Canucks get a chance to keep the basement cold on home ice.

WINGS (12-14-4) at CANUCKS (11-16-3)

10 p.m. ET; SNP, MSG-B

This is the most important game of the season!

The battle of expansion twins. Older twins from the cursed NHL expansion of 1970.

55 years in the making. The bottom dwelling Nucks vs the perennially bottom-feeding Sabres. With a twist of anguish, because unlike many seasons, Vancouver sits below Boofooloo. Sits in the cold basement, shivering alone in the dark realization of being the worst of the worst.

Sabres are far up the doomed ladder of meh in the prestigious 29th spot. That was once ours.

There's no point going over the shutout loss to Gibson and the MotorCity Wings of Red. Nucks didn't score, but gave up four. Which secured our last placeness against all other loser teams.

With that slacker achievement completed, Canucks can solidify their spot in hockey infamy with another home loss tonight. JR/PA have already gifted us with our single ROG of the month win last week. We should be grateful.

And we are. So grateful their steady hands and keen hockey minds have in 2 short seasons, taken a team seen as a contender and ruined it. Thanks, Rutherford, Alvin, Foote and Franny.

Now we have the Festiva of Huggie Trade Gossip to savour. Good work.

Doesn't matter. We endured years of Benning dismalness, we can endure some more.

GAMEDAY CHATTER

Hughes chatter, because that's all we have left.

"If Quinn Hughes is in fact traded, we will put this in a box with some of the most painful transactions in the history of the #Canucks.." @thomasdrance.bsky.social on the Hughes trade chatter and when a trade could happen. Full interview.. youtu.be/kVSv96IkDZc

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— Donnie & Dhali (@donnieanddhali.bsky.social) December 11, 2025 at 4:01 PM

It's very strange going to Canucks games right now knowing each game might be Quinn Hughes last as a Canuck. Enjoy each moment #Canucks

— Rob Hodkinson 🇨🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@robhodkinson.bsky.social) December 11, 2025 at 3:00 PM

All the Hughes talk??? I want off this stupid merry-go-round. #canucks

— Terry & dog 🦮...🇨🇦🍁 (@aweebitdaft.bsky.social) December 11, 2025 at 4:35 PM

Petey is a no-go. So it appears our new #1 center is gonna be Sassy!

Ok. Listen up. You’re all gonna get injured ok? But just one guy a game ok? Tonight it’s Brock. Nobody will suspect a tank! Demko? Don’t worry about Demmer 😉 #canucks

— 🇨🇦 Bi Polar Guide 🇨🇦 pronouns: who, whom, whoever, whomever. (@bipolarguide.bsky.social) December 11, 2025 at 2:51 PM

Yes! Demmer is back, baby! Stealing a game or stealing our faint hope?

GAMEDAY LINEUPS

Sabres projected lineup

Peyton Krebs -- Tage Thompson -- Alex Tuch

Zach Benson -- Tyson Kozak -- Josh Doan

Isak Rosen -- Ryan McLeod -- Jack Quinn

Beck Malenstyn -- Josh Dunne -- Jordan Greenway

Mattias Samuelsson -- Rasmus Dahlin

Bowen Byram -- Conor Timmins

Owen Power -- Jacob Bryson

Alex Lyon

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Scratched: Zach Metsa, Trevor Kuntar

Injured: Josh Norris (illness), Colten Ellis (concussion), Justin Danforth (lower body), Jason Zucker (upper and lower body), Jiri Kulich (ear), Michael Kesselring (lower body)

Canucks projected lineup

Jake DeBrusk -- Max Sasson -- Linus Karlsson

Brock Boeser -- David Kampf -- Conor Garland

Evander Kane -- Drew O'Connor -- Kiefer Sherwood

Nils Hoglander -- Aatu Raty -- Arshdeep Bains

Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek

Elias Pettersson -- Tyler Myers

Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander

Thatcher Demko

Kevin Lankinen

Scratched: Lukas Reichel, P.O Joseph

Injured: Elias Pettersson (upper body), Filip Chytil (concussion protocol), Teddy Blueger (lower body), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)

Status report

Norris will miss a second straight game after being a late scratch for a 4-3 overtime win at the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday after he “tweaked something” in warmups; the forward also is battling an illness, according to coach Lindy Ruff, but could return at the Seattle Kraken on Sunday. … Ellis, a goalie, was placed on injured reserve Thursday. ... Zucker, a forward, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday and is week to week. ... Boeser, a forward, did not take part in the Canucks' morning skate Thursday and is a game-time decision after waking up with some “discomfort,” according to coach Adam Foote. “They're just making sure, send him to the doc, make sure it's not his appendix. Hopefully it's not that and we'll have him tonight,” Foote said; Reichel took Boeser's spot in morning line rushes. … Demko will start and return after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury. ... Pettersson, a center, will miss his third straight game but has resumed skating and is expected to join the team on a five-game road trip that begins at the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. ... Vancouver assigned goalie Nikita Tolopilo to Abbotsford of the American Hockey League on Thursday.

GAMEDAY BATTLE HYMN

On the road to Rebuild Town or the usual Nucking destination...

Fuck the broligarchs and fascism. Go Canucks Go.