CANUCKS (21-44-8) at AVALANCHE (49-14-10)

8:30 p.m. ET; ALT, SN, TVAS

For weeks... months... we've had this game penciled penned-in as a scheduled loss. The best team in the league vs the worst one. Any questions?

Maybe. Perhaps having obliterated the Flams 9-2 in their previous game will have the Avs playing like the generous host. Maybe they need to lose a few games and avoid the Prez Trophy curse.

Let's pretend they intend to lose a scheduled win. Why not?

In other breaking Nucking news this morning, it was reported that Willie Desjardins will be replacing Alvin.

That and other shocking news!

Game Day Chatter

How's that for a header? 👀 #Canucks

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— 🇨🇦 Trent Leith 🏳️‍🌈 (@trentleith.bsky.social) April 1, 2026 at 9:40 AM

Meanwhile...

#Canucks Kevin Lankinen will start for the seventh time in the last eight games. He will have played in all eight games.

— Adam Kierszenblat (@adamkblat.bsky.social) April 1, 2026 at 10:35 AM

Appears having completed his historic moment in Nucks history, Kane ain't playing. Weird how that works.

Game Day Lineups

Canucks projected lineup

Drew O’Connor -- Marco Rossi -- Brock Boeser

Liam Ohgren -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson

Max Sasson -- Teddy Blueger -- Jake DeBrusk

Curtis Douglas -- Aatu Raty -- Nils Hoglander

Zeev Buium -- Filip Hronek

Marcus Pettersson -- Tom Willander

Elias Pettersson -- P.O Joseph

Kevin Lankinen

Nikita Tolopilo

Scratched: Victor Mancini

Injured: Evander Kane (undisclosed), Filip Chytil (facial fracture), Thatcher Demko (hip surgery), Derek Forbort (undisclosed)

Avalanche projected lineup

Artturi Lehkonen -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Martin Necas

Gabriel Landeskog -- Brock Nelson -- Valeri Nichushkin

Ross Colton -- Nazem Kadri -- Logan O’Connor

Parker Kelly -- Jack Drury -- Joel Kiviranta

Devon Toews -- Sam Malinski

Brett Kulak -- Josh Manson

Nick Blankenburg -- Brent Burns

Mackenzie Blackwood

Scott Wedgewood

Scratched: Zakhar Bardakov

Injured: Cale Makar (upper body), Nicolas Roy (upper body)

Status report

Kane will not play; Canucks coach Adam Foote said the plan is to manage the forward through the end of Vancouver's four-game road trip, at the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. ... Makar will "miss some time" after the defenseman left in the second period of a 9-2 win against the Calgary Flames on Monday, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said; the coach added the injury was "nothing serious" and Makar would not be shut down for the remainder of the regular season.

Game Day Battle Hymn

Nucks need to play at a higher level on higher ground.

F*uck the war mongering fascists and enjoy the game. As best you can.