As far as road trips go, you can't ask for more than what we saw from the Canucks. They've been road beasts so far this season, but can they make this success translate at home as they take on the Oilers for the first time since their post-season clash?

Vancouver Canucks (7-2-3) vs. Edmonton Oilers  (6-7-1)

7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST

TV: Sportsnet, CBC, CITY

Radio: Sportsnet 650

There was a lot to like about the play of the Canucks on that three game California trip. Quinn Hughes is, inexplicably, even better than he was last season. Kevin Lankinen has been phenomenal, giving the Canucks a chance to win every night. Jake DeBrusk snapped out of that funk to start the season in a big way. And the Canucks have been getting solid efforts every night up and down the lineup.

Now, it wouldn't be the Vancouver Canucks if there wasn't a dark cloud attached to it, and that darkness comes in the form of the injury to Brock Boeser. No real timeframe yet for his return, and hopefully it's not long term. At least the NHL did something about it, as Tanner Jeannot received a three game suspension for the gutless headshot on Boeser Thursday night in LA. Still kind of lenient, but better than what we expected.

And tonight is a big game, not just because it's a divisional rival, but because this is a statement game that the Canucks can use as a building block for the rest of the season. A chance to show the Oilers that they don't match up against a healthy Canucks team, even with the world's two best forwards on their side.

Both teams struggled out of the gate, but the main difference has been the Canucks are managing to salvage points pretty much every night, while the Oilers regulation losses have continued to mount. It won't be an easy game, but with the confidence gained after the California sweep, and a chance to stick it to these dirty rotten bastards, they should come out fired up and ready to blow the roof off Rogers Arena tonight.

LINEUPS

 Oilers projected lineup

Jeff Skinner -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman

Vasily Podkolzin -- Leon Draisaitl -- Viktor Arvidsson

Adam Henrique -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Connor Brown

Mattias Janmark -- Derek Ryan -- Corey Perry

Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard

Darnell Nurse -- Troy Stecher

Brett Kulak -- Ty Emberson

Stuart Skinner

Calvin Pickard

Scratched: Travis Dermott

Injured: None

Canucks projected lineup

Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Conor Garland

Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Jake DeBrusk

Danton Heinen -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood

Nils Aman -- Aatu Raty -- Arshdeep Bains

Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek

Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers

Erik Brannstrom -- Vincent Desharnais

Kevin Lankinen

Arturs Silovs

Scratched: Noah Juulsen

Injured: Brock Boeser (upper body), Derek Forbort (lower body), Thatcher Demko (lower body), Dakota Joshua (testicular cancer recovery)

Okay, lots to unpack here. With Boeser out, Conor Garland moves to the top line. Ashdeep Bains and Nils Aman have been recalled from Abbotsford to replace Boeser and Daniel Sprong, who was traded to Seattle for future considerations.

GAME DAY CHATTER

 Comments from the coach... and Jake DeBrusk... Plus updates on Boeser and Lekkerimaki from GM Patrik Allvin.. Desharnais is looking forward to the next visit from the Kings, apparently...

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN

Exodus dropped an unexpected AC/DC cover the other day, and like their other covers of the legendary Aussie band, they do a fine job paying tribute. And I like that it's a deep cut and not something obvious, but especially with Steve 'Zetro' Sousa's vocal style, it works so well with the older AC/DC material.