OPENING FACE/OFF

Overreact.
Drink the Kool-Aid.
Put all the money on this team.
The Canucks weren’t perfect last night — far from it — but they played a pretty complete game and against an Oilers team that has buried them in the past. Travis Green had his boys ready to play.
You know who else was ready? Canucks Twitter, that’s who! Everyone had their A-game in tow, because within five minutes there were 100 tweets with the words “alt 0246”. We also had a few “on pace for 56 goals” and a handful of lazy “hoggie” tweets.
It all resets tonight as the two teams collide once more in the same building in front of multiple Rogers 5G digital glass ads.
John and John are back too so we’ll find out what Skip The Dishes orders they’ve ordered the most.
Let’s Do This!™
WHERE CAN I FIND THIS GAME?
TV: SNP / RADIO: SN 650 / PUCK DROP: 6:00 PM

LINEUPS

The absence of J.T. Miller didn’t seem to hurt the Canucks too much in the season opener with Jake Virtanen fitting fairly nicely on the top line and Nils Höglander more than holding his own with Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson. Sure, the Canucks could have an easier go of things, but for now, this is the lineup we’ll see.
Olli Juolevi had a decent first game as well but will most likely be tested against an Oilers team that won’t just lay down.
Thatcher Demko should get the start tonight. Right?
CANUCKS LINES COURTESY OF DAILYFACEOFF.COM:
LWCRWForwards

BROCK BOESER
Rating: 74.1#41 LW

ELIAS PETTERSSON
Rating: 77.7#14 C

JAKE VIRTANEN
Rating: 72.0#78 RW
FL1 Rating
Rating: 74.63#21 FL1

TANNER PEARSON
Rating: 73.7#38 LW

BO HORVAT
Rating: 74.8#34 C

NILS HOGLANDER
FL2 Rating
Rating: 74.25#12 FL2

ANTOINE ROUSSEL
Rating: 71.0#97 LW

ADAM GAUDETTE
Rating: 70.2#130 C

ZACK MACEWEN
FL3 Rating
Rating: 70.60#24 FL3

TYLER MOTTE
Rating: 68.8#144 LW

JAY BEAGLE
Rating: 68.4#163 C

BRANDON SUTTER
Rating: 70.1#131 RW
FL4 Rating
Rating: 69.09#30 FL4
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGSDefense

ALEXANDER EDLER
Rating: 74.3#26 LD

NATE SCHMIDT
Rating: 75.5#18 RD
DL1 Rating
Rating: 74.89#16 DL1

QUINN HUGHES
Rating: 75.2#15 LD

TRAVIS HAMONIC
Rating: 72.8#45 RD
DL2 Rating
Rating: 73.99#9 DL2

OLLI JUOLEVI
Connor McDavid was held pointless for the first time in his career (do not check the stats, this is correct). Maybe the Oilers will load up with Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to improve their scoring?
Mike Smith should start but not because he SHOULD start because Dave Tippett isn’t a monster.
OILERS LINES COURTESY OF DAILYFACEOFF.COM:
LWCRWForwards

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS
Rating: 77.4#11 LW

CONNOR MCDAVID
Rating: 82.7#5 C

ZACK KASSIAN
Rating: 71.2#94 RW
FL1 Rating
Rating: 77.09#8 FL1

DOMINIK KAHUN
Rating: 72.5#69 LW

LEON DRAISAITL
Rating: 86.1#1 C

KAILER YAMAMOTO
Rating: 73.5#47 RW
FL2 Rating
Rating: 77.36#1 FL2

JOSH ARCHIBALD
Rating: 71.2#95 LW

KYLE TURRIS
Rating: 71.6#99 C

JESSE PULJUJARVI
FL3 Rating
Rating: 70.60#25 FL3

TYLER ENNIS
Rating: 71.4#90 LW

JUJHAR KHAIRA
Rating: 69.1#152 C

ALEX CHIASSON
Rating: 72.2#76 RW
FL4 Rating
Rating: 70.93#13 FL4
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGSDefense

DARNELL NURSE
Rating: 74.1#30 LD

ETHAN BEAR
Rating: 71.8#66 RD
DL1 Rating
Rating: 72.94#26 DL1

CALEB JONES
Rating: 71.0#14 LD

ADAM LARSSON
Rating: 71.1#88 RD
DL2 Rating
Rating: 71.05#30 DL2

SLATER KOEKKOEK
Rating: 71.3#78 LD

TYSON BARRIE
Rating: 75.3#21 RD
DL3 Rating
Rating: 73.30#5 DL3

GAME NOTES, A STAT OR TWO, AND SHENANIGANS

  • Brock Boeser will feature a lot in this section this season. He’s earned it. If Brock scores, he’s here. No mention of how he’s improving his game, no 200-foot game moral victories, just unadulterated gushing. Boeser put two up last night and those were his first regular-season goals in over a calendar year. His last was January 11 against the Sabres where he scored two as well.
  • Nils Höglander joins Brock, Elias, and Quinn notching a point in his first NHL game with all three forwards making a goal their first. Nils had three shots and factored in with two iHDCF opportunities. He makes Bo Horvat better and even Tanner Pearson could get back to his sniping ways.
  • Nate Schmidt looked pretty good in his debut. He held in a few pucks and kept the play alive in the offensive zone. It won’t be long before we see his scoring touch.
  • Tyler Motte is fun to watch. He could be the unsung hero this season.
  • Anyone taking bets for how many games Loui Eriksson plays this year? I think the line is at 2.5. I’m thinking push.

TWITTER TOLD YOU

Here’s what you had to say last night:
Self-serving? Sure. Why not?

MY 94 CENTS

No more bold predictions until the weekend. I was close with Höglander and I should have been redeemed but I can’t be perfect all the time. I am ecstatic that Brock Boeser has his shot early this year and he has the most to show this season. We know Pettersson will do what Pettersson does and Quinn Hughes could save this team in his sleep, but Boeser’s release is so dangerous that it may open up other areas for his teammates to capitalize.
While we’re talking about Quinn Hughes, now that the Calder thing is done, will we be ridiculously impressed every time he does something? Probably. Check this pass from his keister:
THE FINAL WORD
It’s one game but the feels were back. Thatcher Demko is in the crease and Nils needs another. We get to keep doing this until May. What could be better?