THE INTRO
Two cities can puff their chests about their hockey team pummeling the Flyers in recent days but only one of them will pair that with a two-game win streak. Tonight, the Canucks welcome the Oilers to Vancouver in the NHL’s nightcap game. Oddly enough, this season started the same but ironically different for both teams.
Vancouver wasn’t expected to make waves this season but has surprisingly held their own while staying in an early playoff hunt. Edmonton tanked to begin their season and has turned it around to become a team that also could be in the mix come April.
Henrik and Daniel Sedin are gone so it will take a new duo of Oilers destroyers to put the Edmonton club in their place. Cue Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser.
Let’s Do This!™
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 7:00 PM
LINEUPS
Adam Gaudette is back in the lineup after the flu, Erik Gudbranson will once again be a game-time decision with recurring neck spasms. Both Sven Baertschi and Brandon Sutter are both still out as well.
Jacob Markstrom was tested but not stretched wire to wire so don’t be surprised if he get’s tonight’s start as well.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
LWCRWForwards

NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN
Rating: 70.4#98 LW

BO HORVAT
Rating: 76.1#41 C

JAKE VIRTANEN
Rating: 71.7#81 RW
FL1 Rating
Rating: 72.73#30 FL1

JOSH LEIVO
Rating: 73.7#47 LW

ELIAS PETTERSSON
Rating: 78.4#31 C

BROCK BOESER
Rating: 82.1#2 RW
FL2 Rating
Rating: 78.06#3 FL2

ANTOINE ROUSSEL
Rating: 71.4#84 LW

ADAM GAUDETTE
Rating: 71.7#116 C

LOUI ERIKSSON
Rating: 71.3#86 RW
FL3 Rating
Rating: 71.47#21 FL3

MARKUS GRANLUND
Rating: 70.1#115 LW

JAY BEAGLE
Rating: 67.4#188 C

TYLER MOTTE
Rating: 69.9#101 RW
FL4 Rating
Rating: 69.13#29 FL4
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGSDefense

ALEXANDER EDLER
Rating: 74.4#31 LD

CHRIS TANEV
Rating: 70.9#76 RD
DL1 Rating
Rating: 72.67#23 DL1

BEN HUTTON
Rating: 71.1#97 LD

ERIK GUDBRANSON
Rating: 69.3#92 RD
DL2 Rating
Rating: 70.19#29 DL2

DERRICK POULIOT
Rating: 70.3#114 LD

TROY STECHER
Rating: 71.7#57 RD
DL3 Rating
Rating: 71.02#20 DL3
Oscar Klefbom will be out for 6-8 weeks after successful hand surgery to repair his pinky, blocking shots not such a wise decision after all. Kris Russell is also on the IR but it’s a mystery of what he’s suffering from.
Mikko Koskinen is leading the Oilers as of late and should be the starter tonight.
Oilers lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
LWCRWForwards

ALEX CHIASSON
Rating: 71.1#95 LW

CONNOR MCDAVID
Rating: 90.9#1 C

LEON DRAISAITL
Rating: 80.7#15 RW
FL1 Rating
Rating: 80.87#5 FL1

JUJHAR KHAIRA
Rating: 70.2#112 LW

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS
Rating: 76.0#42 C

JESSE PULJUJARVI
Rating: 69.8#103 RW
FL2 Rating
Rating: 72.00#26 FL2

MILAN LUCIC
Rating: 69.1#128 LW

KYLE BRODZIAK
Rating: 70.8#141 C

ZACK KASSIAN
Rating: 69.0#117 RW
FL3 Rating
Rating: 69.65#31 FL3

DRAKE CAGGIULA
Rating: 70.7#102 LW

RYAN SPOONER
Rating: 71.5#123 C

TOBIAS RIEDER
Rating: 69.8#104 RW
FL4 Rating
Rating: 70.68#10 FL4
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGSDefense

DARNELL NURSE
Rating: 73.8#38 LD

ADAM LARSSON
Rating: 72.4#48 RD
DL1 Rating
Rating: 73.11#19 DL1

KEVIN GRAVEL
Rating: 71.6#83 LD

CALEB JONES
DL2 Rating
Rating: 71.62#24 DL2

JASON GARRISON
Rating: 69.4#10 LD

MATT BENNING
Rating: 72.4#49 RD
DL3 Rating
Rating: 70.90#22 DL3
YOUR INFORMATIONAL NEEDS FOR TONIGHT’S GAME
  • Goals used to be a serious problem for the Canucks but December is proving the future won’t be doom and gloom if this current stretch is a microcosm of things to come. Vancouver has scored five or more goals in three of their last seven games while allowing two or fewer goals in four of their seven games this month. Add to that, 54% of the Canucks current roster has scored a goal in December as well.
  • Broken record alert! December continues the trend of pathetic Canucks PP chances. They currently have a 10% success rate this month which is beyond terrible and needs to be changed. Get Boeser back to his original spot on the right side, entertain the idea of Troy Stecher… heck get Tyler Motte out there!
  • Staying on the December train, it has been quite kind in the goals-against category for the Canucks – they lead the league with 16 goals, the fewest in the league! It has been a team approach because the Canucks defense alone hasn’t been stellar.
  • We live in a very messed up world, a world where Loui Eriksson is moving upwards in advanced stats. Eriksson has a 5v5 P/60 of 1.91. Sure, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser are well ahead but when Loui is just shy of two points every 60 minutes at evens, that’s a headscratcher.
  • Both teams will want to keep the game clean this evening. Vancouver and Edmonton share mediocre special teams despite having top units that should be able to bump the stats. That being said, there is a fair amount of speed on both teams so if they can’t keep up, expect the power plays to mount.
MY 94 CENTS
It’s the first meeting between the Canucks and Oilers which this close to Christmas feels a bit weird. Edmonton canned their coach early on this season and picked up the formerly retired Ken Hitchcock to move them forward. The Oilers are riding high in the midst of an 8-1-1 run but the Canucks are skewing their formerly putrid record of their rolling 10 by now going 5-3-2.
The Oilers will be a big test tonight and when it comes to tests this season the Canucks have answered for the most part. It’s also the first official meeting between Elias Pettersson and Connor McDavid.
This could be one we all remember.
THE FINAL WORD
Just saying…