It only took a year but the Canucks have learned from their mistakes and have a chance to lose to all three California teams and boost their chances of a better pick in June. The Sharks are in town with Jannik Hansen and of course, it would be nice to see a win over that traitor but considering the Canucks haven’t scored more than one goal since last Saturday, it’s unlikely they pull this one off.
Fun fact: The Canucks beat the Sharks in five games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.
LINE COMBOS
Loui Eriksson may play tonight after not being quite ready on Friday. Michael Chaput is still on the top line so Willie is selling this tank hard. We all complain that he’s up there but if that isn’t ultimate tank than I don’t know what is? Troy Stecher took a shift or two with the Sedins on Saturday but it’s safe to say he’ll be a fixture on defense for some time.
Whatever is left of this team seems to be in the lineup tonight so let’s see what they can do.
You really think they’ll start anyone else? Ryan Miller is in tonight and he’s THE iron man if ever there was one.
Vancouver Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
Jannik Hansen is on the top line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski. It’s kind of like playing with the Sedins except they’re not twins and I don’t think either Sedin could grow a beard like them.
No other changes to the lineup to note.
Martin Jones will get the nod for this epic tilt.
San Jose Sharks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
GAME NOTES, STATS, AND TALES OF ENDLESS MISERY
  • I don’t know if the Canucks take pleasure in not winning another game this year but it sure looks like it.  Vancouver is playing once again for that coveted four-game losing streak but if they pull it off, 71 points are their fate and EA Sports can take their game and shove it.
  • Sven Baertschi has a chance to step into the top-3 point leaders for the Canucks by season’s end. It would have to be quite the finish but if he can pull off 6 more points, he would do it having played 12 fewer games than the others. It’s a shame he hasn’t been able to pull it together with Bo Horvat in the last while but a team like the Sharks could bring the best out of them.
  • Between Jayson Megna, Philip Larsen and, Markus Granlund only one of them have scored on the Sharks this season: if you said Megna, you’re wrong and quite frankly you should stop reading right now. If you picked Philip Larsen you would be correct. Along with Horvat and Daniel, Larsen is the only other Canuck to score on the Sharks this season. Of course, he’s not playing.
  • Since October 2010, only the Sedins and Alex Burrows had more points against the Sharks than Jannik Hansen with 12. He also led the Canucks in that same time with 2 GWG. Not a single current Canuck has even one.
  • The Canucks are being sent to China as punishment along with the Kings in the fall. Scary that most of us would choose the current situation over a meaningless game out there. Everything going on RIGHT NOW is better than a game in China. This is reality.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Current day Jason King probably could too!
MY TAKE
It would be so Canucks to pull this one off so I think that will happen. Why fall down the standings when they can play spoiler to the Sharks in their drive to get a better playoff matchup? It sure would be nice to see Nikolay Goldobin in the lineup to face Jannik Hansen so we can have, you know, get closure and the like.
Closure, I suppose, would be getting the first overall pick. Might have to wait for that one.
IS ALEX BIEGA THE ULTIMATE CANUCK?
Willie D seems to think so by keeping him as a forward. Sure, there are other options to choose from and calling up Jordan Subban or even Jake Virtanen for the final stretch would be a better use of time but yes, Alex Biega has won our hearts. Exposing him is the best option, obviously. Note the slight sarcasm.