Canucks Army Game Day 19 – Canucks @ Rangers (Tale of Two Rebuilds Edition)
By Always90four
5 years agoTHE INTRO
Last season, the New York Rangers published a letter to its fans stating they were going into a rebuild. They sold off assets to help this rebuild take place and were up front about the process. The Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup eight years ago and have tried to figure out how to stay competitive ever since. Vancouver has admitted to “retooling on the fly” or whatever that is supposed to mean so they could sell the idea of staying in the playoff hunt whilst rebuilding.
Eight years.
Tonight, a new Canucks team brings its recently found exciting brand of hockey to the mecca of sports entertainment, Madison Square Garden. Elias Pettersson has never played in this building but with the NHL offices in the Big Apple, the League will get a first-hand look at its next star.
If the Canucks can manage to not blow any leads tonight, they can continue on their Cinderella-like start.
Let’s Do This!™
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 4:00 PM
LINEUPS
Brock Boeser is the latest addition to the IR as he is back in Vancouver recovering from his groin issue. There are no updates on Brandon Sutter, Alex Edler, Jay Beagle, Sven Baertschi, or Anders Nilsson. The scary thing to look at is Baertschi, he’s been out almost three weeks with the concussion and there is no end in sight.
Jacob Markstrom will be called upon once again to backstop the Canucks to victory.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 TIM SCHALLER Rating: 69.6#121 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 76.6#40 C |  LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 73.0#58 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 73.06#30 FL1 |
 NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN Rating: 71.8#85 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 76.4#42 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 72.0#79 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 73.41#25 FL2 |
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 72.3#75 LW |  MARKUS GRANLUND Rating: 72.2#112 C |  TYLER MOTTE Rating: 68.4#123 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 70.94#25 FL3 |
 DARREN ARCHIBALD Rating: 70.7#101 LW |  ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 72.3#110 C |  BRENDAN LEIPSIC Rating: 71.3#92 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 71.45#12 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 DERRICK POULIOT Rating: 71.0#94 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 70.9#79 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 70.99#30 DL1 |
 BEN HUTTON Rating: 71.2#90 LD |  ERIK GUDBRANSON Rating: 70.2#92 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 70.71#28 DL2 |
 MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO Rating: 71.9#75 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 71.9#60 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.93#19 DL3 |
Mats Zuccarello is day-to-day with a groin strain and is likely to miss tonight’s matchup. He should see if it’s an abductor muscle, I hear those are going around right now. Pavel Buchnvich has a broken thumb and will be out 4-6 weeks.
Henrik Lundqvist should be the starter for tonight’s game.
Rangers lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 VLADISLAV NAMESTNIKOV Rating: 71.5#89 LW |  MIKA ZIBANEJAD Rating: 77.6#33 C |  PAVEL BUCHNEVICH Rating: 71.6#88 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 73.57#29 FL1 |
 CHRIS KREIDER Rating: 76.3#26 LW |  KEVIN HAYES Rating: 74.8#54 C |  RYAN SPOONER Rating: 71.2#92 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 74.08#16 FL2 |
 JIMMY VESEY Rating: 72.2#79 LW |  BRETT HOWDEN Rating: 73.9#65 C |  JESPER FAST Rating: 70.7#103 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 72.27#15 FL3 |
 CODY MCLEOD Rating: 65.6#138 LW |  LIAS ANDERSSON Rating: 72.1#114 C |  FILIP CHYTIL Rating: 70.8#100 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.51#30 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 BRADY SKJEI Rating: 72.5#60 LD |  ANTHONY DEANGELO Rating: 72.1#57 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 72.28#26 DL1 |
 MARC STAAL Rating: 69.2#124 LD |  NEAL PIONK Rating: 71.5#69 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 70.35#30 DL2 |
 FREDRIK CLAESSON Rating: 70.2#111 LD |  KEVIN SHATTENKIRK Rating: 75.0#29 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 72.57#11 DL3 |
THE INFORMATION YOU NEED AND DEFINITELY SOME YOU DON’T
- It’s going to take awhile for the Canucks to get the stats back in their favour against the Rangers since the 2013/14 season began. The Canucks have almost been outscored by NYR 2-1 in that time with a 27-40 GF/GA ratio. Admittedly, many of those Canucks teams didn’t have much to brag about so taking the season series this year with even one high-scoring affair could tilt the axis back in the Canucks direction.
- Last season, the Canucks lost both games to the Rangers after 60 minutes, once in OT and the other in a shootout. Loui Eriksson and Jake Virtanen both scored when the Canucks made the trip to MSG and Jacob Markstrom went the distance but couldn’t outlast Henrik Lundqvist. With Loui and Jake’s recent run of success, an encore would be a welcome addition to the game.
- Jake Virtanen is creating a cult following this season and he’s doing it without having to be on the ice all that much. His nine points are tied for fifth on the team while he sits 19th in TOI/GP with 13:45. Jake has played in all 18 games thus far, and he’s ahead of six players of which only two, Antoine Roussel and Adam Gaudette have played at least 12 games. When Jake plays, he’s a difference maker. Pettersson is getting all the attention but Virtanen might start forcing himself into the spotlight.
- Elias Pettersson might be human afterall. He has been held pointless in three games this season with his most recent effort in Buffalo, being included in that stat. The game in Buffalo saw Pettersson play his highest minutes yet as a Canuck, but fear not Canucks fans; half of Pettersson’s goals have come on the road so far which means he’s likely to light the lamp again.
- Cody Mcleod is third in the NHL with 32 PIM in 11 games played. He’s in the lineup as of now so the Canucks almost bank that they’ll see at least one powerplay courtesy of Cody. Antoine Roussel will probably see a few minutes against him and our pest will have to be more disciplined than theirs if the Canucks want to stay ahead on the scoreboard.
MY 94 CENTS
They did it again. I finally bought into the hype this season, I drank the Kool-Aid and WHAM! They did it again. Vancouver had that game against Buffalo locked down and they Canucks’d it up. The Rangers have been a weird opponent for the Canucks: before the rebuild the Canucks were great, after it 3-4-0-3 including a shootout loss.
I’m getting back on the horse tonight and predicting the Canucks make good after their collapse a few days ago.
THE FINAL WORD
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