CANUCKS ARMY GDT# 67 – CANUCKS VS. ISLANDERS
By Always90four
7 years agoThe Canucks take on John Tavares and the Islanders this evening in an epic rematch of the 1982 Stanley Cup Final. This time there will be no Bossy, no Trottier or Smith so it’s entirely possible that Vancouver could finish with two points.
Vancouver’s Bo Horvat and New York’s Anders Lee are having impressive seasons, and they both hope to get on the board tonight and inch closer to a post-season berth.
Let’s do the hockey!
LINE COMBOS
Nikolay Goldobin received the golden ticket and will be riding shotgun on the Horvat/Sven Baertschi line. It doesn’t get better than that in 2017 for the young winger. Markus Granlund has impressed on the first line with the Sedins and has found a fit.
Michael Chaput has been a pleasant surprise lately, and with waiver pickup Joseph Cramarossa and Reid Boucher flanking him, the fourth line could bring the grit tonight.
Ryan Miller will no doubt be in net again. He needs a break.
Vancouver Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 Daniel Sedin |  Henrik Sedin |  Markus Granlund |
 Sven Baertschi |  Bo Horvat |  Nikolay Goldobin |
 Brendan Gaunce |  Brandon Sutter |  Jayson Megna |
 Joseph Cramarossa |  Michael Chaput |  Reid Boucher |
| Defensive Pairings | |
|---|---|
 Alexander Edler |  Troy Stecher |
 Luca Sbisa |  Chris Tanev |
 Ben Hutton |  Alex Biega |
NYI’s top line of Lee, Tavares and Josh Bailey is scary, folks. Lee had a two-goal outing against the Oilers on Tuesday, and if Tavares has space, it’s his game to lose.
Thomas Greiss should start. Knowing the Canucks, he’ll have the game of his life. You know this to be true.
New York Islanders lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 Anders Lee |  John Tavares |  Josh Bailey |
 Andrew Ladd |  Brock Nelson |  Josh Ho-Sang |
 Jason Chimera |  Ryan Strome |  Shane Prince |
 Anthony Beauvillier |  Nikolay Kulemin |  Cal Clutterbuck |
| Defensive Pairings | |
|---|---|
 Nick Leddy |  Scott Mayfield |
 Thomas Hickey |  Travis Hamonic |
 Calvin de Haan |  Dennis Seidenberg |
GAME NOTES, STATS, AND OTHER INTERESTING INFO
- Like Jason Botchford and our own Jeff Paterson have championed “just get a point” is in full force tonight. Getting two points would benefit the Canucks, and if all the stars align, they would be seven points back of a playoff spot. How did they LOSE ground? What did I miss?
- When the Canucks score their first goal of the game, they don’t stray too far from the obvious: Horvat, Daniel Sedin, Loui Eriksson and Baertschi all have scored the Canucks first goal of the game four times. After that, Markus Granlund has two, and that’s basically it. Going down the list of who haven’t takes too long so just know that when Vancouver scores, put your money on those guys.
- Since the All-Star break, Alex Edler and Henrik Sedin lead the Canucks in PIM with 14 and 12, respectively. They don’t give off the thug vibe, but they are thug forever. Well, if you’re Henrik, you’re a bit slower and hooking players is how you survive without speed. Nikita Tryamkin has 12 as well, but this isn’t about him right now.
- Ben Hutton has done alright against the Islanders since 2014. He’s a point per game with a goal and two assists in three games. Two power play points as well, and you might say he’s looking forward to the game tonight.
- After Evgeni Malkin’s random fight yesterday, seeing Horvat or Brandon Sutter in a tilt might be intriguing.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Such a shame. Money is king like it always has been. Loyalty doesn’t stand for a lot. Then again, CKNW had them, didn’t they?
MY TAKE
It’s been awhile since the Islanders handed the Canucks their ninth straight loss, but not much has changed since then. There are some new faces in the lineup and a renewed hope that Vancouver is heading in the right direction. If Greiss is exposed early, I think the Canucks randomly blow-out the Islanders and no one will see it coming, well except me.
IS TONIGHT THE NIGHT?
We’re so close to 63 points, and yet they still have to play the game. EA Sports will regret putting that bang-on insulting prediction before our eyes. Let’s push for 65!
Recent articles from Always90four
