Canucks Army Preseason Finale – Canucks Vs. Coyotes
By Always90four
4 years agoTHE INTRO
There won’t be much more to learn from the Canucks going into the preseason finale but they still have to play and there are valuable roster spots on the line. Tonight, the Vancouver Canucks take on the visiting Arizona Coyotes, a team they faced in the last preseason game one year ago in Kelowna (soft plug for a great city and Memorial Cup host).
No Brock Boeser means the Canucks can keep one more player to start the season. Does that save Jake Virtanen, Nikolay Goldobin, or Adam Gaudette? Has Zack MacEwen done enough to earn a starting spot?
So many questions to be answered still but before we know it, we’ll be complaining that the power-play is too good or something, I dunno.
Let’s Do This!
TELEVISION / RADIO / PUCK DROP
SNP / SN650 / 7:00 PM
LINEUPS
The Canucks
In net, Jacob Markstrom will get the final start. Thatcher Demko struggled one night ago but it happens, it’s the Canucks. As for everyone in front of him, Travis Green will get one more look at what he has before pulling the trigger on roster spots. Check back to see this spot updated.
The Coyotes
Michael Chaput is on the same team as Phil Kessel, what could go wrong? Chris Faber’s favourite Swede, Victor Soderstrom, is still on the team and might just make the Coyotes. How great would that be? Arizona will have a few decisions of their own as they’re carrying 10 defensemen right now, 7 is a doable number.
I’m sure they’re happy to get this one over with too!
GAME NOTES AND A STAT OR TWO
- You’ll see below but Micheal Ferland may finally see game action again tonight. It feels very similar to the Antoine Roussel path. The Canucks will have yet another decision to make when Roussel returns but for now, the grittiness of Ferland will have to suffice. That and he’s with Pettersson.
- Up until last night, the preseason was quite successful for the Canucks but the Senators opened them up for a few field goals. Expect Travis Green to keep the defensive game a bit tighter this evening. Quinn Hughes and Chris Tanev can’t play ALL the minutes, can they?
- He continues to get overlooked but how great has Sven Baertschi been this preseason? He’s been noticeable every game, he’s produced at a pretty nice clip and he’s found chemistry with a few different lines. I hope this guy stays healthy, Vancouver could really use him this year.
- There is a lot of talent on this Coyotes team and just on defense, the Canucks could have major headaches tonight. Jakob Chychrun, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Soderstrom, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Jordan Oesterle round out a very shiny back end. There won’t be many shots getting through tonight.
- Adam Gaudette has three goals this preseason to match future Captain Bo Horvat. He’s done everything the coach has asked, assuming here, while a handful of other players have not. The post-game on this one could be juicy!
#CANUCKSTWITTER
MY 94 CENTS
Being that this is the final tune-up before the real games are played, there will be a few jobs up for grabs and it looks like it’s Adam Gaudette that has the upper hand. Jake Virtanen has been invisible and the rumours of a potential trade could very well stir up again before the season begins. I would love to see one more game of Elias Pettersson but I also don’t want any more liberties taken.
Sven Baertschi and Gaudette have looked stellar and the line of Loui Eriksson, Brandon Sutter, and possibly one of Josh Leivo or Jay Beagle could make up the fourth line. Weird they’d have all that money tied up on the checking line.
I’m ready to see this all happen for real.
AND THEN THERE’S THIS…
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