Canucks Army Game Day 78 – Canucks Vs. Kings (Hughes News Edition)
By Always90four
5 years ago THE INTRO
The games are coming to a close but the NHL demands each team plays an 82-game schedule. So here we are. Tonight, the rival Los Angeles Kings make their way to Rogers Arena to take on the struggling Vancouver Canucks. On any other night, this game wouldn’t register on the scale of activity but there is news that a newly-signed defenseman coming off a foot injury will suit up tonight.
It’s not huge news, but it is Hughes news. Brock Boeser had an impressive debut, Elias Pettersson did as well, but Canucks fans have yet to have a stud defenseman debut to such fanfare; Luca Sbisa doesn’t quite count.
Let’s Do This!™
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
The odds for tonight’s game are: (VAN -140/LAK +120) courtesy of OddsShark
TV / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN 650 / 7:00 PM
LINEUPS
Somehow, both Ben Hutton and Quinn Hughes could both play tonight. Hutton who has been out since the beginning of March after blocking a shot against Vegas may finally be back. The other guy, Hughes, is an up and coming defenseman who played his college hockey with Michigan. He was the 7th overall pick of the Canucks a year ago. The early reports are that he could help the Canucks right away.
Hope he’s good.
They won’t all be bad games. Jacob Markstrom will be the probable starter even though he was picked apart by the Ducks a few nights ago.
Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 TANNER PEARSON Rating: 73.9#46 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 77.3#33 C |  LOUI ERIKSSON Rating: 72.3#71 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 74.51#27 FL1 |
 JOSH LEIVO Rating: 73.0#61 LW |  ELIAS PETTERSSON Rating: 78.1#29 C |  BROCK BOESER Rating: 81.3#4 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 77.46#8 FL2 |
 SVEN BAERTSCHI Rating: 73.7#49 LW |  ADAM GAUDETTE Rating: 70.2#160 C |  MARKUS GRANLUND Rating: 70.8#91 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.60#21 FL3 |
 TIM SCHALLER Rating: 70.9#107 LW |  JAY BEAGLE Rating: 67.8#191 C |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 71.0#90 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 69.90#28 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 76.8#20 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 73.0#49 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 74.91#18 DL1 |
 ASHTON SAUTNER Rating: 72.7#68 LD |  LUKE SCHENN Rating: 68.4#99 RD | DL2 Rating Rating: 70.57#29 DL2 |
 JOSH TEVES |  ALEX BIEGA Rating: 71.7#74 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.74#14 DL3 |
Ilya Kovalchuk won’t be in the lineup. He doesn’t get along with Willie Desjardins, no way? Drew Doughty hasn’t run his mouth on any current Canucks this week so it’s unlikely he has a vendetta for anyone The usual suspects (Brown, Iafallo, Toffoli, Lewis) are all ready to inflict the next round of pain against Vancouver.
Another team at the bottom that is still easily capable of dismantling the Canucks. It’s sad really.
Jonathan Quick should see the start tonight. He loves him some Canucks.
Kings lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
 ALEX IAFALLO Rating: 71.8#91 LW |  ANZE KOPITAR Rating: 78.5#26 C |  DUSTIN BROWN Rating: 76.5#29 RW | FL1 Rating Rating: 75.57#23 FL1 |
 CARL GRUNDSTROM Rating: 73.9#47 LW |  ADRIAN KEMPE Rating: 71.1#86 C |  TYLER TOFFOLI Rating: 74.3#46 RW | FL2 Rating Rating: 73.09#25 FL2 |
 KYLE CLIFFORD Rating: 71.0#106 LW |  JEFF CARTER Rating: 73.2#81 C |  TREVOR LEWIS Rating: 70.7#146 RW | FL3 Rating Rating: 71.66#19 FL3 |
 AUSTIN WAGNER Rating: 71.4#101 LW |  JONNY BRODZINSKI Rating: 70.6#150 C |  KURTIS MACDERMID Rating: 69.3#120 RW | FL4 Rating Rating: 70.41#20 FL4 |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
 DEREK FORBORT Rating: 70.8#108 LD |  DREW DOUGHTY Rating: 77.2#20 RD | DL1 Rating Rating: 73.99#23 DL1 |
 ALEC MARTINEZ Rating: 73.3#57 LD |  MATT ROY | DL2 Rating Rating: 73.25#19 DL2 |
 SEAN WALKER Rating: 72.7#66 LD |  DION PHANEUF Rating: 70.5#89 RD | DL3 Rating Rating: 71.61#15 DL3 |
YOUR INFORMATIONAL NEEDS FOR TONIGHT’S GAME
- The Canucks have played the win-sandwich game with the Kings this season. They won the first meeting, dropped the next, and followed up their third game with a win (win sandwich, obviously). Two of the three games went to OT or a shootout with the S/O game ending in a Canucks victory. Both wins in Los Angeles provided power-play goals and near perfection on the PK. Of all the teams this season, the Canucks might be looking forward to this one the most.
- In their first meeting of the season, the Canucks had a power-play goal, a shorthanded goal, and an empty netter. It doesn’t sound like the same team but it happened. With the addition of Hughes, a few of those events could happen again tonight.
- Former LA King, Luke Schenn, will be loaded up to unleash some big “hitz” this evening but he needs to know the Kings haven’t sat back in the last week and a half either. Both the Canucks and Kings are tied with 36 hits since last Monday. Most of those have come from Schenn in the last two games and it should be expected he won’t let up tonight. He’s paired with Hughes which will give Quinn a bit more time to be creative knowing Schenn can be the physical presence.
- Dustin Brown (not a Canuck) has seven goals since the beginning of March. Elias Pettersson has but one. We live in a world where Dustin Brown is still contributing despite his age. Remember when he was almost a Canuc… nevermind.
- Alex Edler is in some in good company this season. Of the 127 players to score an OT goal this season, he’s one of 21 players (only five defensemen) to score two and also has one of the top-30 SH% overall for defensemen with 7.8%. Edler has had a pretty impressive season even though he’s barely been on the ice. He’s had some impressive games against the Kings too.
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MY 94 CENTS
If both Hughes and Hutton play, the Canucks win this. Less responsibility is placed on filling roles and more emphasis on actual gameplay. Markstrom will need to tidy up his play and his forwards will need to score a few more goals. Don’t expect Hughes to blow up this game but it’s a home game so anything he does will be amplified.
Luke Schenn has a chance to lock down a contract from here on out. Not saying that’s a good thing.
THE TWITTER TAKE
Imagine THIS is the reason the Canucks add another seven-game road trip that year.
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