Canucks Army Game Day 65 – Canucks @ Coyotes (No Mo Playoffs Edition)
By Always90four
5 years agoTHE INTRO
Vancouver lost a heartbreaker in Colorado via the shootout one night ago and they’ll look to rebound from said loss and try and keep with the pack in the push to get Wild Card spot numero deux. Tonight, it’s the Arizona Coyotes who host the Canucks and those desert dogs are winners of four straight; it’s the hottest ticket in the NHL.
It could be a snoozer this evening, knowing the Coyotes we usually see, or it could be a nail-biter. The Canucks once again are predictably unpredictable so anything is possible.
Let’s Do This!™
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 6:00 PM
LINEUPS
There’s Elias Pettersson news below which is concerning and if that means Tim Schaller makes it back into the lineup, there are some serious problems once again with Vancouver. Tanner Pearson looked fine in his debut, nothing great and nothing bad.
Keep an eye on Petey, though.
Thatcher Demko should get the start tonight. Markstrom was incredible but he needs a rest and will be ready for Vegas on Sunday.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 RYAN SPOONER Rating: 70.5#154 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 75.9#48 C |  JOSH LEIVO Rating: 72.7#71 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 73.05#30 FL1 |
 TANNER PEARSON Rating: 72.3#80 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 78.9#27 C |  BROCK BOESER Rating: 81.6#6 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 77.63#7 FL2 |
 ANTOINE ROUSSEL Rating: 72.8#70 LW |  MARKUS GRANLUND Rating: 71.5#125 C |  NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN Rating: 70.3#105 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.54#24 FL3 |
 LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 70.6#113 LW |  JAY BEAGLE Rating: 67.5#182 C |  TYLER MOTTE Rating: 68.8#120 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 68.96#30 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 BEN HUTTON Rating: 71.5#90 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 73.1#44 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 72.31#28 DL1 |
 DERRICK POULIOT Rating: 70.8#102 LD |  ALEX BIEGA Rating: 72.1#68 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 71.42#25 DL2 |
 ASHTON SAUTNER Rating: 73.5#47 LD |  LUKE SCHENN Rating: 68.0#100 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 70.74#25 DL3 |
Conor Garland signed a two-year extension this week and everyone in Arizona is ecstatic. That being said, there are a handful of players that aren’t ecstatic because they’re injured. Kyle Capobianco is still out for the season with the whole torn ACL deal, nothing new there, just pain. Jason Demers had the knee surgery, done for the season.
Michael Grabner is still out with an eye injury. Who am I missing still???
Darcy Kuemper should once again start for Arizona.
Coyotes lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 ALEX GALCHENYUK Rating: 75.0#36 LW |  NICK COUSINS Rating: 72.0#110 C |  CLAYTON KELLER Rating: 73.3#82 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 73.44#29 FL1 |
 LAWSON CROUSE Rating: 70.5#114 LW |  DEREK STEPAN Rating: 74.4#61 C |  JOSH ARCHIBALD Rating: 70.7#95 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 71.88#28 FL2 |
 MARIO KEMPE Rating: 70.5#116 LW |  BRAD RICHARDSON Rating: 71.3#134 C |  VINNIE HINOSTROZA Rating: 73.4#56 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.74#22 FL3 |
 RICHARD PANIK Rating: 73.8#49 LW |  CHRISTIAN DVORAK Rating: 72.3#101 C |  CONOR GARLAND Rating: 74.4#42 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 73.52#1 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 OLIVER EKMAN-LARSSON Rating: 76.4#18 LD |  NIKLAS HJALMARSSON Rating: 72.7#57 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 74.58#16 DL1 |
 ALEX GOLIGOSKI Rating: 74.4#33 LD |  JAKOB CHYCHRUN Rating: 74.1#40 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 74.27#11 DL2 |
 ILYA LYUBUSHKIN Rating: 72.1#74 LD |  JORDAN OESTERLE Rating: 73.1#47 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 72.58#11 DL3 |
YOUR INFORMATIONAL NEEDS FOR TONIGHT’S GAME
- Vancouver currently sits at 63 points in the West, a full five points back of 8th. A win over Arizona tonight creates a bigger logjam and they’ll need a Dallas loss to keep with the group. For the believers, the Arizona Coyotes DID make the playoffs because of a stellar shootout record in 2009/10 so if the Canucks can hold on, there’s a chance. If you don’t believe, a good defenseman is one draft pick away.
- Don’t look now but Alex Biega is on a personal hot streak. He has a goal and four assists in his last six games which is pretty much his entire production for the season inside of a week. The “bulldog” has found success lately but how long with this heater last?
- Josh Leivo could be a keeper in Vancouver. He’s already doubled his point production when he was in Toronto this season and his season totals in Vancouver thus far (14 points) are better than his four of his first five seasons combined in the NHL. (12). He did score 10 points in 2016/17 but the story sounds so much better when we just forget about it. Even Tim Schaller had 10 points once… twice actually.
- Adam Gaudette needs to be in tonight’s game. He’s one of the lone bright spots against the Coyotes this season. He has two goals and an assist through three games. Antoine Roussel has three assists and quite frankly, that would be a great line to see together for this evening. When these two are on the ice together, they share a 50.00 CF% and a 57.14 GF%, not to mention that insanely high PDO. If Pettersson is out, Gaudette is in which also means his minutes should increase as well. There haven’t been too many games where it would be OK to see Pettersson miss one, but tonight would be one of those games.
- Will Brock Boeser get back to his scoring ways? He hasn’t lit the lamp in four games and for the only true winger on the team, he needs to get things going. Brock has been getting his shot off but it hasn’t been going in. Much like Pettersson, Brock hasn’t had the flash as of late but it just takes one. Case in point: Bo Horvat.
MY 94 CENTS
The Canucks have been eliminated from the playoff push. They’re five points back and there are just too many other teams getting the edge lately and it just doesn’t translate to a Canucks’ playoff berth. Sure, Vancouver could win tonight and score a boatload of goals but keeping the faith on a push seems misguided.
Add to that, Elias Pettersson doesn’t look like himself lately despite the handful of points (five points in five games, spread out a bit). Will Pettersson make a final surge before the season’s end or will he fade into the offseason and humbly accept his Calder trophy?
THE TWITTER TAKE
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