After two straight simply unacceptable efforts against the Oilers and Blues, the Canucks will look to get things back on track with a tough road trip that begins with 3 games in 3 1/2 days starting tonight in Dallas.

Vancouver Canucks (1-2-0) vs. Dallas Stars (3-0-0)

Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC

4:30 pm PST; 7:30 pm EST

TV: Amazon Prime

Radio: Sportsnet 650

Maybe heading out on the road, and getting a group with some new pieces to bond together is just what this team needs right now after sputtering off in the last two games. Just a shame they have to start this trip against one of the NHL's best.

The Dallas Stars are unbeaten so far, with just a shootout point surrendered to Colorado the only blemish on their record so far. And those wins come against some pretty good teams, having beaten division rivals Minnesota and Winnipeg as well as the Avs. And so with three wins to start the year, the Stars are once again getting good goaltending from Jake Oettinger to start the season, and we shouldn't be totally surprised if the Stars give Casey DeSmith the crease tonight. If they don't, it's likely something to do with the last time these teams met back in April, and that whole three goals in the final minute before giving up the winner in OT thing that happened in that game. I guess they need to remember that Pius Suter can't hurt them anymore (well, at least when they're playing the Canucks, right?). But when you take a closer look at those wins, and the numbers this Stars team is putting up, and it's not nearly as impressive as it looks.

Not only are they due for a loss, but the way they are playing, this is still a very beatable team. If the Canucks can show more of what we saw against the Calgary Flames and less of what happened against the Oilers and Blues, they could very well see themselves back at .500 as they make the journey to the Windy City and a date with the Blackhawks.

Apart from Kiefer Sherwood, the goaltenders, and Quinn Hughes, it's been a disappointingly inconsistent start to the season, and a strong 60 minute effort tonight before heading up to Chicago for the tail end of this double header will be something that they can build on for this five game road swing out East. That means seeing more from guys like Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk, Filip Chytil, and Evander Kane. They also need to get their power play going to catch up to a penalty kill that has looked solid so far this season.

As frustrating as those losses are, there are signs things could be getting better. The team isn't getting their heads caved in with Quinn Hughes on the bench so far, and that is something that has to stay consistent if this teams wants to succeed this season. They're going to have to put in the work, but if they do, they should have more nights like we saw in the season opener. Thatcher Demko is back, time to start providing him with better defence and goal support.

LINEUPS

From that nhl dot com thingy, here's what we should expect for tonight:

Canucks projected lineup

Drew O’Connor -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland

Jake DeBrusk -- Filip Chytil -- Brock Boeser

Evander Kane -- Aatu Raty -- Kiefer Sherwood

Arshdeep Bains -- Max Sasson -- Linus Karlsson

Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek

Elias Pettersson -- Tyler Myers

Marcus Pettersson -- Victor Mancini

Thatcher Demko

Kevin Lankinen

Scratched: Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Injured: Derek Forbort (undisclosed), Nils Hoglander (lower body), Teddy Blueger (undisclosed), P.O Joseph (lower body)

Stars projected lineup

Sam Steel -- Roope Hintz -- Mikko Rantanen

Jason Robertson -- Wyatt Johnston -- Mavrik Bourque

Justin Hryckowian -- Radek Faksa -- Tyler Seguin

Adam Erne -- Colin Blackwell -- Nathan Bastian

Esa Lindell -- Miro Heiskanen

Thomas Harley -- Nils Lundkvist

Lian Bichsel -- Alexander Petrovic

Casey DeSmith

Jake Oettinger

Scratched: Ilya Lyubushkin

Injured: Oskar Back (undisclosed), Jamie Benn (collapsed lung), Matt Duchene (upper body)

Linus Karlsson is in, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki is out, as Karlsson will suit up for his first game of the season. He's being reunited with Arshdeep Bains and Max Sasson, who was called up from Abbotsford ahead of this road trip. That line was absolutely lethal for the Canucks on their march to the franchise's first Calder Cup Championship this past summer (remember that?). The Canucks also put Derek Forbort on the IR, and as expected, it'll be Demko vs DeSmith in goal tonight.

GAME DAY CHATTER

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN

Got a fun little cover tune for you today from Colorado based thrashers HAVOK. Ripping through a version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Commotion', this is off their 'album 'New Eyes' EP that came out last year.

Enjoy the game. Fuck fascism. Go Canucks Go!