Canucks Army Game Day 42 – Canucks @ Devils (Breakfast Sammich Edition)
By Always90four
5 years agoTHE INTRO
Good morning, Canucks fans. Hopefully, you went to the nearest McDonalds to get a yummy sausage and egg McMuffin or maybe you’re having eggs benedict because who doesn’t love eggs benedict? Anyway, this one is an early start on New Year’s Eve. Thankfully, it won’t be another butt-kicking at the hands of the Flyers, that’s not until February.
Vancouver is one of the hottest teams in the league right now and if they happen to keep pace, the P-word will be sticking around for the foreseeable future. The Devils are coming off a 2-0 win over the Hurricanes and they’ll be looking to keep their two-game streak alive.
Let’s Do This!™
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 10:00 AM
LINEUPS
Still no word on Brandon Sutter quite yet but it might make more sense to wait for one more game to get in a solid practice. It’s good to see Sven Baertschi back and Troy Stecher, too! There isn’t a whole lot to discuss for lineups today because everyone is basically healthy.
Jacob Markstrom should be the guy this morning.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 71.2#91 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 76.5#40 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 72.0#79 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 73.22#31 FL1 |
 NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN Rating: 70.5#97 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 77.6#34 C |  BROCK BOESER Rating: 82.0#4 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 76.69#3 FL2 |
 SVEN BAERTSCHI Rating: 73.6#40 LW |  MARKUS GRANLUND Rating: 70.6#149 C |  JOSH LEIVO Rating: 72.9#49 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 72.37#12 FL3 |
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 72.0#73 LW |  JAY BEAGLE Rating: 67.8#185 C |  TYLER MOTTE Rating: 69.1#115 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.65#22 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 75.3#23 LD |  CHRIS TANEV Rating: 71.8#56 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 73.57#21 DL1 |
 BEN HUTTON Rating: 70.7#102 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 71.9#55 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 71.28#24 DL2 |
 DERRICK POULIOT Rating: 70.1#115 LD |  ERIK GUDBRANSON Rating: 68.8#99 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 69.44#30 DL3 |
Today’s game will be without reigning MVP Taylor Hall, Marcus Johansson, and of course our bud Cory Schneider. That being said, as good of a game as they played a few days ago, they could really use these guys against the Canucks today.
Mackenzie Blackwood picked up his first career shutout on Saturday against the Hurricanes and the rule is to keep a good thing going.
Devils lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 JESPER BRATT Rating: 70.0#108 LW |  NICO HISCHIER Rating: 76.2#41 C |  KYLE PALMIERI Rating: 80.3#9 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 75.51#23 FL1 |
 JOHN QUENNEVILLE Rating: 71.2#93 LW |  TRAVIS ZAJAC Rating: 72.3#104 C |  BLAKE COLEMAN Rating: 73.5#67 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 72.32#28 FL2 |
 MILES WOOD Rating: 70.7#98 LW |  PAVEL ZACHA Rating: 70.7#146 C |  STEFAN NOESEN Rating: 70.5#96 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 70.62#28 FL3 |
 BRIAN BOYLE Rating: 71.7#119 LW |  BRETT SENEY |  DREW STAFFORD Rating: 69.2#113 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 70.42#14 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ANDY GREENE Rating: 71.0#95 LD |  DAMON SEVERSON Rating: 71.6#64 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 71.29#29 DL1 |
 SAMI VATANEN Rating: 73.2#39 LD |  STEVEN SANTINI Rating: 70.4#87 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 71.81#21 DL2 |
 WILL BUTCHER Rating: 75.2#25 LD |  BEN LOVEJOY Rating: 69.4#93 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 72.31#10 DL3 |
YOUR INFORMATIONAL NEEDS FOR TODAY’S GAME
- Cory Schneider hasn’t won a game in a calendar year and won’t anytime soon but last season he won both games against the Canucks and had a shutout to boot as well. The Schneider/Horvat trade has aged terribly but there’s still hope he can rehab and return when it’s the right time.
- In a random turn of events, the month of December has been “good” to the Canucks. They aren’t at the top of all the categories but they’re tied for the least goals allowed this month. The PK is right up there as well but they still have problems with that darned power-play and for Chiarelli’s sake, QUIT IT with that drop pass. It’s done, it’s over. It might feel like a cool slingshot move like Days of Thunder or Talladega Nights but effective teams don’t need that.
- Elias Pettersson has held up his end of the bargain as well this month; he’s tied for the league-lead with four GWG. It also feels like he’s just getting started, like he some kind of chip on his shoulder. Elias Pettersson with a grudge? Sign me up.
- Vancouver currently has a four-game road slump in New Jersey which isn’t actually their longest streak in the swamp. From December 5/90 – Feb 10/94. Seemed like a good year to bump a slump, and sadly continue a different. Both slumps would be nice to end. Even just the current one today. Baby steps.
- Picking up from that other Pettersson tidbit, did you know he’s 3rd in the NHL in primary points at 5v5 with 2.92 behind Brayden Point (3.18) and Mitch Marner (3.14).
MY 94 CENTS
It’s been a while and maybe I’m hopped up on cold meds (I definitely am) but the Canucks are smoking hot right now and this feels like a game that is very winnable. Elias Pettersson is calling out Vancouver media for his lack of defensive game which is more absurd than both the Jim Lites comment and the trades Peter Chiarelli made yesterday.
Today’s game won’t be a blowout but I predict the Canucks are going to have a few impressive moments in this one to carry over to the New Year.
THE FINAL WORD
It’s not the Devils but after a crazy day in the NHL, this is bang on.
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