CANUCKS ARMY GDT 79 – CANUCKS VS BLUE JACKETS (Demko Edition?)
By Always90four
6 years agoThere is almost no bigger story to lead this game today than the potential debut of Thatcher Demko for the Canucks. The Blue Jackets are in town but the opponent isn’t important. Something’s up with the goalies in Vancouver (you’re just telling us now?) and when emergency recalls make news then there definitely is a problem. Adam Gaudette had a nice welcome to the team as have a few other rookies this season but this is a big one.
This is the marketing gold the team needs. Brock Boeser has done it up front and Demko would be a major boost for this fanbase. Can the Canucks rally to yet another win with their future star goalie or will they flop at the hands of the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets?
Let’s Do This!™
WATCH / LISTEN / FACE-OFF
TV: SN360 / RADIO: SN650 / PUCK DROP: 1:00 PM
LINE COMBINATIONS
Sam Gagner has to stay with the Sedins, right? Hopefully, Jake Virtanen is feeling better to play this afternoon but no other big changes should be expected.
Oh, Thatcher Demko might play. No big deal.
Vancouver Canucks lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 NIKOLAY GOLDOBIN Rating: 68.3#109 LW |  BO HORVAT Rating: 73.9#71 C |  JUSSI JOKINEN Rating: 71.7#76 RW |
 DANIEL SEDIN Rating: 72.8#53 LW |  HENRIK SEDIN Rating: 71.0#160 C |  SAM GAGNER Rating: 71.7#135 RW |
 DARREN ARCHIBALD Rating: 70.8#99 LW |  BRANDON SUTTER Rating: 72.3#112 C |  TYLER MOTTE Rating: 68.2#220 RW |
 REID BOUCHER Rating: 71.9#123 LW |  ADAM GAUDETTE |  JAKE VIRTANEN Rating: 70.6#80 RW |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
|---|---|
 ALEXANDER EDLER Rating: 73.5#79 LD |  TROY STECHER Rating: 71.7#161 RD |
 MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO Rating: 72.3#121 LD |  DERRICK POULIOT Rating: 70.3#218 RD |
 ASHTON SAUTNER Rating: 72.3#125 LD |  ALEX BIEGA Rating: 69.3#240 RD |
Thomas Vanek is back in Vancouver but playing for the other guys. He’s doing alright from what the stats sheets have been saying lately.
Sergei Bobrovsky should start.
Columbus Blue Jackets lines courtesy of Dailyfaceoff.com:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
 ARTEMI PANARIN Rating: 82.5#4 LW |  PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS Rating: 74.4#38 C |  CAM ATKINSON Rating: 79.2#8 RW |
 BOONE JENNER Rating: 74.8#61 LW |  ALEXANDER WENNBERG Rating: 73.9#70 C |  THOMAS VANEK Rating: 76.3#23 RW |
 SONNY MILANO Rating: 71.5#80 LW |  BRANDON DUBINSKY Rating: 70.7#169 C |  OLIVER BJORKSTRAND Rating: 73.1#43 RW |
 MARKUS HANNIKAINEN Rating: 69.3#121 LW |  MARK LETESTU Rating: 69.6#192 C |  MATT CALVERT Rating: 69.5#116 RW |
| DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS | |
|---|---|
 ZACH WERENSKI Rating: 77.3#30 LD |  SETH JONES Rating: 79.9#14 RD |
 IAN COLE Rating: 73.7#73 LD |  DAVID SAVARD Rating: 74.1#65 RD |
 RYAN MURRAY Rating: 72.8#107 LD |  MARKUS NUTIVAARA Rating: 73.7#72 RD |
HOW THINGS MIGHT SHAKE DOWN
- The Blue Jackets are tied for the best record in March this season with 24 points, they’re good. The Canucks have four wins in their last five games, also good. Columbus has scored 59 goals this month and the Canucks are not even close on this one as they have a dismal 30 to their credit. Goals haven’t been the Canucks’ strong suit this season and a red-hot Blue Jackets team might be looking to pad the stats today.
- Vancouver has kept their PP strong despite losing their meal ticket Brock Boeser for the season. The Canucks rank 10th this month with a 22.6% completion rate while the Blue Jackets 40 power play opportunities have only netted them a 15% rating. Ouch! The moral of the story for the Canucks today will be: draw penalties.
- Sticking with the March theme, the Canucks have 400 hits this month, good for a share of third with the Kings. Add to that, the Canucks have 112 giveaways to start the spring which is fifth-best overall. Committing to a hit can sometimes mean giving up position and allowing a turnover but no sir/mam, not this west coast team. Even knowing all this, Vancouver doesn’t exactly scream “scary” when they hit players.
- Thatcher Demko in or not, has had quite the season in the AHL. He’s backstopped the Comets to a playoff berth even though they’ve been plundered by the Canucks due to injuries. He’s getting it done with 23 wins in 42 games, he boasts a 2.49 GAA and .921 SA%. Utica has only two players in the top 100 in scoring and one of them is Reid Boucher who currently has been with the Canucks for the past little while. Heavy foreshadowing as the Comets aren’t that much better than their parent club, the Canucks, so maybe he can help Vancouver get back to respectability.
- Columbus likes high fives. OK, they like scoring when its 5v5. They’ve scored 164 times when it’s been even at fives, which isn’t the most in the NHL but it’s three goals back of third overall. The Canucks are third worst. As I said before, the Canucks need to draw penalties if they want to win this one.
A MODERATE TAKE FROM TWITTER
Yep, the Canucks might hit yet another new low. I expect that place to be packed with… fans people.
MY 94 CENTS
With the recent effort, the Canucks have been showing they can beat pretty much anyone. Kind of late but at least they aren’t giving up. That poses a problem for tank nation but don’t expect the players to just lay down to end the season. Thankfully, this might be a game where the Canucks are put in their place and Thomas Vanek has a game that would make us all proud regardless.
3 THINGS YOU MIGHT KNOW AFTER THIS GAME
- Thomas Vanek is still a pretty good hockey player and the Canucks potentially could have received more for him.
- Rasmus Dahlin will be a pipe dream if the Canucks continue to win. The California trip ruined them before and this homestand might do them in this time around.
- A dismal game from the Sedins might be the potential tipping point on “the decision”. They’ll end up with eight points combined and we’ll all bang our heads on the wall.
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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