10 p.m. ET; SNP, BSSW
The Vancouver Canucks will clinch a playoff berth:
If they defeat the Stars in any fashion.
OR
If they get one point against the Stars AND the Blues lose to the Flames in any fashion.
OR
If the Wild lose to the Sharks in any fashion AND the Blues lose to the Flames in regulation.
So.....just win would be the simplest way to do it.
Thatcher Demko going on LTIR until Apr 6th, means that Bains can come back up and that Silvos will get a start next week in one of the back to back games. Oh...and there is capspace for this guy to return.
It's funny, but this team missed Dakota and not in a tough guy kind of way. They missed his speed, his fore-checking, his hitting and his hands around the net. At the start of the year, I would have pegged Joshua as a guy who reminds other teams not to touch certain players. But this team hasn't really needed it, even when he has been injured. That says a lot about the toughness that this team has showed to their opponents. The Canucks are 6th in the league in hits and have drawn 17 more penalties than they have taken. The team has been better at taking less penalties during this home stretch and the PK is at 88%.
Coach Taco is getting this team prepared for the playoffs by not thinking about the playoffs too much. Working on scenarios, seems to be the mantra at practice so there are no areas that players are not familiar with. Taco is looking forward to getting Joshua back in the lineup, but realizes that Bains may get a game in or two, while Dakota gets his head back into the game.
The Canucks and the Stars have been the two stingiest teams when it comes to shots against since March 9th. (Van 22.4 vs Dal 24.8) Playoff systems are being used to cut down on easy breakouts and reducing odd-man rushes. Similarities don't end there, as both teams have had a great PK and meh PP. The Stars won the last meeting against the Canucks in O/T after the Canucks had won the previous 7 games. Quinn Hughes excitedly talks about tonight's matchup.....excitedly.
Stars projected lineup
Jason Robertson -- Roope Hintz -- Joe Pavelski
Mason Marchment -- Matt Duchene -- Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn -- Wyatt Johnston -- Logan Stankoven
Sam Steel -- Radek Faksa -- Craig Smith
Thomas Harley -- Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell -- Chris Tanev
Ryan Suter -- Nils Lundkvist
Jake Oettinger
Scott Wedgewood
Scratched: Ty Dellandrea
Injured: Evgenii Dadonov (lower-body fracture), Jani Hakanpaa (lower body)
Canucks projected lineup
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Conor Garland
Dakota Joshua -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Ilya Mikheyev -- Teddy Blueger -- Sam Lafferty
Vasily Podkolzin -- Pius Suter -- Arshdeep Bains
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Nikita Zadorov -- Ian Cole
Casey DeSmith
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Mark Friedman, Phillip Di Giuseppe, Noah Juulsen, Nils Aman
Injured: Thatcher Demko (lower body), Elias Lindholm (undisclosed)
Status report
Oettinger will make his 11th start in 14 games. ... Seguin will return after taking a rest day for a 6-3 win at the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, replacing Dellandrea, a forward. … Joshua returns after missing 18 games with a hand injury. ... The Canucks return to their usual defense pairs after splitting Hughes and Hronek in a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. ... Bains was recalled from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. ... DeSmith is expected to start for the seventh straight game. - NHL.com
Game Day Battle Hymn
Sometimes we just need a catchy little diddy to get the day moving. some will say this group is overplayed or over-hyped, but if you just put on the headphones and listen to the music....everything is good.
Go Canucks Go!
