DUCKS (39-27-4) at CANUCKS (21-40-8)

10 p.m. ET; SNP, KCOP-13, Victory+

There's a Fun Fact! Nucks have more losses than Ducks have wins. How numerically superior is that?

Also.. how weak is the Pacific this season? So weak - Pacific leading Ducks - wouldn't even get final wildcard spot in the east.

Might have come as a shock to someone, or no one, but the Nucks are the 1st team to be eliminated from the NHL playoffs.

Not that shocking at all if you've had the misfortune of following the Nucks misfortunes this season. As Vern has.

Speaking of misfortune... The Abby Nucks, last season's Cup winners, were eliminated from AHL playoffs as well. If nothing else the farm team is in sync with False Creek farm team. That's good.

As the glowing beacon of the off season beckons, Thursday claims we'll have fun off ice stuff to fret over.

Tonight the Ducks are in the ROG to give us a little rebuild aspiration... only a little, because... Canucks.

Imagine how in a scant 5 to 15 years, the Nucks will be vying to meet Buffalo in the finals! Imagination is the key to possibility. Possibly.

Meanwhile... Nucks play out the string, the meaningless string. Will the young Nucks put up a decent showing against the young Ducklings? Or... after practicing 'long' changes for days, the Nucks still dread the 2nd period?

We don't know. That's why we'll be watching with keen meh interest indifference.

Game Day Chatter

Not only do we need JR/PA to apologize to us, we have to say sorry to Green. Such a sorry franchise.

80+% of #Canucks fans owe Travis Green an apology for confusing “lost the room” with “bad coach” esp after he spent multiple seasons wringing blood from a stone with the rosters he was given

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— firstname lastname (@jc-roper.bsky.social) March 24, 2026 at 8:41 AM

Also... repeat offender is restored to goon service. Gary must be thrilled. Ramping up the Violence on Ice campaign just in time for the money series.

Anaheim Ducks take the ice for morning skate in Vancouver. Radko Gudas returns from his five-game suspension tonight. Soon learn who will come out from the Ducks defensive corps. #FlyTogether #Canucks

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— Zach Cavanagh (@zachcavsports.bsky.social) March 24, 2026 at 11:29 AM

Game Day Lineups

Ducks projected lineup

Chris Kreider -- Leo Carlsson -- Troy Terry

Alex Killorn -- Mikael Granlund -- Beckett Sennecke

Jeffrey Viel -- Ryan Poehling -- Cutter Gauthier

Jansen Harkins -- Tim Washe -- Mason McTavish

Jackson LaCombe -- Jacob Trouba

Pavel Mintyukov -- John Carlson

Ian Moore -- Radko Gudas

Lukas Dostal

Ville Husso

Scratched: Drew Helleson, Frank Vatrano, Olen Zellweger

Injured: Ross Johnston (lower body)

Canucks projected lineup

Liam Ohgren -- Marco Rossi -- Brock Boeser

Drew O’Connor -- Elias Pettersson -- Evander Kane

Max Sasson -- Teddy Blueger -- Linus Karlsson

Curtis Douglas -- Aatu Raty -- Jake DeBrusk

Elias Pettersson -- Filip Hronek

Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander

Zeev Buium -- Victor Mancini

Kevin Lankinen

Nikita Tolopilo

Scratched: Nils Hoglander

Injured: P.O Joseph (upper body), Filip Chytil (facial fracture), Thatcher Demko (hip surgery), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)

Status report

Gudas will return after serving a five-game suspension for kneeing Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews during a 6-4 loss on March 12. ... Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville would not confirm it, but it appeared from morning skate that Moore will move to his offside with Gudas and Zellweger, a defenseman, will come out of the lineup to make room for Gudas. … Canucks coach Adam Foote said Joseph, a defenseman who has missed nine games, is close to returning but based on Vancouver's optional morning skate is not expected to play.

Game Day Battle Hymn

How's it going, eh?

F*uck the war mongering fascists and enjoy the game. But not too much.