Canucks Army Game Day 24 – Canucks @ Ducks (The Wizard Edition)
By Always90four
5 years agoTHE INTRO
Vancouver had a chance to take at least one of their home games this past weekend but came up short both times. Tonight, they start yet another road trip and this time it’s in sunny California. The Canucks take on the Anaheim Ducks and a few old friends in Ryan Kesler and Ryan Miller. Anaheim hasn’t won in a few games and the Canucks are desperate to get back to the win column after losing five-straight games. It feels like #moralvictory season and it would be nice if they turned into actual ones.
Elias Pettersson makes his first trip to California and like Jimmy Woods from The Wizard, Pettersson plays the game on a different level than everyone else. There is no Video Armageddon tonight, no Power Glove™, or Lucas, but it seems as the stakes get higher, Pettersson raises his game. Hopefully, tonight is the next step.
Let’s Do This!™
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 7:00 PM
LINEUPS
Alex Edler and Anders Nilsson both took the flight to Anaheim and there is a real possibility both of them could suit up. If Edler does get into the lineup, the Canucks could get back in the win column. Dropping minutes from Chris Tanev and the rest of the defense would be a big help on the back end and Jacob Markstrom could use Edler’s help when Markstrom is out of position so Edler can make a kick save. The sad fact is that this is the truth.
Jacob Markstrom should start yet again. Poor guy.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 BRENDAN LEIPSIC Rating: 71.7#84 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 76.0#44 C |  SAM GAGNER Rating: 71.3#137 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 73.00#31 FL1 |
 NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN Rating: 70.1#98 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 75.3#48 C |  LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 72.5#73 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 72.63#25 FL2 |
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 71.0#95 LW |  ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 71.7#122 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 71.0#90 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.21#27 FL3 |
 TIM SCHALLER Rating: 69.3#128 LW |  MARKUS GRANLUND Rating: 71.3#136 C |  TYLER MOTTE Rating: 69.1#108 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.89#25 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 DERRICK POULIOT Rating: 70.1#119 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 70.6#85 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 70.36#30 DL1 |
 BEN HUTTON Rating: 70.1#121 LD |  ERIK GUDBRANSON Rating: 69.3#97 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 69.71#31 DL2 |
 MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO Rating: 72.0#76 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 71.9#61 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.93#12 DL3 |
If you thought the Canucks were in bad on the injury front, you haven’t been following the Ducks. Josh Mahura will play in his second NHL game tonight due to the many injuries depleting the Ducks.
Corey Perry is out for months with MCL surgery, Carter Rowney is out with an undisclosed injury, Maxime Comtois is still out as well with an undisclosed injury, Cam Fowler was hit in the face and had facial fracture surgery, Hampus Lindholm is currently on IR with a lower-body injury and finally, John Gibson is fighting the flu so Miller will handle the load for now.
Ryan Miller will start.
Ducks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 RICKARD RAKELL Rating: 79.0#28 LW |  RYAN GETZLAF Rating: 79.3#24 C |  ONDREJ KASE Rating: 74.5#34 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 77.64#18 FL1 |
 ANDREW COGLIANO Rating: 70.6#152 LW |  RYAN KESLER Rating: 72.6#95 C |  JAKOB SILFVERBERG Rating: 74.1#45 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 72.43#26 FL2 |
 NICK RITCHIE Rating: 70.3#108 LW |  ADAM HENRIQUE Rating: 73.1#76 C |  PONTUS ABERG Rating: 72.8#64 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 72.09#13 FL3 |
 BRIAN GIBBONS Rating: 69.8#165 LW |  KALLE KOSSILA Rating: 72.3#102 C |  KIEFER SHERWOOD Rating: 71.7#78 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 71.28#7 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 JACOB LARSSON Rating: 71.7#84 LD |  JOSH MANSON Rating: 74.4#35 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 73.02#23 DL1 |
 JOSH MAHURA |  BRANDON MONTOUR Rating: 75.2#27 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 75.23#7 DL2 |
 MARCUS PETTERSSON Rating: 71.4#92 LD |  ANDY WELINSKI Rating: 71.5#67 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.46#17 DL3 |
THE INFORMATION YOU NEED (THAT’S ALL WE CAN HANDLE RIGHT NOW)
via NHL Injury Viz
- A quick look at the graph above will show the Ducks and Canucks have been dealt pretty heavy blows so far this season. CHIP stands for Cap Hit of Injured Players. The Ducks are north of 5.5M per game while the Canucks are just over 4M per game. That can mean a little or it can mean a lot and for both teams, the amount of players out of the lineup has created a lot of cap space and based on LTIR space, if the Canucks were to try and make the playoffs this season, somehow, they could potentially take a crack at pricier option available.
- Elias Pettersson is bringing back the goals after his mini-slump and with that comes special territory. Pettersson has a 0.71 G/GP which in itself is impressive but when you look at all the players who have played at least 15 games he’s 3rd in the NHL and has played three fewer games. The story hasn’t ended with him yet and it’s unlikely the accolades will either.
- Ryan Miller has fared well against the Canucks in his career. He holds a 6-2 record and a .922 SV%. Those were some good Buffalo teams as well as a few stronger Ducks squads. If there ever was a game he had a chance of losing, tonight’s defensively hollow Ducks lineup would be a good bet. Then again, Roberto Luongo held together some pretty suspect Canucks teams.
- Timing is everything: Sam Gagner is the only Canuck player to score against the Ducks last season that is currently in the lineup. Vancouver only scored five goals against the Ducks in 2017/18 so that is a significant statistic. Elias Pettersson didn’t play for Vancouver and Brock Boeser only played in two of the four games played. As far as Gagner is concerned, his time before the injuries heal the rest of the team is very important to where the rest of his season, and career, go.
- This is the 56th road game the Canucks will play in Anaheim and their all-time record there is 24-24-7. One of those was a classic, yet excruciatingly long shootout. Might we see the sequel this evening?
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MY 94 CENTS
Based on injuries alone, I think the Canucks have a chance to steal this one. They are only one point ahead of the Ducks in the standings and the Canucks are due for some good news. On the off-chance Edler plays, every facet of the team’s game will improve with line management, passing options and if they get to the power-play, Edler has learned to get the puck to the eventual goal scorer.
I like their chances.
THE FINAL WORD
The subtlties of his game are never ending. I honestly think he’s bored sometimes and does these things to stay interested. He might just be THAT good.
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