THE INTRO
The Canucks return home after a four-game road trip to face the Calgary Flames. Calgary is sitting atop the Western Conference with 73 points, only a few behind where most feel the Canucks will finish this season. The Flames are surging in their last 10 with a 7-2-1 record. Vancouver isn’t quite the equal match going 4-3-3 in that same stretch.
Elias Pettersson is still getting it done as is Jacob Markstrom. Vancouver saw a few slump busters last game but they’ll need to get the whole team moving to make it interesting tonight.
Let’s Do This!™
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
CBC / SN 650 / 7:00 PM
LINEUPS
Still no Sven Baertschi, Alex Edler is still out as well and there probably won’t be any drastic changes to the lineup, unless Green does the unthinkable and sits Erik Gudbranson. The Canucks will win the lottery before that happens.
Jacob Markstrom is getting the Bo Horvat treatment: no rest, play every game, be the horse. He’ll start again tonight.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 MARKUS GRANLUND |
 BO HORVAT |
 JOSH LEIVO |
|
 NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN |
 ELIAS PETTERSSON |
 BROCK BOESER |
|
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL |
 BRANDON SUTTER |
 JAKE VIRTANEN |
|
 LOUI ERIKSSON |
 JAY BEAGLE |
 TYLER MOTTE |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 CHRIS TANEV |
 ERIK GUDBRANSON |
|
 BEN HUTTON |
 TROY STECHER |
|
 DERRICK POULIOT |
 ALEX BIEGA |
|
Calgary has a red-hot lineup right now so unless someone gets hurt this morning, nothing will change.
David Rittich should get the start tonight.
Flames lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 JOHNNY GAUDREAU |
 SEAN MONAHAN |
 ELIAS LINDHOLM |
|
 MATTHEW TKACHUK |
 MIKAEL BACKLUND |
 MICHAEL FROLIK |
|
 SAM BENNETT |
 MARK JANKOWSKI |
 JAMES NEAL |
|
 ANDREW MANGIAPANE |
 DEREK RYAN |
 GARNET HATHAWAY |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 MARK GIORDANO |
 T.J. BRODIE |
|
 NOAH HANIFIN |
 TRAVIS HAMONIC |
|
 DALTON PROUT |
 RASMUS ANDERSSON |
|
YOUR INFORMATIONAL NEEDS FOR TONIGHT’S GAME
- Elias Pettersson has been held pointless only three times in the last 10 games. Even without a point, he couldn’t buy one in two of the three if he tried. Pettersson threw the kitchen sink at the net in Philadelphia but it was only a matter of time before he got back in his groove. Pettersson is two points away from 50 and he’s had success against the Flames this season so don’t count him out.
- The Vancouver power play has hit rock bottom. There isn’t anything to discuss. Break it down and build it back up. They have been given the 3rd fewest power plays at home this season while they lead the league on the road??? The Canucks have only scored 12 PPG at home and 17 on the road. It’s a mess. Instead of putting all the focus on Pettersson, get Brock Boeser and Troy Stecher as the final two options and see what happens. It can’t get any worse.
- Calgary has the 2nd highest giveaway total in the NHL with 749. Vancouver has been cognitive of turnovers and they could pounce if Calgary is willing to be risky with the puck.
- Both teams have been familiar with the penalty box this season. The Canucks have been penalized 209 times while the Flames have been sent to the box 205 times, essentially one less game as the Flames have a game in hand on the Canucks. The power play will be on full display tonight but for Vancouver, they’ll most likely just spin their wheels.
- Erik Gudbranson is not a very good NHL defenseman. This isn’t a revelation by any means but there are so many statistics that prove this, even a guy who writes game previews who has played well under 350 NHL games should be able to tell he shouldn’t be in the lineup anymore. He doesn’t contribute offensively, he’s a defensive liability (which his sole position on the ice should alarm you) and when he’s not giving up goals and not getting any points, he’s in the penalty box. Travis Green and Jim Benning need to see that this has to end.
MY 94 CENTS
The Canucks have proven they can hang around the one-goal games and a roll of the dice will usually determine the end result. Sadly, the end result has been losses. The slow starts have handcuffed Vancouver and playing from behind early on isn’t a recipe for success. Calgary is going to be a tough opponent tonight and after watching their power play move the puck the other night, the Canucks don’t have answers for what the Flames will bring.
Travis Green better have something up his sleeve because what he’s trotted out in the last month isn’t going to get two points.
THE TWITTER TAKE
Wouldn’t be Friday night without endless back and forth on #Canucks drafting history
— Matt Baker (@BakesTakes84) February 9, 2019
What’d I miss?
Yeah,I enjoy the Matty turtle show.
Blows hard and then collapses like a cheap tent.
Nah, I mean the superstar winger the Canucks passed on for the bust Juolevi.
I man the superstar winger who uses his smarts to draw penalties, get under the oppositions skin and put up over a point per game this season so far.
154 points in 198 games at age 21 i believe — wow! How’s Oli doing again?
“I man” the superstar winger had the best non goal in the shoot out hey? Shhhhh-ut down
If the Canucks had drafted Tkachuk they would never have been able to draft Petey.
So,take the rat and don’t draft a true hockey miracle.
Sounds like a multi-banned troll’s logic.
Would a more proactive GM have already put in calls to Minnesota and others re: Sutter?
Get rid of Sutter, Granlund, Guddy and Pouliot. So much bum redundancy!
Hey Dumpster. Why do you keep bringing up Sutter when you know he has a full no trade clause til this summer? I’m sure Benning wants to move him, but obviously Sutter isn’t going anywhere unless he pleases.
Happens all the time. Last year Stastny, Hoffman, McDonagh, Nash, Brassard all traded – all with NTC’s of some sort. Benning has traded Bieksa, Garrison, Kesler, Burrows all with some form of a NTC.
When a player with an NTC decides he does not want to go to said team that is the end of the story.
Benning can phone Fenton a dozen times every day and it’s still not happening.
thanks for the insight, Bud
What is a No-Trade Clause (NTC)?
A No-Trade Clause (NTC) can be added to a player’s contract in the years after they are eligible for Group 3 Unrestricted Free Agency (7 Accrued seasons or 27 years of age), and has the following properties:
Player cannot be traded without his consent.
Consent is not required to be placed on waivers.
Consent is not required for assignment to the minors.
Player is not exempt from a buyout or contract termination.
The clause can travel with the player even if he consents to being traded or is claimed on waivers.
https://www.capfriendly.com/faq
Case in point: Alex Edler.
The guy LOVES this city. He has stated repeatedly that he has ZERO desire to leave.
Enter firm business negotiating tactics.
Benning goes to Edler and tells him ahead of the TDL that unless he wants to play long term with the Canucks, that he needs to waive his NTC and a handshake agreement ensues (so as not to violate CBA rules). At this point, IF Edler waives, then the team can recoup whatever Dim Jim can get for him and then they can commence contract negotiations Jul 1.
If Edler refuses to waive, then Benning can simply tell him that that’s fine, but the team will firmly NOT be offering the guy a new contract.
It’s that simple. The GM has to have the balls to stand firm and be prepared to move forward without the player if he refuses to waive and he is deemed not to be part of the rebuild.
Yet McKenzie, some posters on here and other media seem to be completely lost when it comes to shrewd negotiations, acting as if business is conducted on warm and soft clouds with kittens all around to make people feel comfortable.
As EPMD once said, Business is Business
Hey,Braindead.
Sutter’s contract isn’t up for two more years.
That’s the same mentality that Bob McKenzie has regarding NTC’s. Doesn’t mean whatsoever that a GM can’t leverage a players’ desire to remain in the city against them in contract negotiations. Defeatist attitude.
There are no contract negotiations with Sutter until his contract expires(season end of 2021)
We heard all this same nonsense with Edler and his NTC.
Sutter’s M-NTC does not kick in until next season so your jumping up and down amounts to squat.
I HATE HATE HATE the Flames. They are my enemy. It started wayyyyy back in the early 90’s. It was one of the best days of my hockey life when Bure scored that goal to eliminate the Flames…….. Have I mentioned I HATE the Flames!!
Willie Plett was the one who got me to hate the Flames and having Curt Fraser putting Plett in his place was awesome. I also hate the Flames.
I also hate the Flames. Not like I hate the Leafs or the Bruins or the Oilers (that Leafs-Bruins playoffs was hard to choose who I wanted to lose more — the correct answer is both of them). But I still hate the Flames. They’ll probably be good for another 3 or 4 years but it’s hard to see them go far in the near future with this goaltending.
In our house it’s ABC…Anybody But Calgary
Oh joy, must be a bag of laughs. Personally, I would hate living around so much misery and snark.
I think if it were like that, it would be EXACTLY like living around you.
Is it possible to hate the Flames more than the Oilers? I just can’t even comprehend hating a team more than the Oilers. The only thing close was listening to CBC HNIC announcers cheer for the Canadiens.
Tough question, really, since we all know if Edmonton misses the playoffs, they will most likely win the lottery
Oilers winning the draft lottery – doesn’t seem to have helped them.
And Joel Otto kicked it in. The Flames Stanley Cup team shoulda lost to the Canucks in Round 1.
Had to be Steamer that got the breakaway…hit Vernon right in the frickin glove.
I have enjoyed watching the Canucks this season. All the predictions from the experts had the Canucks at the bottom of the league now people have higher expectations before the start of every game. The Flames will be tough but Canucks could still pull off a win.
New injuries to some key players will dampen play off hopes but they still remain in games and are entertaining. If they make the play offs will be great experience for the younger players. If they don’t we will get a chance on drafting a good prospect for the future. The west is pretty tight and if the team goes on a losing streak they would possibly draft around 5th again which may end up being the best thing for the future of the team.
Next year our expectations will be to make the play offs and in the next few years to actually compete for a cup.
Agree with you, but the hard part is in front of us. Continue to stock the prospects, grow the prospects, move pieces to get the right mix, and finally, find the right complementary pieces. Hopefully it’s not this complicated, but lots of rebuilding teams seem to go through this.
“All the predictions from the experts had the Canucks at the bottom of the league”
Well, we’re 4 points from the conference basement, so there’s that…but I take that as a good thing not a bad thing. We’re in the hunt for a the wildcard, but if we get into a losing streak and the wildcard doesn’t happen, we’ll be in line for a very high pick.
Yes the Canucks are in a good position mainly because of the other teams in the division
Looking forward to another big game from The Bulldog!
Hey would sit Poulliot before he sits Guddy.
5 – 2 Flames
Just for kicks can you post one of your far-fetched trade scenarios? I need a laugh before the game.
I traded a bag of dorritos for a night with your mom.
You overpaid. Thats what you get when you deal ahead of the trade deadline.
Your capacity for originality or maturity is limited. Run along into the cold winter night young one.
LOL post of the day right here.
Viking’s Playststation exploded when he tried to trade Luongo’s contract for a draft pick from every team in the league. Kid has less of a clue than Chiarelli and Milbury combined.
Your mom cost me a half pack of batteries.
If anyone should be called the dragonslayer its me after putting on your mom for them batteries. BTW I want those back she wasnt worth it.
why don’t you STFU about someones mother you moron
PViking 5-2- Flames. Based on the game that I saw that would have been a fair reflection of the play. Unfortunately for the Flames, Markstrom played “lights out”. 4 – 3 Canucks 4 – 3 in a SO.
i love watching johnny gaudreau. should be an excellent game.
Johnny Gaudreau is the best actress in the NHL! Heck he even shakes his wrist, pretending he got slashed, on body checks. Hope he gets flattened!!
she’s a drama queen
Agree – Gaudreau is great but Matty Tkachuk is the show. The Flames are everything I hoped the nucks would be, but are not. Shame.
Turtle Matty, you mean