4 p.m. ET; SNP, KONG, KING 5, KHN
The Christmas food and drink hangover is almost over, just in time for the New Years food and drink hangover. I hope the Canucks were able to get all the turkey out of their system and man, there were a lot of games over the past month that turkeys could have put up a better fight than the Canucks did. The Canucks play their 2nd to last game of the year against Seattle. The longer that Seattle is around, the more I think the Kraken is the stupidest name ever. It would be a name that a Disney team would choose. Of course, I am venting because Seattle won last year's season series with that stupid fucking name. And the way the Canucks have been playing at home, I fully expect another loss tonight.
Reason number two or really, number one, that tonight will probably be a loss, is that both Petey and Quinn are doubtful for today's game. WTF? That would be one blockbuster trade....I kid. I am not sure what injuries they have that after four days rest, they need another three days off. Maybe the Sharks actually bit both of them. I guess that leaves it up to J.T. and Demko to carry the team today. I would love to see Dakota move up a line and play with Teddy and Kiefer, but that might be too much hitting on a line.
The rumor mill continues to churn out material that the Canucks are looking to get a D-man, but I am still not sure what they could give up, besides a draft pick, to get anything of value.
LINEUPS
Kraken projected lineup
Jaden Schwartz -- Matty Beniers -- Kaapo Kakko
Jared McCann -- Chandler Stephenson -- Daniel Sprong
Eeli Tolvanen -- Shane Wright -- Oliver Bjorkstrand
Tye Kartye -- Yanni Gourde -- Brandon Tanev
Vince Dunn -- Adam Larsson
Jamie Oleksiak -- Brandon Montour
Ryker Evans -- Josh Mahura
Philipp Grubauer
Ales Stezka
Scratched: Gustav Olofsson, Ben Meyers
Injured: Jordan Eberle (pelvis), Joey Daccord (undisclosed), Andre Burakovsky (illness)
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Danton Heinen -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Dakota Joshua -- Max Sasson -- Phil Di Giuseppe
Erik Brannstrom -- Tyler Myers
Carson Soucy -- Noah Juulsen
Derek Forbort -- Vincent Desharnais
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Linus Karlsson
Injured: Elias Pettersson (undisclosed), Quinn Hughes (undisclosed), Filip Hronek (upper body)
Status report
Daccord, a goalie, is day-to-day and did not make the trip to Vancouver after finishing a Dec. 22 game at the Colorado Avalanche despite getting “banged up a little bit” during that game, according to coach Dan Bylsma. Seattle called up Stezka from Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis on Friday. … Burakovsky, a forward, is day-to-day with an illness and also did not make the trip to Vancouver. … Neither Hughes, a defenseman, nor Pettersson, a center, took part in practice on Friday and both were listed as doubtful by coach Rick Tocchet. … Brannstrom comes back into the lineup after three games as a scratch and is expected to alternate with Forbort in Hughes' spot on the top pair depending on the situation.
GAME DAY CHATTER
“Next man mentality. That’s the way we have to think. Right now more than ever, our staples, we have to play as a team.”
🗣 Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet after the #Canucks return to practice following the break. pic.twitter.com/xJgiwGNiot
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 27, 2024
“Had a good practice today. Want to get ready for an early game tomorrow. Guys worked hard today, we were executing. Come in after the break with the right mindset.”
🗣 Tyler Myers meets with the media following the first #Canucks practice after the holiday break. pic.twitter.com/3HOWDhrxq2
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 27, 2024
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
New Year's in coming fast and to knock some of the pessimism out of my own writing, I leave you with this optimistic song and hope of a Cup being raised.
GO CANUCKS GO!
