LIGHTNING (13-11-5) at CANUCKS (18-9-1)
10 p.m. ET; SNP, BSSUN
Can the Canucks make it three in a row? Can the Canucks actually beat the Lightning? Is John Tesh the music savior we have been waiting for?
So many questions!!!
To answer the first question....maybe?
As for the second question, the Canucks have beat the Lightning since 1934....sorry 2018, close enough. So maybe the first question should be answered no. Of course, if John Tesh is the musical savior, then the answer is yes.
The Canucks haven't seen a 3-game winning streak since the start of November, and while they are not playing at the same level they were at that time, they have made improvements in their system since the loss to New Jersey. That system will need to be sound tonight as the lightning have so many weapons. The Canucks don't want a free-wheeling open game, they need to step up at the blueline to stop the speed of the Lightning. The Lightning are on game 3 of a 5 game road trip, splitting the first games and they have won 3 out of their last four. Kucherov is leading the league in points with 47, which is 7 points ahead of 2nd place Jimothy Timothy Miller.
No big changes for the Canucks lineup as Suter needs more time to meet Taco's standards.
By the way, I want to point out how much the media talks to Miller versus the Captain.
Lightning projected lineup
Brandon Hagel -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov
Nicholas Paul -- Anthony Cirelli -- Michael Eyssimont
Mitchell Chaffee -- Steven Stamkos -- Alex Barre-Boulet
Tanner Jeannot -- Luke Glendening -- Tyler Motte
Mikhail Sergachev -- Erik Cernak
Calvin de Haan -- Darren Raddysh
Haydn Fleury -- Nick Perbix
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson
Scratched: Austin Watson, Philippe Myers
Injured: Victor Hedman (undisclosed), Conor Sheary (upper body)
Canucks projected lineup
Ilya Mikheyev -- Elias Pettersson -- Sam Lafferty
Nils Hoglander -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- Teddy Blueger -- Conor Garland
Andrei Kuzmenko -- Nils Aman -- Phillip Di Giuseppe
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hron
Nikita Zadorov -- Tyler Myers
Ian Cole -- Noah Juulsen
Thatcher Demko
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: Mark Friedman
Injured: Pius Suter (lower body), Carson Soucy (foot), Guillaume Brisebois (concussion)
Status report
Hedman took part in the Lightning's optional morning skate Tuesday after missing practice Monday, but remains a game-time decision after leaving late in the second period of a 4-3 overtime win at the Seattle Kraken on Saturday and appears unlikely to play. ... Stamkos returns after missing the game at Seattle with illness. … Myers, a defenseman, and Chaffee each was recalled from Syracuse of the American Hockey League on Tuesday after forward Cole Koepke was assigned to Syracuse on on Monday. Chaffee could make his season debut. ... Sheary, a forward who has missed 16 games, skated without a non-contact jersey for the first time in practice Monday but likely will not play based on the morning skate. ... Johansson is expected to back up Vasilevskiy despite missing practice Monday and the morning skate on Tuesday because of illness. … The Canucks will dress the same lineup they used in a 4-3 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. ... Suter has been medically cleared to play after missing 13 games, but coach Rick Tocchet said he wants to see the forward in more practices before he returns to the lineup - NHL.COM
Game Day Battle Hymn
I am so tempted to put our boy John Tesh, just to see if Kent finally notices. Instead, I will lead you into a new direction. Mt. Joy is a bad that Spotify spat out at me on day and the imagery of the song stuck in my head. That's it...nothing deeper than that. Jesus as a stoner. You can see the haze throughout the crowd.
Go Coconuts Go!
