Canucks Army Game Day 30 – Canucks Vs. Wild (Contain Your Excitement Edition)
By Always90four
5 years agoTHE INTRO
Containing your excitement for a Canucks/Wild game is hard to do at any point in the season but when the Wild are on a three-game losing streak and the Canucks are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games, you know frustration has to boil over and someone has to step their game up. Jim Benning had a busy day yesterday making a trade for TOR Josh Leivo and he could have an immediate impact by getting a shot in the top-6.
Somewhere Jake Virtanen is not pleased.
Let’s Do This!™
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 7:00 PM
LINEUPS
Almost all signs point to Jay Beagle returning to the Canucks lineup tonight. Vancouver will have to make a roster move to allow Beagle to play and Adam Gaudette makes the most sense as he can get more top line minutes in Utica. Sven Baertschi is still out with a concussion.
The LA Kings claimed Brendan Leipsic off waivers but fear not, Jim Benning traded for Josh Leivo yesterday and he should make his Canucks debut this evening.
Jacob Markstrom should factor into tonight’s game and with Jay Beagle back in the lineup there will be one more person to hopefully keep the puck away from Markstrom and that alone is a reason to be optimistic.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 SAM GAGNER Rating: 71.5#125 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 76.1#38 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 71.1#88 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 72.83#31 FL1 |
 NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN Rating: 71.0#91 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 76.0#39 C |  BROCK BOESER Rating: 82.0#3 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 76.21#6 FL2 |
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 70.3#109 LW |  MARKUS GRANLUND Rating: 70.8#144 C |  LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 71.5#82 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 70.84#25 FL3 |
 TIM SCHALLER Rating: 69.3#130 LW |  ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 71.8#117 C |  TYLER MOTTE Rating: 68.9#112 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.70#28 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 74.7#27 LD |  ALEX BIEGA Rating: 70.9#88 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 72.80#23 DL1 |
 BEN HUTTON Rating: 70.1#113 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 71.8#61 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 71.00#27 DL2 |
 MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO Rating: 72.0#72 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 70.7#91 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.38#19 DL3 |
The Wild are the picture of health as far as their lineup is concerned. Their record on the other hand, well, the Canucks aren’t jealous.
Devan Dubnyk is the expected starter. We’ve been wrong before… many times.
Wild lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 ZACH PARISE Rating: 76.0#28 LW |  MIKKO KOIVU Rating: 75.2#48 C |  NINO NIEDERREITER Rating: 74.1#39 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 75.11#24 FL1 |
 JASON ZUCKER Rating: 77.7#21 LW |  ERIC STAAL Rating: 81.9#10 C |  MIKAEL GRANLUND Rating: 79.4#25 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 79.63#2 FL2 |
 JORDAN GREENWAY Rating: 72.2#84 LW |  JOEL ERIKSSON EK Rating: 70.8#148 C |  CHARLIE COYLE Rating: 71.7#122 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.55#19 FL3 |
 MARCUS FOLIGNO Rating: 69.7#121 LW |  ERIC FEHR Rating: 70.3#99 C |  J.T. BROWN Rating: 68.0#116 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.33#30 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 RYAN SUTER Rating: 79.4#5 LD |  JARED SPURGEON Rating: 77.8#16 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 78.56#3 DL1 |
 JONAS BRODIN Rating: 74.4#32 LD |  MATHEW DUMBA Rating: 79.1#14 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 76.73#2 DL2 |
 NICK SEELER Rating: 72.1#68 LD |  GREG PATERYN Rating: 71.7#64 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.89#14 DL3 |
INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW
- It’s been repeated again and again: the Canucks power play is atrocious. Vancouver is 1/14 with the man-advantage in their last five games. They’re predictable, to say the least. I make a suggestion below but c’mon Travis, change it up. You have two of the best shooters in the league and the puck isn’t even making it all the way to the goalie.
- The Canucks last four games have alternated with a single goal then multiple-goal efforts. Last game against Dallas, Vancouver managed just one while the game against Vegas had three goals-for, and alternating single and multi-goal games against the Kings. Tonight would be a multi-goal game and just when you think you have the Canucks figured out, they throw you a curveball. Adding Beagle back into the lineup will allow for more balanced ice-time for players like Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson up the middle.
- There is no sign of relief for Bo Horvat’s ice time. Last game was his fourth-highest ice time of the season at just over 24 minutes. Travis Green would be wise to allow his top point producer to breathe for longer than a shift at a time. Bo is their future and is their future captain. He needs to be in the lineup for these things to happen and if Green skates him to exhaustion, losing Bo to a serious injury will force the Canucks further back in their rebuild.
- Jacob Markstrom has one win in his last nine games. Four of those nine, he allowed four or more goals. He’s been one of the whipping boys as of late but there has been next to no goal scoring to give him some breathing room. The Canucks need Markstrom to be their number one because they really don’t have one. Thatcher Demko isn’t quite ready yet, so unless Markstrom is #teamtank, he’ll have to apply what he’s learned from goalie coach Ian Clark a little more often.
- Brock Boeser may have only played four games in November but he made the most of them: He finished first in S/GP with 5.67, third in G/GP with 1.33 and second overall in P/GP with 2.00. It wasn’t Brocktober or NovemBoeser but it could be the start of DecemBrock. All bad names aside, Boeser has returned to the lineup in peak shape and there is no reason to believer he can’t have a monster month ahead.
MY 94 CENTS
Oh, you think the Canucks can pull this off? The Wild haven’t changed their formula in practically forever so a trap-like game could be upon us. Elias Pettersson needs a comeback game as does Brock Boeser and I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one of those two makes it happen. The Canucks need to get that power-play going though, it’s horrendous! They also need to give their goalies some run support. The frustration that builds when they continue to get chances is too much sometimes.
Start with moving the pieces around and maybe move Pettersson to the top of the diamond, keep Boeser in his spot, Gagner at net front and give Jake Virtanen some love. Honestly, put Bo on that piece and run a 5 FWD unit. Pettersson can backcheck he’s terrific as is Bo.
TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT!
THE FINAL WORD
Bo Horvat will not be given a gift this year for Christmas. I hear stitched “C” letters aren’t that expensive.
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