Coming off what may well be looked back at as the worst loss in this team's 55 year history, the Canucks are clinging to life and will need to catch lightning in a bottle again as they look to knock off the NHL's best team for the second time in two weeks.
Vancouver Canucks (34-26-13) vs. Winnipeg Jets (50-19-4)
12:00 pm PST; 3:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific, TSN 3
Radio: Sportsnet 650
I've been a fan of the Canucks since we moved to BC from Saskatchewan in early 1973. There are but a handful of you that have been part of this that long, and so you understand more than anyone how utterly soul-crushing that loss was. It's silly to believe in the hockey gods, yet the way Columbus continued to get bounce after bounce in that game, it truly makes you wonder if there's not something otherworldly that is keeping this team under it's thumb. At times, that seems a far easier way to understand the Vancouver Canucks than anything else.
And while every mistake ended up in the net, and there were a month's worth of bounces that went the Blue Jackets way, you cannot look at this game and be utterly disappointed in the play of Kevin Lankinen in this one. The Canucks wouldn't have a sniff at the playoffs without the way he's performed this season overall, but in the biggest test he's faced as a Canuck, he absolutely failed.
It's not all on him, though. This coaching staff has to go. This style doesn't work, and it's far too easy for teams to disassemble. Barring an appearance in the playoffs that at least gets them to the second round, I would think we're in the twilight days of the Rick Tocchet era in Vancouver. I, and many of you, would be upset to see them try and avoid tripping over the same stone again next season.
And we've had to abandon all hope of the Canucks catching the Blues, as they continue to win, leaving us instead to turn our sights on an old familar foe. Perhaps it's fitting that the Canucks and Minnesota Wild fight it out to see who gets to lose to the Jets in the first round. If there's a team out there that plays a brand of hockey more uninspiring, it's Minny. Sure, the Canucks played their finest game of the season against Winnipeg before heading out on this road swing, but the Jets on the road and the Jets at home are two entirely different beasts, and one should prepare oneself for a long, painful afternoon.
LINEUPS
Lifted from a slurpee cup outside Canada Life Centre, but also found on the nhl dot com thingy...
3 p.m. ET; SNP, TSN3
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Brock Boeser
Drew O'Connor -- Teddy Blueger -- Conor Garland
Dakota Joshua -- Aatu Raty -- Kiefer Sherwood
Linus Karlsson -- Nils Aman -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Elias Pettersson
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Victor Mancini, Max Sasson
Injured: Filip Chytil (concussion), Noah Juulsen (lower body), Elias Pettersson (undisclosed), Nils Hoglander (undisclosed)
Jets projected lineup
Kyle Connor -- Mark Scheifele -- Alex Iafallo
Nikolaj Ehlers -- Adam Lowry -- Mason Appleton
Nino Niederreiter -- Vladislav Namestnikov -- Cole Perfetti
David Gustafsson -- Morgan Barron -- Brandon Tanev
Josh Morrissey -- Dylan DeMelo
Dylan Samberg -- Luke Schenn
Logan Stanley -- Colin Miller
Connor Hellebuyck
Eric Comrie
Scratched: Ville Heinola, Haydn Fleury
Injured: Neal Pionk (lower body), Gabriel Vilardi (upper body), Rasmus Kupari (concussion)
Pretty much the same lineups we saw in the 6-2 Canucks win on March 18th. It'll be Demko and Hellebuyck in the creases again today, though I wouldn't at all be surprised to see the Jets go with Comrie and give Hellebuyck some rest with the playoffs coming. Then again, they're likely still pissed about the last meeting and will be looking to send a message. Either way, there's no way the Canucks take this one without some absolute larceny from Demko.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
With a vocal assist from NUCLEAR ASSAULT's John Connelly, SCATTERBRAIN were letting us know what was coming all the way back in the 90's. From their debut album 'Here Comes Trouble', this is 'Goodbye Freedom, Hello Mom'.
Try to enjoy the game, if that's even possible. Fuck Trump, Elon, Poliviere and fascists everywhere! Go Canucks Go!
