Only 2 more afternoon road losses and we can relax into comfy home losses.

CANUCKS (2-6-0) at PANTHERS (3-2-2)

7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, SNP, TVAS

On the verge of an extended losing streak? Is 5 extended or at least 7? These are the kinds of vital questions we will be tussling with this season. This very extended season.

But hey - almost tied the Isles last game, R2 cleared waivers, Chytil makes his season debut, life is good. And Thursday noted how to make it better.

Nucks in Miami to play hockey. Make that make sense.

Canucks projected lineup

Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Liam Ohgren -- Marco Rossi -- Linus Karlsson

Paul Cotter -- Filip Chytil -- Brock Boeser

Drew O'Connor -- Max Sasson -- Brendan Gallagher

Elias Pettersson -- Filip Hronek

Jamie Oleksiak -- Tom Willander

Zeev Buium -- Victor Mancini

Leevi Merilainen

Kevin Lankinen

Scratched: Guillaume Brisebois, Luke Schenn, Arshdeep Bains, Aatu Raty

Injured: Thatcher Demko (hip)

Panthers projected lineup

Brady Tkachuk -- Sam Bennett -- Matthew Tkachuk

Carter Verhaeghe -- Sam Reinhart -- Lars Eller

Eetu Luostarinen -- Anton Lundell -- Sandis Vilmanis

Bokondji Imama -- Sam Lafferty -- Garnet Hathaway

Gustav Forsling -- Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola -- Seth Jones

Dmitry Kulikov -- Uvis Balinskis

Akira Schmid

Cooper Black

Scratched: None

Injured: Aleksander Barkov (knee), Brad Marchand (knee), Jonah Gadjovich (neck), Jacob Markstrom (undisclosed), Radko Gudas (lower body)

Status report

Chytil will make his season debut after sustaining a shoulder injury in a preseason game against the Edmonton Oilers on Sept. 24. ... To make space on the roster, the Canucks placed Raty, a forward, on waivers Wednesday. … Gudas will miss his second straight game after the defenseman took a hit to the knee in a 5-3 loss at the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. ... Markstrom also left during that game, but the goalie was on the ice for the Panthers morning skate. ... Florida coach Paul Maurice said there is a possibility each could be available against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. ... Schmid will make his second straight start.

GAME DAY CHATTER

Watch those matchups, Filip.

Wait! Zeev has been releeeved?

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN

Staying out of the sun and keeping in the 70s groove.

Go Canucks Go.