Coming off one of the most embarrassing losses in recent memory, the Canucks are back at home, where they've been awful, in a game where they are 100% going to be judged not only how they perform, but how they address an issue that's been on hold for a few weeks.
Vancouver Canucks (19-14-10) vs. Los Angeles Kings (24-12-5)
7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
"Yeah, that was a pretty impressive win on Saturday, especially in context. Perfect? Far from it, and it won't mean a lot if the Canucks don't follow it up with an equally memorable performance tonight in Winnipeg."
That was me, in the last game preview. I mean, I know the bar is low guys, but holy shit...
How shitty is it that you can't even feel good about Nils Hoglander snapping his goalless streak because of how terribly, to a man, this team played. Unless they're able to pull off some type of massive transformation and turn into a playoff contender in the next couple weeks, we're going to be looking at the Canucks hiring their fourth head coach in four years.
I don't want to be one of the mouth breathing Musk-ovites over on the dead bird app, but I just don't see the point of moving forward with a coach who cannot get this team to show up on a consistent basis. I mean, I get there's only so much one can do with a defensive corps like that, but there's zero reason for this team to be scoring this little, and rather than blowing up the team and taking steps backward (again), they should just say fuck it, and bring in someone who can actually get something out what is a decently talented lineup.
So yes, in a city where the fan base is already pissed off and ready to blame (insert scapegoat here), they absolutely need to come out and be the better team tonight, and I'm not talking subjectively. I mean, they need to just hammer the ever-living fuck out of the Kings. I know, language. But I am tired. I've sat through decades of this shit. I'm tired of having to wait years and years for a glimmer of competitiveness, only to watch it fade without achieving the goal. It's a cycle that has drained the fun out of being a fan of this team and this game. Other fan bases have gotten to be happy. I want that. I'm tired of not having that, and I have invested too much to walk away from them. Fix this shit.
And the other thing to keep in mind for tonight's game: What to do about Tanner Jeannot. The last time these teams met, Jeannot took out Brock Boeser with a filthy blindside hit to the head. Boeser would miss seven games with concussion issues, while Jeannot was given a three game slap on the wrist for the offence. Some are saying that they question why the Canucks should even bother, given this incident was back in November. Maybe if the Canucks hadn't lost 10 of their last 13 games, and it featured an incident where a player repeatedly attacked Quinn Hughes unprovoked on the ice and not only did nothing happen to that player, he went on the score two goals including the OT winner, I could see rationalizing this. Giving Jeannot a pass tonight will not make anyone but the Kings happy. Someone needs to go out there and at least let him know his bullshit won't be tolerated. And this is coming from a guy that hates so much of the stupid fighting culture. But after seeing Hughes get ragdolled and no one stepping in, I expect more. I think we all should.
LINEUPS
Again, no jokes.. lineups from nhl dot com...
10 p.m. ET; SNP, FDSNW
Kings projected lineup
Alex Turcotte -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe
Warren Foegele -- Quinton Byfield -- Tanner Jeannot
Kevin Fiala -- Phillip Danault -- Trevor Moore
Trevor Lewis -- Samuel Helenius
Mikey Anderson -- Vladislav Gavrikov
Joel Edmundson -- Brandt Clarke
Jacob Moverare -- Jordan Spence
Kyle Burroughs
Darcy Kuemper
David Rittich
Scratched: Andreas Englund, Akil Thomas
Injured: Alex Laferriere (upper body)
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Danton Heinen -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Nils Hoglander -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Derek Forbort -- Tyler Myers
Carson Soucy -- Vincent Desharnais
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Max Sasson, Guillaume Brisebois
Injured: Dakota Joshua (lower body), Noah Juulsen (undisclosed)
Juulsen is suffering from some sort of ailment, and while it's being said he's a game time decision, given the way he's played, let's just keep him in the press box tonight, hmm? Some lineup shuffling going on, with Lekkerimaki getting a look on the top line with Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk, while Phil Di Giuseppe is on line two with Boeser and J.T. Miller. Demko will get the start tonight, as the Canucks look to do a restart on literally everything. Any hope of turning things around has to start with a win tonight.
GAME DAY CHATTER
Miller is not injured if you believe him... or the coach... There's only one team that scores less than the Canucks, and that's the Kings. I wonder what the difference is? Pregame thoughts from the coach... and Filip Hronek... There are some things the Canucks do right, and showing some support for fire fighters in LA is one of them...
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Sad news earlier this week as news broke of the murder of original 24-7 Spyz vocalist Pete Forrest. Known as P-Fluid in his time with the band, they were best known for their 1989 breakthrough album 'Harder Than You', which had a fun mix of songs influenced heavily by bands like Bad Brains and Fishbone. It also included an awesome cover of Kool & The Gang's 'Jungle Boogie' and the song 'Grandma Dynamite', which we've featured before here. Today though, it's an absolute rager: 'Spill My Guts'. RIP P-Fluid.
So enjoy the game. Or don't.
