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Game Preview / Gamethread #74: Canucks @ Winnipeg Jets

March 30, 2025
- Kent Basky

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...

CANUCKS (34-26-13) at JETS (50-19-4)

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

The #Canucks won't be able to sign top prospect Tom Willander for another two weeks as Boston University is heading to the Frozen Four after an overtime thriller.

Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis.bsky.social) 2025-03-30T00:13:11.045Z

For those questioning the Conor Garland shootout selection: Entering tonight, Garland had the best shootout percentage on the #Canucks, minimum two attempts. He was 9 for 22 (40.9%) on his career.

Noah Strang (@noahstrang.bsky.social) 2025-03-29T03:00:10.949Z

#Canucks need to go 6-3-1 the rest of the way to hit 94 points or 7-2 to hit 95.Even that might not be enough.If it is, the two forwards leading the charge will most likely walk away on Jul 1 for nothing.What a mess.

Vic Virk (@vicvirk.bsky.social) 2025-03-29T02:33:22.303Z

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!

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