Canucks Army Game Day 16 – Canucks @ Red Wings (Getting Healthier Edition)
By Always90four
5 years agoTHE INTRO
The Canucks haven’t played in what feels like forever and tonight they get back to their fairy tale season as they enter Little Caesar’s Arena to take on the Detroit Red Wings. Who would have thought the Canucks would be the ones riding the hot streak? Vancouver is four points back of first overall in the NHL and it feels like they’ve been there before.
Everyone is still talking about the breakout game Elias Pettersson had against the Avalanche and the cameras will be paying a lot more attention to him going forward, so will his opponents. Both teams are in the midst of rebuilds so who plans on putting it back together first this evening?
Let’s Do This!™
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 4:30 PM
LINEUPS
Chris Tanev is a game-time decision and Brock Boeser won’t be playing tonight.
Jacob Markstrom will once again start in net for Vancouver.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 TIM SCHALLER Rating: 69.8#114 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 76.0#45 C |  BROCK BOESER Rating: 79.8#8 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 75.21#24 FL1 |
 NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN Rating: 70.1#101 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 75.2#49 C |  LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 71.2#87 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 72.16#30 FL2 |
 MARKUS GRANLUND Rating: 71.5#86 LW |  ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 72.7#100 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 71.8#75 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.98#14 FL3 |
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 71.0#96 LW |  BRENDAN GAUNCE Rating: 71.5#131 C |  TYLER MOTTE Rating: 68.4#116 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 70.29#22 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 BEN HUTTON Rating: 70.4#108 LD |  ERIK GUDBRANSON Rating: 68.9#101 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 69.62#31 DL1 |
 DERRICK POULIOT Rating: 70.4#106 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 71.7#67 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 71.07#28 DL2 |
 MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO Rating: 71.9#78 LD |  ALEX BIEGA Rating: 71.1#82 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.48#23 DL3 |
Thomas Vanek is out for 2-4 weeks with a lower-body injury and he won’t get to face his old team this time, Evgeny Svechnikov is out for a few months after knee surgery, Andreas Athanasiou is day-to-day, and finally, Jonathan Ericsson is questionable as well.
Jimmy Howard should start for the Wings.
Red Wings lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 DARREN HELM Rating: 70.6#154 LW |  DYLAN LARKIN Rating: 77.9#30 C |  ANTHONY MANTHA Rating: 74.0#42 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 74.14#31 FL1 |
 GUSTAV NYQUIST Rating: 73.7#64 LW |  FRANS NIELSEN Rating: 72.0#117 C |  MICHAEL RASMUSSEN Rating: 73.0#89 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 72.91#27 FL2 |
 TYLER BERTUZZI Rating: 72.0#78 LW |  JACOB DE LA ROSE Rating: 67.9#194 C |  LUKE GLENDENING Rating: 69.7#103 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 69.90#31 FL3 |
 JUSTIN ABDELKADER Rating: 69.7#117 LW |  WADE MEGAN Rating: 73.6#66 C |  MARTIN FRK Rating: 70.2#99 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 71.16#13 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 TREVOR DALEY Rating: 70.5#105 LD |  MIKE GREEN Rating: 73.7#37 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 72.11#27 DL1 |
 DAN DEKEYSER Rating: 70.5#104 LD |  NICK JENSEN Rating: 71.0#86 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 70.74#29 DL2 |
 NIKLAS KRONWALL Rating: 71.4#88 LD |  DENNIS CHOLOWSKI Rating: 73.2#41 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 72.32#9 DL3 |
THE INFORMATION YOU NEED AND DEFINITELY SOME YOU DON’T
- Elias Pettersson has done some things lately, he’s done some excellent things: October Rookie of the Month, NHL 2nd star of the week, and he’s now pushing for some trophy called the Rocket Richard. He’s a hat-trick away from being tied for the league-lead in goals with 12. It’s entirely possible knowing what we now know about him. The real question should be “if he takes the lead, does he give it up?”
- Chris Tanev should slot back into the lineup this evening thankfully for the Canucks and their chances of being “sustainable”. Tanev is the most reliable guy on the team and when he’s in the lineup, fewer chances are taken on his watch. His TOI/GP is third in the NHL at 4:15. Considering the Canucks take a fair amount of penalties, it’s a good thing he’s back.
- Derrick Pouliot has been known to mess up a power play or two and everyone yells and screams when he does but believe it or not, Elias Pettersson has one more giveaway (4) on the power play than Pouliot (3). Comes with the territory when Pettersson pretty much runs the thing. Next time, think about what Pouliot is going through, he doesn’t want to let the super-rookie down.
- IF and it’s a big if, the Canucks pull off a victory tonight, they’ll have a four-game win streak going on. Vancouver has matched their three-game streak from earlier last month but they haven’t won four in a row since Dec 28/16 – Jan 6/17 when they won six games in a row. That team didn’t have Pettersson, though.
- Detroit is averaging just over 2.5 goals per game and the way the Canucks are scoring right now, three goals are very doable. The Red Wings might show some frustration this evening. Canucks fans know that feeling all too well.
MY 94 CENTS
What Canucks team will we see tonight? The resilient one that went 12 rounds with Colorado or the one they could barely hang with Calgary in? If this new look Canucks team is indeed living through Elias Pettersson then tonight could yet again be a game worth tuning in for. I don’t know how this team could top that game on Friday but I’m invested enough that I’d like to see them try.
That being said, Detroit has never been an easy team to beat.
THE FINAL WORD
C’man, this is funny. Also, I could go for a pizza before the game
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