CANUCKS ARMY GDT 6 – CANUCKS @ BRUINS
By Always90four
6 years agoTime to move on from the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
The Canucks are in Boston to take on the Bruins in the second game of their five-game road trip. Anders Nilsson backstopped the Canucks to a 3-0 win on Tuesday and Vancouver will need to bring a similar approach to beat the Bruins tonight. It’s an early one so if you’re a die-hard, book a “late job” and turn on the TV.
It’s not the same rivalry, but hopefully, there will be new reasons for both teams to hate each other.
Let’s do this!
WATCH / LISTEN / FACE-OFF
TV: SN360
RADIO: SN650
PUCK DROP: 4:00 PM
LINE COMBINATIONS
Travis Green is pushing a lot of the right buttons lately, and the Alex Burmistrov decision was his latest victory. As long as there is chemistry there, you’ll see that line more and more. Henrik and Daniel have been relegated to fourth line minutes, and Brock Boeser is off the power play altogether. It’s a new world for the Canucks, and it’s anyone’s guess as to what the next move is.
It would be nice to see more Jake Virtanen, and against the Bruins, this could be his break out game. No pressure, though.
Anders Nilsson would be an excellent choice to start if we’re basing Green’s lineup execution on past decisions. Follow the Twitters for the up-to-date news.
Vancouver Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING |
|---|---|---|
 DANIEL SEDIN |  HENRIK SEDIN |  MARKUS GRANLUND |
 SVEN BAERTSCHI |  ALEX BURMISTROV |  BROCK BOESER |
 SAM GAGNER |  BO HORVAT |  THOMAS VANEK |
 DEREK DORSETT |  BRANDON SUTTER |  JAKE VIRTANEN |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
|---|---|
 MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO |  CHRIS TANEV |
 BEN HUTTON |  ERIK GUDBRANSON |
 DERRICK POULIOT |  TROY STECHER |
Forward Ryan Spooner will be out of the lineup with a groin tear for the next 4-6 weeks (where have we heard this before?), so Sean Kuraly looks like he’ll take over at the 3C spot. This is the worst Spooner injury since…
Failed to load video.
David Backes may get back into the lineup tonight (diverticulitis), and Patrice Bergeron (lower body) might return as well, but it sounds unlikely.
Tuukka Rask (formerly of TMNT II fame) should be starting for the Bruins.
Boston Bruins lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LEFT WING | CENTER | RIGHT WING |
|---|---|---|
 BRAD MARCHAND |  PATRICE BERGERON |  ANDERS BJORK |
 JAKE DEBRUSK |  DAVID KREJCI |  DAVID PASTRNAK |
 TIM SCHALLER |  SEAN KURALY |  DAVID BACKES |
 KENNY AGOSTINO |  RILEY NASH |  PETER CEHLARIK |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
|---|---|
 ZDENO CHARA |  CHARLIE MCAVOY |
 TOREY KRUG |  BRANDON CARLO |
 KEVAN MILLER |  ADAM MCQUAID |
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- Thomas Vanek used to play the Bruins a fair amount, and he didn’t disappoint. In 61 GP, Vanek amassed 32 goals and 34 assists, with 14 of his goals coming on the PP. Averaging just over a point per game speaks well of his latest meeting against the B’s.
- It’s entirely possible that Burmistrov is the second coming of Markus Granlund. He is the least likely player to have value on the Canucks and if the chemistry sticks, he benefits the most from his sniping winger of a heavily repeated name. (It’s Boeser)
- When the Canucks face the Bruins, they know it will end up being a bit more physical than usual. That said, Brandon Sutter, Virtanen, and Derek Dorsett may see some increased ice time. Nothing wrong with that if they hold up their end of the bargain. Brad Marchand hasn’t been silenced for a while, and Jake Virtanen hasn’t done one of his “murders” in equally as long. The stars are lining up.
- Don’t look now but Michael Del Zotto is a Travis Green favorite. He’s averaging the highest shift length on the team with 0:55 seconds/shift. Ben Hutton and Daniel Sedin are the next closest trailing 0:06 seconds behind. Del Zotto also leads the team in TOI/GM. It’s time to see the creative defender make a difference.
- Bo Horvat has an assist in his last three games against Boston and notching one more tonight would make for a nice streak.
THE TWITTER TAKE
This was a few days ago but Brendan Gaunce is the personification of what most Canucks fans are going through on a nightly basis when we turn on the game. Slowly but surely, we’ll come for that interview, Murph.
MY 94 CENTS
Cody Hodgson had a great game against the Bruins the season after 2011 and it feels like the same could be accomplished for Brock Boeser or more importantly, Bo Horvat. Boston is in a very similar situation as Vancouver to start the season so one team will need to get back to some normalcy. There’s a chance the Canucks have actually addressed their speed and will give the Boeser/Burmistrov line more reps.
The second start for Anders Nilsson would be nice but Jacob Markstrom is either the main guy or he’s not.
The Canucks can win this and maybe just maybe, the Sedins get their final revenge… well, minus the ring.
OVER / UNDER
Derrick Pouliot goals (+/- 0) Take the over. Not sure of when that comes but he’ll get some chances tonight.
Zdeno Chara/Sedin handshakes (+/- 0) Take the over… not on the ice though. We’ll find out about this later. That’s how we’ll know their decision.
Recent articles from Always90four
