CANUCKS ARMY GDT #73 – CANUCKS vs. JETS (ALL SMYTHE MATCHUP)

9 years ago

Your Vancouver Canucks are playing some kinda hockey right now.

Kings? Please. Those punks couldn’t handle the ferociousness of the orange hot Nucks (because they aren’t quite red hot), Yotes? Ya, it’s tough playing for nothing but seriously good luck with the McDavid thing. So now it’s the Jets? Another team trying to scratch its way into the playoffs?

I’m sorry but NO! WE are trying to scratch in so get your own playoffs. Or alternatively steal Atlanta’s playoffs.

Winnipeg is rolling on a five game winning streak, but now they have to go through the Pacific division’s #2, #2, #2 team the Vancouver Canucks. In a classic all-Smythe division matchup, there will be no Tie Domi, no Mike Gartner or Bob Essensa, but newbie Tyler Myers and stars Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele will be ready to rock. Add in stone cold stopper Ondrej Pavelec and the Canucks will have to work hard for these two points.

BROADCAST INFO

Puck Drop: 7 pm pacific (If it was a Smythe game, it’d be 7:30)

TV: Sportsnet Pacific, the younger brother of VTV

Radio: TSN 1040

SPECIAL NOTE: Tonight is the Canucks For Kids Telethon. Call, Donate, Everyone Wins

LINEUPS

LW	C	RW
Daniel Sedin	Henrik Sedin	Alexandre Burrows
Chris Higgins	Nick Bonino	Radim Vrbata
Shawn Matthias	Linden Vey	Derek Dorsett
Ronalds Kenins	Bo Horvat	Jannik Hansen

Defensive Pairings
Alexander Edler	Chris Tanev
Dan Hamhuis	Yannick Weber
Luca Sbisa	Kevin Bieksa

First off, Eddie Lack gets the nod, like you were surprised.

LW	C	RW
Andrew Ladd	Adam Lowry	Michael Frolik
Drew Stafford	Mark Scheifele	Blake Wheeler
Jiri Tlusty	Jim Slater	Lee Stempniak
Chris Thorburn	Eric O’Dell	Matt Halischuk

Defensive Pairings
Tobias Enstrom	Tyler Myers
Mark Stuart	Jacob Trouba
Jay Harrison	Adam Pardy

Dustin Byfuglien and Bryan Little are still out with injuries. He’s on fire so the Jets will start Ondrej Pavelec.

HEAD TO HEAD

REASONS TO WATCH THIS GAME

Even though the Canucks are slowly gaining their viewership back in arena, the Jets will be a big draw both at the game and on TV. I think we all love the fact they are here to stay. Feel good story? Sure, but that’s where it ends.
Ronny Kenins better be back in the lineup no matter what Willie D says. Word is he will straight up do roster hits now just to get on the ice. Ronny’s a bad man, a baaaaad man. Let him play! Just not in a pool, its game time.
If I’m missing Dodgeball tonight, you’re watching this game. Maybe lets tweet back and forth, share a shap or two and talk about how we all hate Bill Simmons still. Still.
Radim Vrbata is on a hot streak of sorts. 2 goals, 3 assists and a PPG in his last 5 games has the Radimeter lighting up. He still has time to pummel the clearly fake in arena loud o meter with a few more tallies. Plus, Vrbata scores, you get one of these:
The Canucks power play. Its actually starting to work.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Check out JetsNation.ca’s game day preview here!

MY TAKE

I don’t know what it is about the Jets but I find a way to get excited for this one every time. That being said, the Canucks’ two points is more important than what the Jets need. The sheer satisfaction of LA not making the playoffs is reason enough to keep the train rolling game after game. Canucks win in a thriller. I can’t wait for that smug NHL 94 announcer to ground the Jets. Canucks 6-5.