forward, and a costly one as the Canucks scored on the resulting PP.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
With their new album out in a couple weeks time, Vancouver's own UNLEASH THE ARCHERS are preparing to bring their energetic brand of power metal to festivals around the globe, and while there's no shows planned in Canada thus far apart from a date in Laval, PQ in Spetember, there's sure to be some in their next touring cycle that you can check out. From 'Phantoma', out May 10 on Napalm Records, this is Seeking Vengeance.
A little afternoon hockey sounds like a great way to spend a Sunday, eh? Enjoy the game, everyone! Go Canucks Go!!!
A rebound game is what we are all calling for today!
Western Conference First Round, Game 3
7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TBS, BSSO, TVAS2, SN
The Canucks sounded very positive after practice yesterday. Coach Taco brings a level of confidence that this team has missed in the past few coaches. His "Been there, seen that" mentality has to bring a calming influence to the dressing room and on the bench. I haven't seen him lose his shit yet. On Wednesday, Taco talked about embracing the villain role and enjoying the hostile environment they will face in Nashville. I sure hope JT Miller is listening to this. This series has been very hard hitting and the Canucks have done a good job of not going out of their way to hit and get a penalty. Infact, they have done a great job of drawing penalties.....unfortunately, they don't seem to know how to shoot the puck when they get a powerplay. On Thursday, Coach Taco addressed the lack of shots by saying that if the Preds are going to stand in the way of shots, Canuck players has open season to make them pay for that choice. I like that stance. Here is Taco from today's press conference.
The Captain has a few thoughts about tonight
While many want to focus on Demko/DeSmith, I want to talk about Petey and Boeser. They have a combined 3 shots in 2 games. I grant you that time and space have shrunk in these two games, you would have to believe that they should be able to adjust somewhat and find some space to get off some shots. Petey admits he needs to try...less? Or was it do less...want less....so many options. I just want him to shoot the puck when there is an opening and hit the net...or goalie.
The Canucks have been a great road team this year and getting one in Nashville is needed.
*record scratch*
Hey folks, it's Kent. Have a seat, we need to talk.
I know that this season has been a lot of fun, and making the playoffs was something we didn't dare to dream. It turns out there was a reason for this. There are currently unconfirmed reports that Thatcher Demko may have suffered a torn ACL. If that's the case, it's highly unlikely he's able to return in round 2 at all, if the Canucks should go on to win against Nashville.
That means that Casey DeSmith would have to go on the run of his life just to give the Canucks a chance at getting past the second round. Given the way he played in Game 2, and his performances since January it's hard to imagine them getting much further. Sure, we'll still hope, but with so many players having yet to make an appearance in this series, it's going to be an upset if they come out of this with a victory.
For the moment, the Canucks aren't saying anything different. But you know the expression: "where there's smoke, there's fire". Something's burning, and it's quite likely our playoff hopes.
LINEUPS
Canucks projected lineup
Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Lindholm -- Ilya Mikheyev
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Sam Lafferty
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Ian Cole -- Nikita Zadorov
Casey DeSmith
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Nils Aman, Noah Juulsen, Vasily Podkolzin, Nikita Tolopilo
Injured: Thatcher Demko (undisclosed)
Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Gustav Nyquist
Anthony Beauvillier -- Colton Sissons -- Jason Zucker
Mark Jankowski -- Tommy Novak -- Luke Evangelista
Cole Smith -- Michael McCarron -- Kiefer Sherwood
Ryan McDonagh -- Roman Josi
Jeremy Lauzon -- Alexandre Carrier
Spencer Stastney -- Luke Schenn
Juuse Saros
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Tyson Barrie, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Cody Glass, Dante Fabbro, Gustavs Grigals, Juuso Parssinen
Injured: None
Status report
Myers missed a 4-1 loss in Game 2 because of an illness but is expected to play. The Canucks held an optional morning skate. … Parssinen, a forward, was recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League on Thursday but is not expected to play. Forsberg did not participate in the morning skate but is expected to play.
GAME DAY CHATTER
Fine, want me to be not so negative? Here's something to draw some inspiration from for tonight.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
I did have a perfect track lined up for this one, but when I saw this pop up, I decided to bump the other one forward a game. This one is a cover of a Bad Brains tune from GBI (Dave Grohl with Charlie Benante and Scott Ian of ANTHRAX). It was released as a special 7" single on the weekend as part of Record Store Day on MEGAFORCE Records, and really captures that old school hardcore vibe.
It's not looking good, but maybe they can pull this off. A lot of shit has to change in order for that to happen though. Here's hoping they can actually pull this off. Go Canucks Go!
Western Conference First Round, Game 2
10 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS2, ESPN2, BSSO
Vancouver leads best-of-7 series 1-0
A great third period comeback by the Canucks sets the stage for Game 2
No Demko tonight.....and realistically, for the rest of the playoffs, unless you want him to come back tear something and have surgery.
There is no point is asking why or analyzing it to death....we have to move on and find a way to win.
Game one was a roller coaster of emotions. It was hard for me to get going in the first, even with the loud crowd that showed up. Luckily the players didn't have that problem and both teams looked like they were trying to put the other teams through the boards. I knew Smashville would be ready and it was good to see that the Canucks were able to respond. Not a lot of chances in the first period, as both teams clogged up the middle and shots were from the outside. I'm sure Demko would like that first goal back as he slide a little too far to his right to try and see the shoot through the double screen. The same could be said about Saros and the goal Lindholm got by him. The Canucks at the faceoff dot, dominated and that was one of the reasons Lindholm was brought in. The 5 hits he brought last game were just a bonus.
Game 2 is all about adjustments. 12 seconds of the game were the deciding factor, but there were lots of little issues that the coaches will look at and players will try and execute. The Canucks getting more shots on net on the powerplay (and 5vs5) is a must. I am interested in seeing if both team come out hitting as hard as they did last game. In years past, the Canucks were not as physical and teams could push them around. Having a bigger defense and guys like Joshua and Miller up front, don't make it easy to push anyone around.
We are all hoping that Casey DeSmith is ready to save this team. In his career, Casey is 2-1 with a 2.31 GAA and .920 sv %. I think those numbers are good enough.
We are also waiting for the return of Elias Pettersson. He has been absent for a while now and we hope he appears soon. With 5 points in his last 10 games....I was kinda hoping he could do something in this series.
Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Gustav Nyquist
Mark Jankowski -- Colton Sissons -- Jason Zucker
Anthony Beauvillier -- Tommy Novak -- Luke Evangelista
Cole Smith -- Michael McCarron -- Kiefer Sherwood
Ryan McDonagh -- Roman Josi
Jeremy Lauzon -- Alexandre Carrier
Spencer Stastney -- Luke Schenn
Juuse Saros
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Tyson Barrie, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Cody Glass, Dante Fabbro, Gustavs Grigals
Injured: None
Canucks projected lineup
Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Sam Lafferty
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Lindholm -- Conor Garland
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Ilya Mikheyev
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Ian Cole -- Nikita Zadorov
Casey DeSmith
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Nils Aman, Noah Juulsen, Vasily Podkolzin
Injured: Thatcher Demko (undisclosed)
Status report
Demko, Vancouver’s No. 1 goalie, is day to day. … Forsberg did not participate in the morning skate; Predators coach Andrew Brunette said he has a couple of game-time decisions. … Brunette said Monday that Fabbro, a defenseman, and Glass, a forward who took Forberg’s spot in the lineup at the morning skate Tuesday, might get back into the lineup after being scratched for Game 1. - NHL.com
Game Day Battle Hymn
You had to know that once the Canucks clinched a playoff spot, the nostalgia would kick in. And in the case of music, you can't ignore U2's music as the Canucks came on the ice. I couldn't find a good metal version to "Where the streets have no name.", but I did find the next best thing. You need to skip ahead to 1:36 as this song was a hidden track on Disturbed album "Asylum"
Disclaimer - I stole this idea from Kent
Go you big fat hairy Canucks Go!
For the first time since 2015, there's playoff hockey at Rogers Arena. Towel Power is back, as the Canucks open their first round series against the Nashville Predators.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS VS NASHVILLE PREDATORS
7PM PST
ROGERS ARENA, VANCOUVER, BC
TV: CBC, SPORTSNET, SPORTSNET 360, ESPN
I'm not saying it's been a long time since there was a home playoff game in Vancouver, but the last time fans bought playoff tickets we probably didn't imagine how bad the next 8 years would be, and apart from a loophole playoff appearance in 2020's bubble Cup, that we'd be missing out for that whole stretch.
It's been hard to be a Canucks fan, but not much harder than the post-2011 era. We've seen some shit. We endured almost a decade of excruciatingly bad management and coaching. We saw the final years of the Sedin Brothers frittered away, and we saw a team that for a while was Must See TV everytime they played turned into You Can't Make Me Watch This. Matt Bartkowski. Luca Sbisa. Jay Beagle. Michael Del Zotto. Loui Eriksson. Adam Gaudette. Markus Granlund. Erik Gudbranson. Olli Juolevi. Jayson Megna. Derrick Pouliot. Antoine Roussel. Tim Schaller. Jack Skille. Jake Virtanen. Like I said, we've seen some shit.
We went from Wizardous Sedinery to whatever the hell the last few years were. And while Jim Benning managed to acquire some of the core, it was what's happened since he was replaced by Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin. And even then, as they began to retool around this team's stars, it took another coaching change for everything to fall into place for the Canucks.
We'd love to tell you that we saw this coming. And we did get a hint that the dark days were coming to an end when Rick Tocchet took over behind the bench. But there's not a soul alive that had the Canucks not just making the playoffs, but being in the hunt for the Presidents' Trophy until the final days of the season. There's been lots of talk about the Canucks' high PDO, that so much of their success is based on luck. That's pretty insulting when you look at the way Tocchet and his coaching staff transformed this team, getting the entire roster to buy in on playing 200 ft hockey every night, and being accountable for every shift. I mean, he's turned Tyler Myers into a reliable NHL defenceman!
Sure, there's definite room for improvement, and this could all end in a few days, but there's an actual path to the Western Conference Finals here. Get out of the first round and amazing things can happen. Look at the 1982 run, where the Canucks, proud owners of a 77 point season, lost just two games in three rounds, knocking off Calgary, Los Angeles and Chicago before getting steamrolled by that juggernaut New York Islanders squad. It all starts with one win, and then anything can happen.
It's been said that as far as first round opponents go, this is the matchup that the Canucks should want. And there's some truth to that, given how these teams matched up this season. The Canucks swept the season series, outscoring Nashville 13-6. And while that came in the first half of the season, before the Preds went on their ridiculous tear, they've still struggled against contenders at times. At the end of the day, when you match these teams up on offence and goaltending, the Canucks have the edge, and should be able to advance to round two. We all remember the emergence of Thatcher Demko in the bubble playoffs, when he damn near stole the series from Vegas. Demko's been amazing this year, and eager to help lead the Canucks to victory.
What's going to get it done is a continuation of the team's mindset on defence. They've done a massive turnaround in terms of how much harder they are to generate offence against compared to the past few seasons, and do a fantastic job on breakouts when they win battles for loose pucks. They're much more physical than previous versions of the team, and in the past you'd think they'd struggle against a team like Nashville, but this season the Canucks showed physically they can go toe to toe with anyone.
What has to get better is secondary scoring. It was rolling early in the season, but dried up for long stretches. If we can get guys like Ilya Mikheyev, Elias Lindholm, Teddy Blueger and Sam Lafferty pitching in and taking a bit of the load off Elias Pettersson, JT Miller, Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes. And hey, the trend of getting more scoring from the back end was a pleasant surprise this season, and will definitely help them if they want to advance.
It will be interesting to see how Tocchet handles that top Nashville line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyqvist. They could throw the Miller/Boeser/Suter line, or go with Lindholm, Dakota Joshua and Conor Garland.
They'll also need the once terrifying power play to become a threat again. It's fallen off badly, but if they can just simplify things and get back to what was working, it'll be a deterrent the way it was earlier in the year.
LINEUPS
It is my pleasure to let you know that these potential Game One lineups are according to the ol' nhl dot com thingy:
Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Gustav Nyquist
Mark Jankowski -- Colton Sissons -- Jason Zucker
Anthony Beauvillier -- Tommy Novak -- Luke Evangelista
Cole Smith -- Michael McCarron -- Kiefer Sherwood
Ryan McDonagh -- Roman Josi
Jeremy Lauzon -- Alexandre Carrier
Spencer Stastney -- Luke Schenn
Juuse Saros
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Tyson Barrie, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Cody Glass, Dante Fabbro, Gustavs Grigals
Injured: None
Canucks projected lineup
Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Sam Lafferty
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Lindholm -- Conor Garland
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Ilya Mikheyev
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Ian Cole -- Nikita Zadorov
Thatcher Demko
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Nils Aman, Noah Juulsen, Vasily Podkolzin, Arturs Silovs
Injured: None
Both teams head into this series 'healthy', and with no shocking lineup moves. It is a little surprising that PDG is in over Podkolzin, but unless he lights it up, expect that to change as the series goes on. Other than that, the lines are pretty much the same as the past few contests for the Canucks.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
We've been waiting so damn long for this, it's time to get loud, friends! Let's crank up some of Ireland's finest and make sure you've got the beverages chilled. Playoff hockey is back, so Shut Up and Shout!
We're stoked to have been able to spend this season actually enjoying Canucks hockey again, as well as playoffs on Rogers Arena ice. Here's to a long run, and bringing 54 years of heartbreak and frustration to a close. Enjoy the game everyone! Go Canucks Go!
8 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNP, TSN3
And another huh...what moment to the schedule makers as the Canucks finish their season in Winnipeg against a non-division team. Not sure what type of game we will get tonight, as both teams are set in their playoff position and neither really wants to risk injuries before the playoff start. The Jets get home ice against Colorado and the Canucks found out they get they get Nashville last night. My preference has always been playing Nashville first, not because the Preds are a bad team, but because I don't think the Canucks could beat the Kings or Golden Knights in a 1st round series. If the Canucks can beat Nashville, and get some confidence, then all bets are off.
Look at me...writing about playoffs. Who would have thought that last April? The changes made after Jan this year, have changed the course of this franchise. the moves by management have been pretty good and look what happens when you have a coaching staff that coaches. The players want to be better and bought into a system of responsibility. It has been great to see this team create a new identity and battle through injuries to win a division title.
It took 81 games to get a game where there is less pressure to perform, but there are still some individuals who have something to play for. Dakota Joshua has 18 goals and will be a UFA next year. A 20 goal season may add a couple hundred-thousand dollars to his next contract. Starting the year as someone who supposedly wanted out, Conor Garland only needs one goal to hit the 20-goal plateau. Filip Hronek only needs 2 points to reach 50. (Won't get a chance) Petey needs a point to hit 90 for the year. Suter, Bluegar and Myers are all close to 30 points. Hogs needs one more goal for 25. I would love to see Podz get a goal before the playoffs...especially after re-signing today. With all the players sitting for Winnipeg, some of these might be achievable.
8 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNP, TSN3
Canucks projected lineup
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Ilya Mikheyev
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Lindholm -- Conor Garland
Vasily Podkolzin -- Teddy Blueger -- Sam Lafferty
Pius Suter -- Nils Aman -- Phillip Di Giuseppe
Quinn Hughes -- Noah Juulsen
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Nikita Zadorov -- Mark Friedman
Thatcher Demko
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Ian Cole, Filip Hronek
Injured: None
Jets projected lineup
Nikolaj Ehlers -- Sean Monahan -- Tyler Toffoli
Alex Iafallo -- Brad Lambert -- Gabriel Vilardi
Nino Niederreiter -- David Gustafsson -- Nikita Chibrikov
Cole Perfetti -- Rasmus Kupari -- Mason Appleton
Nate Schmidt -- Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg -- Neal Pionk
Logan Stanley -- Colin Miller
Laurent Brossoit
Collin Delia
Scratched: Parker Ford, Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Morgan Barron, Vladislav Namestnikov, Josh Morrissey, Brenden Dillon, Connor Hellebuyck
Injured: None
Status report
Boeser, a forward, and J.T. Miller, a center, will not play due to maintenance. ... Forwards Aman and Di Giuseppe enter the lineup. … Defensemen Juulsen and Friedman will play in place of Hronek and Cole. … Demko will make his second straight start after missing 14 games with a knee injury. ... The Jets recalled forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Parker Ford, and Brad Lambert and goalie Collin Delia from Manitoba of the American Hockey League on Thursday; Chibrikov and Lambert each will make his NHL debut and Delia will back up Brossoit. ... Winnipeg will rest several players, including centers Scheifele, Lowry and Namestnikov, forwards Connor and Barron, defensemen Morrissey and Dillon and goalie Hellebuyck. ... Schmidt and Colin Miller enter the lineup.
Game Day Battle Hymn
I feel bad that the Canucks have to go to Winnipeg for their last game. I mean...it's Winnipeg. So I find it only fitting that to have this song to end the season.
We are off to the playoffs everyone!!
Go Canucks Go!
With the Division title in their grasp, and a chance at the Conference crown, the Canucks finish their home schedule against the Flames with a healthy Thatcher Demko in the crease tonight.
Vancouver Canucks (49-22-9) vs. Calgary Flames (37-38-5)
7pm PDT; 10 p.m. ET
TV: Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet West
Radio: Sportsnet 650
50 wins. Wrap your heads around that one for a moment. Every single point gained of late has been an extra cherry on top of the sundae that has been this unexpected season. To get to 50 wins for just the third time in franchise history is beyond amazing. And while there's still a lot to be decided, it's hard to get mad at any missteps these guys make given the past few seasons of misery.
Now that's not to say they should get ahead of themselves. It's still possible for the Oilers to overtake them in Game 82 should the Canucks lose both games in regulation. Winning out could see them possibly snagging the top spot in the Western Conference, which is great for home ice in the first three rounds, but has you facing Vegas or LA in Round One instead of the preferable Nashville Predators. Not that the Preds are a pushover, they've had a hell of a turn around. But if the Canucks want to get on a roll, this is the best path for them, and letting Dallas and Edmonton deal with the other two doesn't hurt, either.
Tonight they'll meet a Calgary Flames team that once again failed to meet expectations, and wasted another year of prime Jacob Markstrom in the process. Getting Thatcher Demko back, healthy and rested for the playoffs should alleviate some of the fears y'all have been feeling heading into the post-season, and a fairly healthy team to start the playoffs is all we could hope for, really.
An OT loss tonight will clinch things for the Canucks, as they have the tiebreaker over the Oilers, and it'll help ensure they get that first round date with the Preds, too. I know we're not used to things going the Canucks way, but the Rutherford/Allvin/Tocchet era just doesn't do past narratives, I guess.
LINEUPS
Scrawled on a dumpster beside the Costco across the street from Rogers Arena, this lineup may also have appeared on the nhl dot com thingy...
Flames projected lineup
Martin Pospisil -- Nazem Kadri -- Andrei Kuzmenko
Yegor Sharangovich -- Mikael Backlund -- Andrew Mangiapane
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Connor Zary -- Dryden Hunt
Matt Coronato -- Kevin Rooney -- Adam Klapka
MacKenzie Weegar -- Daniil Miromanov
Oliver Kylington -- Rasmus Andersson
Ilya Solovyov -- Brayden Pachal
Jacob Markstrom
Dustin Wolf
Scratched: A.J. Greer, Dennis Gilbert, Walker Duehr, Nikita Okhotiuk
Injured: Blake Coleman (upper body), Joel Hanley (undisclosed)
Canucks projected lineup
Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Ilya Mikheyev
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Lindholm -- Conor Garland
Vasily Podkolzin -- Teddy Blueger -- Sam Lafferty
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Ian Cole -- Nikita Zadorov
Thatcher Demko
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Nils Aman, Noah Juulsen, Phillip Di Giuseppe
Injured: None
No real changes for the Canucks apart from the return of Demko, and man is it nice to see that injured list empty heading into Game One next week. Markstrom will go for the Flames, as we get to see Andrei Kuzmenko one last time this season. If the Canucks check him the way they handled Leon Draisaitl Saturday night, it's gonna be a long one for the Flames.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Although I'm sure you don't need much to get your pulse racing right now, this 3:00 ripper from BAT will get you rarin' to go for the post season! Off their new album 'Under The Crooked Claw' on Nuclear Blast Records, this is 'Streetbanger'!
Enjoy the game, folks! Go Canucks Go!
THE BIGGEST GAME - THE MOSTEST MUST WINNEST GAME OF THE SEASON
10:00 p.m. ET; SNP, CBC - HNIC Game. Hearing Damage Advisory!
The early season Canucks made mincemeat of the early season Oil. Winning all 3 meetings, outscoring the tOilers by the outrageous margin of 17-7. Surprised everyone. Not just how good the Nucks were, but how truly terrible the early season Oil were.
But Oil fired their coach and hired McD's old junior coach and the Oil went on the biggest new coach bump ever. Dammit.
Now the Oil are breathing their stinky, bumpy breath on the necks of our Nucks. This game will likely decide who hoists the pennant of the Pacific over their frozen water rink. You can tell that's a pretty big deal. Because it's not like you can buy a team pennant at the dollar store for $25.
Whatever.
The Nucks must win this game, not for just #1 status, prestige, or ticket price boost, but to send a message going into the playoffs. The message would be: dot dot something something dot. Which decoded says, we were the best of the division early and often and despite being a 500 team since the ASB, we're gonna clean your sock puppet's clock. Or dot dot something.
LINEUP - not lineup... because nhl.com ignores Canucks reasons nhl.com only ignores them all day.
Canucks projected lineup
Ilya Mikheyev -- Elias Pettersson -- Nils Hoglander
Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- Elias Lindholm -- Conor Garland
Vasily Podkolzin -- Teddy Blueger -- Sam Lafferty
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Nikita Zadorov -- Ian Cole
Casey DeSmith
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Nils Aman, Phillip Di Guiseppe, Mark Friedman, Noah Juulsen
Injured: Thatcher Demko (knee)
Oilers projected lineup
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Leon Draisaitl -- Zach Hyman
Evander Kane -- Adam Henrique -- Warren Foegele
Dylan Holloway -- Ryan McLeod -- Corey Perry
Mattias Janmark -- Derek Ryan -- Connor Brown
Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse -- Troy Stecher
Brett Kulak -- Vincent Desharnais
Stuart Skinner
Calvin Pickard
Scratched: Cody Ceci
Injured: Sam Carrick (undisclosed), Connor McDavid (lower body)
Status report
Demko was a full participant in the Canucks morning skate Saturday, but the goalie will miss his 14th straight game. ... DeSmith will start after Silovs started the previous two games. ... Podkolzin, a healthy scratch for a 4-3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, enters the lineup on the fourth line for Di Guiseppe, a forward. ... McDavid took part in the Oilers morning skate Saturday but the center will miss his third consecutive game. ... Skinner will alternate starts with Picard for the ninth consecutive game.
GAME NOTES
DeSmith is the confirmed starter. Hopefully our goalie whisperer has whispered sweet stops and how to make them for the last week. McD is an unhealthy scratch, so that might be good news for us. What would be the other good news? Lindy gets a hattie. As does Miki. It's Dare To Dream Saturday at NM.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMNAL
It's a different time of the year, where games have meaning for NucksNation. So let's try something very different. Some Jazzer/Grunger/Art Rock Fusion. Yoprepus with a nifty little Norwegian ditty called Protozoa.
GO CANUCKS GO!
10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN1, SCRIPPS
"A second too late." ~ Coach Taco
You got that right coach. The passes, the shots, the checks and getting to a spot....are all looking slow right now. Players are not loose right now and the team has lost 4 out of their last 6 games, all to playoff teams.
The media did a good job of hitting on all the points that need to be mentioned. The only question that Taco seemed to have trouble with, was the one about sending a message physically when Hughes took a hit at the end of the game. I am sure the player in him, wants his players to beat the shit out of Trevor Moore, but the coach in him doesn't want any injuries like Dakota had.
This game tonight is important just to see how the Nucks rebound from a bad loss. The first thing that needs to disappear is penalties. Taco mentions Juulsen is playing to help the PK, but I would prefer that he isn't needed.
J.T. seems pretty calm about the play of the team of late, which is good to see....... I guess? We do have some players that have been in the playoffs, so hopefully he can lead by example in the next couple games to help get this team some confidence.
Golden Knights projected lineup
Ivan Barbashev -- Jack Eichel -- Jonathan Marchessault
Tomas Hertl -- Chandler Stephenson -- Michael Amadio
Pavel Dorofeyev -- William Karlsson -- Anthony Mantha
Paul Cotter -- Brett Howden -- Keegan Kolesar
Noah Hanifin -- Nicolas Hague
Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore
Alec Martinez -- Zach Whitecloud
Logan Thompson
Adin Hill
Scratched: Ben Hutton, Brendan Brisson, Jiri Patera
Injured: Alex Pietrangelo (illness), William Carrier (undisclosed), Mark Stone (lacerated spleen), Nicolas Roy (undisclosed)
Canucks projected lineup
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- J.T. Miller -- Conor Garland
Ilya Mikheyev -- Teddy Blueger -- Vasily Podkolzin
Pius Suter -- Sam Lafferty
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Ian Cole -- Nikita Zadorov
Noah Juulsen
Arturs Silovs
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Phillip Di Giuseppe, Nils Aman
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Elias Lindholm (upper body)
Status report
Hertl will make his Vegas debut after being acquired March 8 in a trade with the San Jose Sharks. It will be his first game since playing for San Jose on Jan. 27 and having surgery Feb. 12 to clean out loose cartilage in his left knee. … Thompson will start despite leaving practice early Sunday. ... Hill, who has missed six games because of an undisclosed injury, was other goalie at the morning skate. Coach Bruce Cassidy said he wasn’t sure if Hill was healthy enough to back up, meaning Patera could be the backup goalie. … Pietrangelo, a defenseman, is not with Vegas on its two-game road trip, which includes a game at the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. … The Canucks are expected to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, with Juulsen back in after missing three games. … Lindholm, who has missed six games, took part in the morning skate, but the forward remains day to day. -NHL.com
Game Day Battle Hymn
Today I go outside the norm....is it catchy...yes...does it have drums and guitar...sure....Is it in English...no.
I give you Argentinian 80's rock band Soda Stereo.
Go Canucks Go!
10 p.m. ET; BSSC, SNP, CITY, SN1
If you go back to all the Game Previews that I have written this year and were to count the times I have said that the game was a "must-win", how many times do you think that would be? Ten times....fifteen times...more?
Well get ready for it....."Tonight is a must win game." Seriously, it is. (*This only applies if you believe that being in first place in the division matters.) A victory gets the Canucks closer to playing a wild card team...of course the separation between 3rd place and the second wild card is one point. A victory against the Kings would be a great confidence boost against a team that they could face in round one. Coach Taco believes that each of these last games have to be the focus of the team and not the possible team they play in the first round.
There is a lot of talk on the old Tweet-tweet about the Norris race. Quinn vs Makar! Reporters talking to other reporters about how they will vote and then creating a controversy to write about. I won't get to far into the weeds on this topic as you can go to almost every other website and get an opinion.
I will say this, Quinn Hughes is pretty good. We should keep him for awhile.
Canucks projected lineup
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- J.T. Miller -- Conor Garland
Ilya Mikheyev -- Teddy Blueger -- Vasily Podkolzin
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- Pius Suter -- Sam Lafferty
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Nikita Zadorov -- Ian Cole
Casey DeSmith - not Thatcher Demko
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Noah Juulsen, Nils Aman
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Elias Lindholm (upper body)
Kings projected lineup
Quinton Byfield -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore -- Phillip Danault -- Viktor Arvidsson
Kevin Fiala -- Pierre-Luc Dubois -- Alex Laferriere
Trevor Lewis -- Blake Lizotte -- Arthur Kaliyev
Mikey Anderson -- Drew Doughty
Vladislav Gavrikov -- Matt Roy
Andreas Englund -- Jordan Spence
Cam Talbot
David Rittich
Scratched: Akil Thomas, Jacob Moverare
Injured: Alex Turcotte (upper body), Carl Grundstrom (lower body)
Status report
The Canucks did not hold a morning skate Saturday. … Di Giuseppe and Suter each could return after being scratched when Vancouver dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen in a 2-1 win at the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday. … Danault is expected to return after missing four games because of an upper-body injury. … Turcotte, a center, practiced in a non-contact jersey Saturday but will miss his ninth straight game. ... Talbot is expected to make his sixth start in eight games. - NHL.com
Thatcher Demko a no-go tonight. He is working out and skating, but the question becomes, how many games before the playoffs is good enough to get him back into the groove? There are no easy games left if you really want 1st place in the division, so while Casey DeSmith has done a good job in Demko's absense....he is no Demko.
Game Day Battle Hymn
As pointed out in my post yesterday, the Canucks have some special teams problems, but they continue to be a .600 team over the past 15 games. Finding different ways to win will be the message to the players as they get nearer and into the playoffs. So let's stick with the message...steady as she goes. Shout out Paul Reubans.
Go Canucks Go!
