CANUCKS ARMY GDT 39 – CANUCKS VS. KINGS (HNIC)
By Always90four
6 years agoCanucks. A new hope, take two.
Before all the injuries took away the ‘real’ Canucks, they were a team on the rise and showed hope for the future. Mix in some “are you freaking kidding me?” and you have the current Vancouver squad. The last time the Kings faced the Canucks it looked like Vancouver was in for yet another demoralizing defeat but the Canucks found another gear and used the power-play to beat the Kings.
Tonight, it’s round two between these Pacific Division rivals and the Canucks hope to string a streak (I think that’s what it’s called when you win more than one game) to end the calendar year.
Let’s Do This! ™
WATCH / LISTEN / FACE-OFF
TV: CBC (Hockey Night in Canada)
RADIO: SN650
PUCK DROP: 7:00 PM
LINE COMBINATIONS
Still no Sven Baertschi but it sounds like he’s a week or so away from returning, Brandon Sutter isn’t official yet either. Chris Tanev is a maybe? It wouldn’t kill Travis Green to put Reid Boucher back in the lineup for a night, considering goals will be needed and Alex Biega isn’t a strong choice to consistently play forward. The defense has some choices to be made as well. Tonight could be interesting.
Jacob Markstrom earned another consecutive start. Small steps.
Vancouver Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 DANIEL SEDIN |  HENRIK SEDIN |  LOUI ERIKSSON |
 THOMAS VANEK |  SAM GAGNER |  BROCK BOESER |
 NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN |  MARKUS GRANLUND |  JAKE VIRTANEN |
 DERRICK POULIOT |  NIC DOWD |  REID BOUCHER |
Unless there is a last-minute injury, the Kings will be going with the same lineup as what they iced against the Golden Knights.
Jonathan Quick would be the likely starter, he likes the Canucks.
Los Angeles Kings lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 TANNER PEARSON |  ANZE KOPITAR |  DUSTIN BROWN |
 ALEX IAFALLO |  ADRIAN KEMPE |  TYLER TOFFOLI |
 MARIAN GABORIK |  NICK SHORE |  TREVOR LEWIS |
 ANDY ANDREOFF |  TORREY MITCHELL |  JONNY BRODZINSKI |
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- Like the chorus from the hit song “I want you” by Savage Garden, Thomas Vanek is 100% those words personified. We want him, we don’t know if we need him but the way Vanek has been playing, we’d die to find out. Do the Canucks offer him a contract next season or his he the leading name at the trade deadline? With 12G and 11 PPP, the Canucks would be a shell without him.
- Not to be lost in all the hoopla that is Boesermania, Sam Gagner has seen a resurgence and combined with Vanek and the aforementioned BB, Gagner is seeing flashes of his better days. Gagner has 2G and 4A in his last five games and getting the star line treatment may have been what the doctor ordered. He won’t post his CBJ numbers from a season ago but he’s becoming just as important this season. Don’t sleep on him just yet.
- I don’t want to be THAT GUY but if Brock Boeser forces hat donations this evening, he’ll be tied for the league-lead in goals. It also would put him in ninth for overall points. Mathew Barzal won’t stay dormant so there shouldn’t be too much pressure but on Brock. The rookie race may turn out to be one of the best the league has seen.
- Michael Del Zotto doesn’t just play the hits in the dressing room as DJ MDZ, he’s unleashing Vancouver’s top hits on opponents across the league, in fact, he’s eighth among all defensemen and 25th in the league in that category, hits, in case you lost track. His performance against the Blackhawks should have made teams take notice. There’s more grit on this team than people give it credit for.
- Gushing over Boeser has been too easy lately and slightly time-consuming but this past month has proven, the Canucks, indeed have the NHL’s next superstar. We’ve waited and we’re finally being rewarded.
THE TWITTER TAKE
In person, this guy just takes over the game. His goal against Kamloops a few nights ago is something Canucks fans may get used to seeing when he makes the big club. He doesn’t like to miss.
MY 94 CENTS
I still can’t get over that Thomas Vanek pass to Brock Boeser to end the game the other night. To sell the drive to the net so hard to literally everyone watching it and then drop back to BB was a thing of beauty! Henrik Sedin was probably blushing it was so nice. Vancouver has been walked by Los Angeles many times but tonight has a funny feel to it.
The legend continues with number six in blue. He is causing quite the commotion on the Twitters, the hype is reaching unhealthy levels, PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING ABOUT HOW MUCH TV TIME HIS PARENTS GET!!! I would have loved to see Pavel Bure get this kind of treatment in the social media age. I do remember he was a lightning rod for attention from his first shift onward.
Hockey Night has some classics and Brock Boeser may welcome another one this evening.
OVER / UNDER
Canucks points in the standings (+/- 1) Whatever happened last game could totally happen again. The bug has infected everyone in the Canucks lineup and they have a winning attitude, or so it seems. Take the over, folks. It’s time to see what the Canucks can do.
Jake Virtanen PP points (+/- 1) The top unit has been getting owned the last few games, on the first try anyway and Jake Virtanen seems poised to be a fixture there. It’s a push on this one but that means he is in on the action. Wouldn’t be surprised if he ran Quick as well.
The Pint is your home for all things game day. Come down for game day specials like $5 mugs of bud and bud light and get 20% off food if you’re a season ticket holders
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