THE INTRO

After another lengthy road trip, the Canucks are back for a few home games. Tonight, they take on the Montreal Canadiens in the early game on Hockey Night in Canada. When it ends you’ll still have your entire evening free to bask in the joy of an impressive result that awaits us, well that or you have enough time left in the night to forget about it.

Carey Price hasn’t been very reliable in his last five starts so if the Canucks can pepper him with shots, there’s a good chance he’ll cave. Shots lead to goals, goals lead to wins… most of the time unless it’s against Buffalo. Elias Pettersson will face Price for the first time in his career and everyone remembers the last time a famous Canucks rookie faced him, it went pretty well.

Let’s Do This!™

TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP

CBC / SN 650 / 4:00 PM

LINEUPS

Finally, the Canucks are getting healthy again. They’ll be excited to hear that Brock Boeser, Brandon Sutter, Alex Edler, and Jay Beagle will all be back in the lineup this evening. It’s been pretty close to unbearable watching the players tread water in their absence but at least that has come to an end.

Actually, the only lineup change this evening is Jacob Markstrom will be in net. He wasn’t hurt, he just needed a break. Here’s hoping Elias Pettersson does to Carey Price what Brock Boeser did a season ago.

Jacob Markstrom was given a rest against Minnesota but he’ll be starting tonight.

Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:

LW	C	RW	Forwards
ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 71.1#94 LW	BO HORVAT Rating: 76.2#41 C	JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 71.6#84 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 72.99#31 FL1
NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN Rating: 71.0#95 LW	ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 75.4#47 C	LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 73.6#49 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 73.35#25 FL2
DARREN ARCHIBALD Rating: 69.9#120 LW	MARKUS GRANLUND Rating: 71.5#127 C	TYLER MOTTE Rating: 69.1#106 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 70.16#30 FL3
TIM SCHALLER Rating: 69.7#126 LW	ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 71.9#119 C	BRENDAN LEIPSIC Rating: 71.9#80 RW	FL4 Rating Rating: 71.16#9 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS		Defense
DERRICK POULIOT Rating: 70.2#113 LD	CHRIS TANEV Rating: 70.6#87 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 70.44#31 DL1
BEN HUTTON Rating: 71.3#86 LD	ERIK GUDBRANSON Rating: 70.7#85 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 71.00#28 DL2
MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO Rating: 72.0#71 LD	TROY STECHER Rating: 71.7#66 RD	DL3 Rating Rating: 71.85#13 DL3

Paul Byron is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Joel Armia was injured earlier this week and has been sidelined for 6-8 weeks with a knee injury. Shea Weber is still out after having knee surgery in the summer but his return may come sooner than expected because he’s a medical marvel apparently.

Carey Price will be the goalie of record for the Canadiens this evening.

Canadiens lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:

LW	C	RW	Forwards
TOMAS TATAR Rating: 75.8#31 LW	PHILLIP DANAULT Rating: 72.7#96 C	BRENDAN GALLAGHER Rating: 78.8#12 RW	FL1 Rating Rating: 75.75#26 FL1
JONATHAN DROUIN Rating: 75.4#33 LW	MAX DOMI Rating: 74.6#52 C	ANDREW SHAW Rating: 72.6#67 RW	FL2 Rating Rating: 74.20#13 FL2
KENNY AGOSTINO Rating: 73.7#49 LW	JESPERI KOTKANIEMI Rating: 74.2#60 C	ARTTURI LEHKONEN Rating: 73.9#47 RW	FL3 Rating Rating: 73.92#4 FL3
NICOLAS DESLAURIERS Rating: 70.3#110 LW	MATTHEW PECA Rating: 71.1#136 C	CHARLES HUDON Rating: 70.7#95 RW	FL4 Rating Rating: 70.73#18 FL4

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS		Defense
JORDIE BENN Rating: 70.4#106 LD	JEFF PETRY Rating: 76.2#24 RD	DL1 Rating Rating: 73.28#21 DL1
DAVID SCHLEMKO Rating: 72.1#69 LD	NOAH JUULSEN Rating: 72.1#56 RD	DL2 Rating Rating: 72.11#23 DL2
XAVIER OUELLET Rating: 70.7#96 LD	VICTOR METE Rating: 72.3#51 RD	DL3 Rating Rating: 71.50#18 DL3

THE INFORMATION YOU NEED AND DEFINITELY SOME YOU DON’T

• Bo Horvat has been everything to the Canucks so far this season. You name it, he’s done it. His last five games have been no different. 3G / 4A / 1PPG / 1 SHG and a FOW% of 51.0 is All-Star level stuff. Bo deserves way more credit than he’s been given in light of the rise of Pettersson and the hope of a spectacular sophomore season from Brock Boeser. The future Canucks Captain has delivered in spades this season and even though he has never scored a single point against the Canadiens, all signs point to another game of Bo being Bo.
• Since the start of the 2014 season when Bo began his career, the Canucks haven’t been all that successful against the Canadiens. Only two players on the current Canucks team have scored on Montreal in that time and one of them, Brock Boeser, isn’t even in the lineup; Michael Del Zotto is the other. If you haven’t said “oh boy, this might not end well” yet, it’s probably safe to do so now.
• Both Montreal and Vancouver missed the meeting at the start of the season on having a successful power play. We’ve seen how putrid Vancouver’s has been, clocking in at 18.3% but if you keep scrolling down the screen the Montreal Canadiens will disgust even further with a horrific 12.7% completion rate. The PK for each team is good enough that if either team is on the power play it might end up being runtime.
• Erik Gudbranson is visually the happiest he’s been since joining the Canucks. Multiple surgeries and rehabs will do that. This season, Gudbranson has embraced his role and has been a force on the ice. His hits are right on pace for his average since joining Vancouver but the timing and effectiveness of them seem to be making an impact. Add to that the scoring touch and Gudbranson has been a pleasant surprise. Good things come to those who wait.
• Carey Price has had his way with the Canucks since entering the league. His 10-2-0-2 record speaks for itself and he also has two shutouts in that time. Read below to see why I think tonight’s a different night.

MY 94 CENTS

I can’t imagine the Canucks will be wholly rested and feel 100% after the long trip so beating the Canadiens tonight won’t be easy. Having the last change and a home cooked meal is a step in the right direction. I do like the potential for a power play outburst against Montreal. Pettersson and Adam Gaudette are primed for a big night and their consistency will hopefully pay off.

I’m even inclined to say Erik Gudbranson finds a way to get his name on the score sheet. Optimism always seems to litter this section of the preview and this one is no different.

THE FINAL WORD

Anyone looking for some @_EPettersson dangles? pic.twitter.com/KRL1h9p5Ta

— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) November 16, 2018

This is the reason the Canucks will do well tonight.