Another must win game against a Western Conference team where the Canucks actually outplayed their opponent? A three game winning streak? Is this a reason for hope? Oh, don't be silly. Well, maybe it is...?
Vancouver Canucks (23-17-10) vs. Dallas Stars (32-17-1)
5:00 pm PST; 8:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Again, while it wasn't without its blemishes, the Canucks put together another solid road performance on Wednesday night en route to a 3-1 win over the Predators in Nashville. Vancouver's now won three straight games for the first time in November, and can finish off this road swing with a perfect record if they can manage a win tonight against a very good Dallas Stars squad.
Much like the game on Saturday against Washington, this is a real test for the squad to see if they actually deserve to be in the playoff spot they currently are one point out of. I suppose if there's anything encouraging, it's that they've been getting some scoring that wasn't Quinn Hughes, and the goals were coming from guys who really needed to get going in Nils Hoglander and Pius Suter. Another bright light, was this was definitely the best performance this season from Thatcher Demko, and while it may be a little too early yet to claim that he's back, he's definitely trending in the right direction.
And whether it's Demko or Kevin Lankinen in goal tonight, the Canucks will need their D to be at their absolute best if they hope to come out of Big D with the two points they so desperately need. And that means, and I am fully aware of how this sounds, they need Tyler Myers to be at his best tonight.
Are we done laughing? Good.
Since returning from suspension, Myers has been rather impressive, putting in a ton of minutes, as well as the one goal, one assist performance on Monday in St Louis. Dallas is a fast, offensively skilled team, and making things as easy as possible for whoever is occupying the crease for Vancouver tonight is going to help them a long way towards getting that win.
And pardon me if you've heard this one, but it would be wonderful if the best players on the Canucks showed up in an offensive way tonight, and by that I mean producing goals and not the offensive performances we've been treated to this season. It's time for Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller to go on a freakin' tear if for no other reason than to spite each other. Let the hate flow through you, and it shall lead you to victory.
LINEUPS
This lineup was found carved into the floor of the basement at the Alamo... though I am pretty sure it's on nhl dot com, too...
8 p.m. ET; Victory+, SN
Canucks projected lineup
Danton Heinen -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Elias Pettersson -- Linus Karlsson
Jake DeBrusk -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Phillip Di Giuseppe -- Teddy Blueger -- Dakota Joshua
Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers
Derek Forbort -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Noah Juulsen
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Elias Pettersson, Vincent Desharnais
Injured: Kiefer Sherwood (lower body)
Stars projected lineup
Jason Robertson -- Roope Hintz -- Wyatt Johnston
Jamie Benn -- Matt Duchene -- Mavrik Bourque
Evgenii Dadonov -- Sam Steel -- Logan Stankoven
Brendan Smith -- Oskar Back -- Colin Blackwell
Thomas Harley -- Ilya Lyubushkin
Lian Bichsel -- Esa Lindell
Kyle Capobianco -- Mathew Dumba
Jake Oettinger
Casey DeSmith
Scratched: None
Injured: Miro Heiskanen (knee), Nils Lundkvist (upper body), Mason Marchment (face), Tyler Seguin (hip)
While I was certain that the Canucks would go with Lankinen given he had two strong performances against Washington and St Louis, Demko gets the nod tonight, and in the tradition of Ted Cruz, the Stars are being absolute cowards and not letting Casey De Smith face his old team, opting for Jake Oettinger just because he's really good or something stupid like that.
The Stars are dealing with a bunch of injuries, including a couple key ones in Heiskanen and Seguin, while the Canucks are only down Sherwood, who's back in Vancouver recovering.
GAME DAY CHATTER
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Today in our look at the best metal releases from 1985, we look at the second album from US progressive metallers FATES WARNING. Following up on their debut 'Night On Brocken', 'The Spectre Within' saw the band continue to grow in proficiency. This album would get a good response, and they would release one more with vocalist John Artch (Awaken The Guardian) before replacing him with Ray Alder. This track was featured on the soundtrack of River's Edge, a great 80's movie starring Dennis Hopper, Crispin Glover and a young Keanu Reaves. That soundtrack also featured four songs from SLAYER, plus tracks from HALLOWS EVE, and punk band AGENT ORANGE.
Enjoy the game, everyone! Go Canucks Go!
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!
10:00 p.m. ET; SNP, SN1, TVAS, Utah16
Utah?
What?
The Canucks have never faced this team....and therefore they have never lost! If you were to look at the team they used to be....they split the season series last year. The Utah team with no name is very annoying to write about, as you have to keep referring them as Utah...or the Hockey Club from Utah. That team started off like gang-busters and then remembered that moving from Arizona only has a limited bump. They do have 5 players with 20+ points, so they do have the potential to put up some goals.
The great news is that Canucks finally escape Rogers and get back to their real home, the road. Unfortunately, it is only for two games and one of those will be in Vegas. So hopefully the Canucks can get more momentum before hitting Sin City tomorrow.
Bettman must drool when he see standings like this. I cringe.
Remember when my mom asked about Petey's performance when Miller came back?
Well, bad news. So far he has 0 points and is -3. Sweet lord....Buffalo is waiting.
At least we have a guy named Kiefer, who can win games on his own.
LINEUPS
Canucks projected lineup
Conor Garland -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Max Sasson
Danton Heinen -- Pius Suter -- Kiefer Sherwood
Dakota Joshua -- Teddy Blueger -- Nils Hoglander
Quinn Hughes -- Noah Juulsen
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Erik Brannstrom -- Vincent Desharnais
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Derek Forbort, Linus Karlsson, Phil Di Giuseppe
Injured: Filip Hronek (upper body)
Utah projected lineup
Clayton Keller -- Barrett Hayton -- Nick Schmaltz
Jack McBain -- Logan Cooley -- Dylan Guenther
Lawson Crouse -- Nick Bjugstad -- Matias Maccelli
Alexander Kerfoot -- Kevin Stenlund -- Michael Carcone
Mikhail Sergachev -- Olli Maatta
Ian Cole -- Michael Kesselring
Juuso Valimaki -- Vladislav Kolyachonok
Karel Vejmelka
Jaxson Stauber
Scratched: Liam O’Brien, Dakota Mermis
Injured: Robert Bortuzzo (lower body), Maveric Lamoureux (undisclosed), Sean Durzi (upper body), John Marino (upper body)
Status report
The Canucks assigned goaltender Arturs Silovs and defenseman Mark Friedman to Abbotsford on Tuesday. Forwards Karlsson and Di Giuseppe were recalled on Tuesday. ... Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said Forbort, a defenseman, will not play tonight against Utah but “could possibly tomorrow” at the Vegas Golden Knights.
GAME DAY CHATTER
“They’re an up-and-coming team. They’re tough to play against.”
🗣 Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet ahead of tonight's game against Utah Hockey Club.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/xchg5SwI2N
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 18, 2024
“It’s a beautiful city. Cool flying in. Still have some friends on the team so I hear about how nice it is here.”
🗣 Conor Garland speaks on the team playing their first game in Utah and expectations going into tonight.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/Hdi42AWz2D
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 18, 2024
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
In honor of the Canucks hitting the road and Petey needing to get going, I give you some guy named Bob.
Go Canucks Go!
10:30 p.m. ET; SNP, ALT
I wonder if Thatcher Demko is thinking about going back on the IR? The team that has played in front of him has been below average. (You can't hold completely responsible for his 4.47 GAA and .830 save %)
The Canucks were absolutely brutal last game and tonight's opponent won't be easy either. The Avs are 5-2 in December and continue to put up a lot of goals, as they have 3 out of the the top 15 scorers in the league. The good thing for the Canucks is that the Avs still let in a lot of goals. Hopefully, the Canucks have better luck than last year, where they lost all three games.
I would like to that Elliotte Friedman for stirring up the shit on the internet by getting the "Trade Petey" portion of the schedule going. His trade idea is bad on so many levels...Petey for Byram and Cousins. Byram has past concussions and Cousins won't replace Petey's 2-way play, Oh...and it adds more money to the cap. The Canucks do need to make a trade for a defenseman as there backend was ripped apart last game. Hogs won't bring much in return, so trading one of Petey, Miller or Brock seems to be the easy way to get views on the net.
Tonight is the 13th Hockey Talks for the Canucks..(no communication company attached to it) And we always need a reminder that it's ok to admit that we all struggle. The family has had a tough 3 months and writing for NM and chatting with you always brings a smile to my face. Thanks everyone.
LINEUPS
Avalanche projected lineup
Artturi Lehkonen -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen
Ross Colton -- Casey Mittelstadt -- Valeri Nichushkin
Joel Kiviranta -- Parker Kelly -- Logan O’Connor
Tye Felhaber -- Ivan Ivan -- Chris Wagner
Devon Toews -- Cale Makar
Samuel Girard -- Sam Malinski
Keaton Middleton -- Calvin de Haan
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Scratched: John Ludvig, Givani Smith
Injured: Josh Manson (upper body), Jonathan Drouin (upper body), Oliver Kylington (undisclosed), Gabriel Landeskog (knee), Tucker Poolman (head), Miles Wood (upper body)
Canucks projected lineup
Conor Garland -- J.T. Miller -- Brock Boeser
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Max Sasson
Danton Heinen -- Pius Suter -- Kiefer Sherwood
Dakota Joshua -- Teddy Blueger -- Nils Hoglander
Quinn Hughes -- Noah Juulsen
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Erik Brannstrom -- Vincent Desharnais
Thatcher Demko
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Mark Friedman
Injured: Kevin Lankinen (illness), Derek Forbort (illness), Filip Hronek (upper body)
Status report
Felhaber will make his NHL debut after signing a two-year contract with the Avalanche on Sunday. … Manson, a defenseman who has missed eight games, skated with teammates Monday for the first time since he was injured Nov. 29 and could return during Colorado’s three-game road trip. … Forbort, a defenseman, and Lankinen, a goalie, will miss a second straight game. … The Canucks changed all four forward lines after a 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. They also swapped Myers and Juulsen on defense, and Desharnais will replace Friedman, a defenseman, after being scratched for two games.
GAME DAY CHATTER
“[When] you play great players, you got to make sure you pay attention to the details.”
🗣 Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet ahead of Monday night's game against Colorado.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/gBjLjtXlNa
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 16, 2024
"Focus on the things that make us successful."
🗣 Quinn Hughes speaks on the team staying focused on what they can control ahead of tonight's game against the Avalanche.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/JxKmRJee4B
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 16, 2024
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
My wife and I play a game in the car called, "Name that band." She is far better with some of the electronic/ synthesiser era, but this 90s "grunge" group always stumps her as they only had this song. Temple of the Dog had two of the main voices of the 90s in one song....and my wife never remembers their name.
Go Canucks Go!
10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNP, FDSNMW
Did you know that the Canucks are only 1 point of their pace from last year after 26 games? I didn't and it brings some calm to my mind. This team waited over 15 games for Petey to wake up....Demko hasn't played a minute....Brock was out for a stretch......and JT Miller has been out for a stretch, and yet this team is still near the top of the division, with games in hand.
Van's top line had trouble last game. (Jake,Petey & Brock) They couldn't get good looks on net and all of them were -2 last game. The Lightning were very aggressive pressing this line to move the puck and quality chances were few. The Canucks PP without Hughes was showcased in the first. Terrifying is a word that pops into my mind. Even with Hughes, this team struggles with an aggressive PK that has active sticks in the lanes.
Anyone worried about Dakota Joshua? He is still trying to find his legs and his a stable place in the lineup. The second part is probably more to do with the fact JT is not on the ice and the lines are a mess. But not having a preseason has shown in his play. Hopefully his instincts kick in and he can start pushing people around in front of the net again.
I am still wondering when the Canucks pull the trigger on the Hogs trade. The D needs help. Carson Soucy should not be getting so many 2nd pairing minutes. Is Carson the new Giraffe? Is Myers finally dependable? Sorry....went too far there.
The Canucks face a Blues team who already made a big splash by firing their coach....which really hasn't changed their direction so far. The Blues are in a tough division and their lack of special in special teams has them floundering. Of course, coming into Rogers could change their fortunes, as home ice is not friendly for the Canucks. I look forward to Petey getting a hat trick and yelling "Calder Winner!!" at Binnington.
Hey...did I mention that someone else is starting in net tonight for the Canucks. Some American kid.
There was another American guy who skated with the team for the first time in a couple weeks.
LINEUPS
Blues projected lineup
Jake Neighbours -- Robert Thomas -- Pavel Buchnevich
Dylan Holloway -- Brayden Schenn -- Jordan Kyrou
Brandon Saad -- Oskar Sundqvist -- Zack Bolduc
Alexey Toropchenko -- Radek Faksa -- Nathan Walker
Philip Broberg -- Colton Parayko
Ryan Suter -- Justin Faulk
Pierre-Olivier Joseph -- Matthew Kessel
Joel Hofer
Jordan Binnington
Scratched: Scott Perunovich, Mathieu Joseph, Alexandre Texier
Injured: Nick Leddy (lower body)
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Nils Hoglander -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Aatu Raty -- Max Sasson -- Danton Heinen
Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers
Carson Soucy -- Noah Juulsen
Mark Friedman -- Vincent Desharnais
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Erik Brannstrom
Injured: Filip Hronek (upper body), Derek Forbort (lower body)
Status report
Broberg, who has played four games after missing 12 with a lower-body injury, did not take part in the morning skate, but coach Jim Montgomery said it was a “maintenance day” and he will be available. … Perunovich, a defenseman, comes out of the lineup for Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who was a healthy scratch in a 4-2 loss at the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. … Leddy, a defenseman who has not played since Oct. 15, was on the road trip and practicing before being sent back to St. Louis after the game in Edmonton for further evaluation. … Demko will make his season debut, his first game since injuring his left knee in the first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season on April 21. … Canucks forward J.T. Miller skated with the team Tuesday for the first time since taking a personal leave of absence Nov. 19 but will not play. … Forbort, a defenseman who hasn’t played since Nov. 2, is practicing without a noncontact jersey and could return against the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
GAME DAY CHATTER
”Really good rush team. [St.Louis] is playing well…They’re playing faster. Our rush defence has to be up to par.”
🗣 Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet ahead of tonight's game against the Blues.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/RTvSHn7UyY
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 10, 2024
“Nice to have him around back in the room.”
🗣 Conor Garland speaks on J.T. Miller back skating with the team, and the return of Thatcher Demko for tonight's game.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/9FZUgvnMWS
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 10, 2024
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
I have been going down the rabbit hole of Canadian rock on Spotify lately. There have been several bands that should have never been formed and others that leave me wondering what happened to them. The Tea Party was one such band that was severely overplayed in a CRTC landscape, but it's nice to hear them at one's choosing.
Go Canucks Go!
After a brutal first period, the Canucks did what you're supposed to do to teams playing their third game in four nights, taking advantage of a tired Columbus team, coming back from two down to win 5-2. This afternoon they have a much tougher opponent as they host the Lightning at Rogers Arena.
Vancouver Canucks (14-7-4) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (13-9-2)
1:00 pm PST; 4:00 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
It really looked like another edition of "Why the hell are the Canucks so bad at home this year?" on Friday night, as the Columbus Blue Jackets came storming out of the gate to a 2-0 lead. If it were not for Kevin Lankinen shutting the door, they could easily have been up by three or four goals after twenty minutes. And while they haven't really shown it much at home this season, the Canucks have shown that getting down does not rattle them, and they began slowly chipping away at the Columbus lead.
And when Kiefer Sherwood scored on an open net thanks to an ill-advised attempt to play the puck by Blue Jackets G Elvis Merzlikins with just a minute to go in the second, that pretty much sealed their fate. The Canucks were the better team over the last forty minutes, and got some solid efforts from their best players.
A lot of positives to take from this comeback win. Pius Suter continues to be such an important part of this team, proving that given the right linemates and usage, some guys can exceed everyone's expectations. Another plus was Jake DeBrusk finally scoring at home. He's been on an absolute tear of late, and while we know that streakiness is part of his genetic makeup, the timing of him getting hot with JT Miller being out of the lineup couldn't be better.
Kevin Lankinen may not see the crease for a while once Thatcher Demko is ready to roll, as he could start as early as today, so it was nice to see him notch another impact win filling in for the Canucks All Star netminder. With a healthy Demko, the Canucks have a 1-2 punch in goal that is as good as any in the league, and can help them as they look to rack up some home wins and take advantage of the games in hand they have over their Pacific Division rivals.
Today they'll have a little payback on their minds as they take on Tampa Bay. The last meeting between these teams in October saw the Lightning cruise to a 4-1 win that had some people sounding some premature alarm bells, as they Canucks had lost three straight after opening with a win over the Edmonton Oilers.
The key to this game is taking advantage of a subpar Tampa penalty kill, and trying to keep one of the NHL's best at 5 on 5 off the score sheet. Strong team defence and getting a good start is vital to coming out of this one with two points.
LINEUPS
Instead of your dates, the projected lineups for this game were found on the back of bootleg Taylor Swift shirts. You could also find it on nhl dot com...
Lightning projected lineup
Jake Guentzel -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel -- Anthony Cirelli -- Nick Paul
Mitchell Chaffee -- Conor Geekie -- Gage Goncalves
Zemgus Girgensons -- Luke Glendening -- Michael Eyssimont
Victor Hedman -- J.J. Moser
Ryan McDonagh -- Erik Cernak
Emil Lilleberg -- Nick Perbix
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson
Scratched: Cam Atkinson, Darren Raddysh
Injured: None
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Nils Hoglander -- Teddy Blueger -- Kiefer Sherwood
Aatu Raty -- Max Sasson -- Danton Heinen
Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers
Carson Soucy -- Noah Juulsen
Erik Brannstrom -- Vincent Desharnais
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Arturs Silovs, Mark Friedman
Injured: Filip Hronek (upper body), Derek Forbort (lower body)
Both teams could get key players back, as the Lightning could have Nikita Kucherov back after missing a couple, while it looks like Thatcher Demko will get the nod as he returns to the lineup after getting injured in the first round series against Nashville back in April. Other than that, it's pretty much the same lineup as Friday night for the Canucks.
GAME DAY CHATTER
As expected, Arturs Silovs will be heading to Abbotsford with Demko ready to go... While it looks like we could see JT Miller return to the team this week, Derek Forbert is also getting closer to returning... The coach on how the improved PK is giving the Canucks a boost...
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
One of the things that I love about metal, is that it is truly a form of music that translates worldwide, unlike a number of styles. And this new banger from India's BLOODYWOOD with the help of Japanese Kawaai metal sensations BABYMETAL is a great example. Explore the world of metal, my friends. There's so much out there that isn't from south of our border.
Enjoy the game, folks. Go Canucks Go!
Morning hockey is really stupid. That being said, grab your coffee and we'll see if the Canucks can continue their road dominance this season as they take on the Red Wings.
Vancouver Canucks (12-7-3) vs. Detroit Red Wings (10-11-2)
9:30 am PST; 12:30 pm EST
TV: Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet One
Radio: Sportsnet 650
Again, it's not about how they get it done right now, it's simply about getting it done, and that's what the Canucks did in Buffalo Friday afternoon. Despite coughing up the two goal lead in the third period, a timely save from Kevin Lankinen, and a beauty between the legs from Conor Garland sealed the deal in OT against Vancouver's expansion cousins, moving their road record this season to 9-2-0.
The Canucks are in the 2nd wild card slot at the moment, so they must keep the points coming, as unfortunately for them, their Pacific Division rivals continue to pile them up as well. And while they have a tough one Tuesday against the Wild in Minnesota, they should be able to keep things going against a Detroit Red Wings team that continues to just sputter along despite being years into the Yzerplan.
It's a busy December for Vancouver, with today's game being the first of 12 games between now and the Christmas break. Normally, we'd say it's a good thing the majority of those are at home, but given the way the Canucks have played at Rogers Arena, it's almost like we'd prefer them to stay on the road for this stretch.
One factor that should help the Canucks win this one today will be special teams. Their penalty kill has been much improved, and it will be tested by one the league's best in Detroit today. The Wings are the worst in the NHL on the penalty kill, so look for the Canucks to try and make every power play count in this one. Other than a strong power play, Detroit struggles to score, being near the bottom of five on five goals this season.
LINEUPS
Scrawled in pizza sauce outside the arena, this is what to expect from these teams today (also, it's on nhl dot com...)
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser
Dakota Joshua -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Danton Heinen -- Teddy Blueger -- Max Sasson
Nils Hoglander -- Aatu Raty -- Kiefer Sherwood
Quinn Hughes -- Tyler Myers
Erik Brannstrom -- Vincent Desharnais
Carson Soucy -- Noah Juulsen
Kevin Lankinen
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: Arshdeep Bains
Injured: Derek Forbort (knee), Filip Hronek (upper body)
Red Wings projected lineup
Vladimir Tarasenko -- Dylan Larkin -- Lucas Raymond
Tyler Motte -- J.T. Compher -- Alex DeBrincat
Michael Rasmussen -- Andrew Copp -- Christian Fischer
Joe Veleno -- Marco Kasper -- Jonatan Berggren
Simon Edvinsson -- Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot -- Jeff Petry
Erik Gustafsson -- Justin Holl
Cam Talbot
Ville Husso
Scratched: Albert Johansson
Injured: Alex Lyon (lower body), Patrick Kane (upper body)
It should be interesting to see what the first line of Pettersson, DeBrusk and Boeser can do against the Wings today. And don't look at Kiefer Sherwood on the fourth line as any kind of punishment. He continues to be an impact player for the Canucks. After the way they played in Buffalo, I would expect the pairing of Carson Soucy and Noah Juulsen to get less ice time today. And watch Max Sasson today. He's playing in front of family and friends at home for the first time, so a first career goal for Sasson shouldn't come as a shock.
For the Wings, you know things aren't great when you're rolling Tyler Motte on your second line. No offence to Motte, but that speaks volumes about their depth. No Patrick Kane today, which is good, because fuck that guy, man.
GAME DAY CHATTER
Gotta admire the love fans have for JT Miller, as evidenced by this moment during the WWE's Survivor Series last night at Rogers... Here's some pregame thoughts from the coach... JPat shows a little love to Vancouver's Short King, who truly has been their most consistent forward this season...
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Stumbled across this killer recording of Overkill a few days ago at the Vogue Theatre, opening for King Diamond. Bobby Blitz and the boys can still bring it after all these years. Make sure and check out the Loud Flash youtube page, they've got a ton of heavy bands that have visited Vancouver on there, and you're sure to find something you like there.
Get some coffee. Make yourself a hearty breakfast. And enjoy this game. Go Canucks Go!
7:30 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, SNP
Should we talk in length about the joy I feel when the Canucks beat the Bruins? Should we hold a ritual after shutting out Boston? Should we talk about the lack of offensive effort by the Canucks? 2 out of 3 ain't bad....right, Meatloaf? Brock was back last night and it wasn't the best way to start again. I don't mean him playing on the 3rd line, I mean the multiple penalties. The Canucks continue with their home-away-from-home trip in Pittsburgh tonight to face a Penguins team that they already beat this year 4-3 in Vancouver.
I really wonder what happens when Demko gets back. Lankinen has played his ass off and deserves to keep going until the wheels fall off, but I have a feeling that was Thatch gets between the posts, he will get 70% of the games. Silovs will get the bus ride to Abby.
Canucks management get another look at Pens defensemen for a possible trade, as it seems they tried to get a Blue Jacket d-man, but the deal went kablooey. (Tech term)
Game Day Lineups
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Kiefer Sherwood
Dakota Joshua -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Danton Heinen -- Teddy Blueger -- Brock Boeser
Nils Hoglander -- Aatu Raty -- Arshdeep Bains
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Erik Brannstrom -- Tyler Myers
Carson Soucy -- Noah Juulsen
Arturs Silovs
Kevin Lankinen
Scratched: Max Sasson
Injured: Derek Forbort (knee), Vincent Desharnais (lower body)
Penguins projected lineup
Rickard Rakell -- Sidney Crosby -- Bryan Rust
Anthony Beauvillier -- Evgeni Malkin -- Philip Tomasino
Michael Bunting -- Blake Lizotte -- Drew O’Connor
Matt Nieto -- Noel Acciari -- Kevin Hayes
Owen Pickering -- Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson -- Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea -- Jack St. Ivany
Tristan Jarry
Alex Nedeljkovic
Scratched: Ryan Graves, Matt Grzelcyk, Jesse Puljujarvi, Valtteri Puustinen
Injured: Cody Glass (concussion)
Status report
The Canucks did not hold a morning skate following a 2-0 win at the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. ... Silovs could start after Lankinen made 32 saves at Boston. ... Tomasino is expected to make his Penguins debut after being acquired in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Monday for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. ... Lizotte will be a game-time decision; he has missed five games with a concussion.
Game Day Chatter
Hey drivers, when driving, why do you not use your turn signals, why are you like this. I mean it’s right there, you flick one switch. How hard is that
— Andy Cole (@AndyCole1984) November 27, 2024
Not hockey related, but on a daily basis I yell at 5 people who don't signal. Fuckers.
Game Day Battle Hymn
Under pressure previews sometimes leaves me scrambling for a song to entertain the masses. So instead I will go with a song that is hard to get out of my head.
Go Canucks Go!
7 p.m. ET; CBC, SNP, SN1, TVAS2
Not sure what to expect from today's game. To be honest, we all kinda forgot it was an early game and therefore scrambled to get this work of art put together.
No Demko, Brock or JT.....this is not the Canucks team I signed up for. Dakota Joshua gets a promotion to the 2nd line as Max Sasson gets to play in the NHL tonight.
“Called my dad. He’s probably my biggest fan…He started screaming, started crying. Pretty special phone call. It’s his first game too it feels like.”
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 22, 2024
🗣 Hear from Max Sasson on getting the call-up to play in his first NHL game. pic.twitter.com/WBGq0TsjvH
LINEUPS
Canucks projected lineup
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Kiefer Sherwood
Dakota Joshua -- Pius Suter -- Conor Garland
Danton Heinen -- Teddy Blueger -- Nils Hoglander
Max Sasson -- Arshdeep Bains -- Aatu Raty
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Erik Brannstrom -- Vincent Desharnais
Kevin Lankinen
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: J.T. Miller (personal leave), Noah Juulsen
Injured: Brock Boeser (upper body), Derek Forbort (lower body), Thatcher Demko (lower body)
Senators projected lineup
Brady Tkachuk -- Shane Pinto -- Ridly Greig
Claude Giroux -- Tim Stutzle -- Drake Batherson
Michael Amadio -- Josh Norris -- David Perron
Nick Cousins -- Adam Gaudette -- Zack MacEwen
Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven -- Travis Hamonic
Linus Ullmark
Anton Forsberg
Scratched: Jacob Bernard-Docker
Injured: Noah Gregor (undisclosed)
Status report
Sasson will make his NHL debut after being recalled from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League on Thursday. … Desharnais could make his return from an undisclosed injury; he missed three games. … Boeser, a forward who will miss his seventh consecutive game, is on the road trip but skated Saturday. … Demko, a goalie who hasn’t played this season, took reps in practice Saturday. … Bernard-Docker, a defenseman, will be a healthy scratch; Hamonic will take his spot on the third pairing. … Senators coach Travis Green moved Pinto to the first line and Norris to the third line at the morning skate.
GAME DAY CHATTER
“This team has some adversity right now. This is where you learn from it and you can build off it.”
🗣 Hear from Head Coach Rick Tocchet ahead of tonight's game against Ottawa.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/aIlfzdbw6Z
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 23, 2024
Congrats to new Dad, Conor Garland and his wife. Quinn Garland....wait a minute.
“No [did not get much sleep] but well worth it.”
🗣 Conor Garland shares his eventful day leading up to the birth of his son. pic.twitter.com/KIb2OM8X0o
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 22, 2024
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
The Canucks get to go back home...on the road. So everything should be good today in the nation's capital. Now if the Canucks lose this game....well.....R.E.M. has us covered.
Sorry about the shitty preview.....we will let the Canucks go win the game to make it better.
10 p.m. ET; SNP, FDSNSO
The Canucks look to extend their 1 game home win streak to 2. Dare to dream!
While Westy was probably correct about not firing the coach this week, we're still on low alert to see if we need to fire any players.
Can they still do that? [Researches NHLPA] No, they can't. Despite the incredible power that our billionaire overlords exert in the world of hockey and beyond, we fans are powerless to crowdfund instant on-ice firings. Or we would have done that a week ago.
No morning skate for the #Canucks today on the second half of the back-to-back. Pre-game at 6, puck drop at 7 on @sportsnet650.bsky.social!
— Brendan Batchelor (@batchhockey.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 12:12 PM
Last night's game, especially, last night's home win was a big improvement over the Keystone Kops loss on Thursday. Tonight the Nucks play in uncharted territory. It's their 1st Back-To-Back game of the season.
Expect tonight's opponent to be a tougher out as the Preds probably feel they have some unfinished business. Not all the Preds... because Huggie won't have Sherwood hounding him. And for former-Pred, Lankinen, tonight's game could be one of those 'you shoulda' games. At least we hope it will be.
Tonight the Nucks can accomplish something amazing. Something they haven't been able to do all season... deliver a 2 game home win streak.
But, we're not there yet. Be good if the Nucks could start the game 15-20 minutes early, rather than in the 2nd period and drop the fresh turnover count into single digits. Technically, accomplishing both those things is a possibility. Not probable, but still.
LINEUPS
Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Ryan O’Reilly -- Gustav Nyquist
Jonathan Marchesssault -- Tommy Novak -- Steven Stamkos
Luke Evangelista -- Colton Sissons -- Jusso Parssinen
Cole Smith -- Michael McCarron -- Zachary L’Heureux
Brady Skjei -- Roman Josi
Jeremy Lauzon -- Alexandre Carrier
Marc Del Gaizo -- Luke Schenn
Juuse Saros
Scott Wedgewood
Scratched: Mark Jankowski, Adam Wilsby, Philip Tomasino
Injured: None
Canucks projected lineup
Pius Suter -- J.T. Miller -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki
Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Kiefer Sherwood
Dakota Joshua -- Teddy Blueger -- Conor Garland
Danton Heinen -- Aatu Raty -- Nils Hoglander
Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek
Carson Soucy -- Tyler Myers
Erik Brannstrom -- Noah Juulsen
Kevin Lankinen
Arturs Silovs
Scratched: None
Injured: Vincent Desharnais (undisclosed), Brock Boeser (upper body), Derek Forbort (lower body), Thatcher Demko (lower body)
Status report
Novak will return after missing six games with an upper-body injury. … Predators coach Andrew Brunette said he would make other changes to his forward lines but other than Nyquist moving up to the top line and Stamkos moving down, Brunette didn’t specify after the morning skate. ... The Canucks did not have a morning skate, but Lankinen is expected to start against his former team after Silovs made 28 saves in a 4-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
GAME DAY CHATTER
We're lucky to get even some luke warm chatter. It's Grey Cup Day in Vancouver. I know, most every November day in Vancouver is grey and soggy. But, today it's grey across the country as the Grey Cup is being played for. Not by the BC Lions, because... reasons... football reasons that this hockey fan has no comprehension of.
Nashville Predators vs. Vancouver Canucks get refs Gord Dwyer (#19) and Brandon Schrader (#34) with Mitchell Hunt (#62) and Scott Cherrey (#50) on lines
Today’s NHL Referees and Linespersons – 11/17/24@PredsNHL @Canucks #Smashville #Canucks #NSHvsVAN
[image or embed]— Scouting the Refs (@scoutingtherefs.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 10:37 AM
Just listened to my dad rant about the nhl schedule with the Canucks playing a home game at the same time as the cfl grey cup is being played in Vancouver. As he said “can you imagine what downtown is going to be like”. All I could think of was the skytrain and bathroom lineups. Stay safe Vancouver
— Author: Paul Smith (@paulsmithbooks.bsky.social) November 17, 2024 at 8:37 AM
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
If we and the Nucks are serious about this game, then we need to go for Baroque. Nucks need to stick to their classical theme of hard-to-play against and tough along the bow.
Elinor and Shirley can inspire with a classic theme themselves.
Go Canucks Go!